3rd Coopers Hawk attack this year.

[Chickpeep]

We just had another hawk attack.

I think we made it outside in time to save the hen. She couldn't breath at first when we brought her inside and could not hold her head up. There are three small puncture marks on her neck and quite a few feathers ripped off of her neck from mid neck down to the top of her back. She is now breathing heavily (shock I assume) with her beak open. At first she was just lying in the box we put her in with her lags splayed back and side ways. Now she is standing, and even looking around at her environment and noises she hears. I put her in a quiet darkened room with water. She has not had anything to drink, but she does have water if she wants it. My question is what should I try and feed her if she is in shock. Yogurt and maybe some crumbled up layer pellets? Bannana's? What about protein, does she need any. She is an RIR that has been laying since about mid September. We are blessed though, out of the three attacks we have had so far, this is by far the worst and the Good Lord has protected us from loss.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[leochickenmama]

Let her get over the shock. Keep providing food and drink; she'll take it when she's ready.

One of my BPRs survived a hawk attack last year; she was only 3 months old. She had a couple of puncture wounds, but they weren't deep. We kept her in a box with food, water, and a heat lamp. She was fine in less than a week.

Poor baby! She'll heal fine. You're taking good care of her.

 

[leochickenmama]

Forgot to say, I fed Rocky her regular egg layer crumbles.

 

[leochickenmama]

I hate hawks too. I know this is nature, survival of the fittest and all that junk, but dangit, hunt mice and rats and KEEP AWAY from my chickens!

 

[Chickpeep]

I hate hawks too. I know this is nature, survival of the fittest and all that junk, but dangit, hunt mice and rats and KEEP AWAY from my chickens!

I agree. It might be nature, but I get a very protective bent when they get into a situation like this. I know it is not legal to do anything to them. Doesn't stop me from wanting to though.

These are my girls. As you stated "Hunt mice and rats and KEEP AWAY." Thanks for the encouragement. It is greatly appreciated. I have her down by the wood stove, close enough for comfort anyway. She seems to be enjoying it. She closed her eyes and started resting. Unless I move of course and she is right back to alert. I used an old glue syringe that has had nothing in it and put some water on the top of her beak. It would roll down her beak and around underneath, she would then be forced to drink it since in went in. She finished almost the whole thing but wouldn't take anymore. Probably 1 and 1/2 Tblsp worth. She is doing better though. Thanks.

 

[Chickpeep]

I don't know how or why but she did not make it through the night. She seemed to be improving all night. She slept and seemed to be resting well. She drank some water, defecating without problems. Then this morning she was gone.

 

[leochickenmama]

I'm sorry your girl didn't make it.

I've lost a number of chickens over this past year, all to hawks, and each loss hurt.

 

[Chickpeep]

I too am sorry for your losses. Yes they do hurt. I have and am trying hard to prevent them. I want my girls to still be free ranged. I don't want to keep them penned up, and they LOVE to be outside free. They are annoyed with me cause I keep them in the coop until 10a every morning. I always get the smart aleck remarks when they get let out. "Hey, you know we feel trapped in here," and "Ya think this place was made to live in or what?" My favorite is "Lazy man," I get that one a lot. Of course this is all open to my interpretation of the Baaaaawwwwwwwkkkkk, and such. But the tone of the squawk says it all ya know. You ought to hear when I am late with the scratch. Man, do I get an ear full then.

Sorry, I thought when I got my chickens I would not get attached. They were egg birds. Maybe future meals. That one went out the window. Does still hurt when they are gone. This is my first loss. Buried her this morning. Man was she mad.............Sigh!

Hope you win a million races, run a thousand miles with the wind at your back, and love like there is no tomorrow. God Bless you and your flock, and thank you so much for your caring words. They mean a great deal.

I didn't say however that we chased the hawk away this afternoon before another attack happened. We are going to have to be on our toes from now on.

 

[mkeawsh]

I too am sorry for your losses. Yes they do hurt. I have and am trying hard to prevent them. I want my girls to still be free ranged. I don't want to keep them penned up, and they LOVE to be outside free. They are annoyed with me cause I keep them in the coop until 10a every morning. I always get the smart aleck remarks when they get let out. "Hey, you know we feel trapped in here," and "Ya think this place was made to live in or what?" My favorite is "Lazy man," I get that one a lot. Of course this is all open to my interpretation of the Baaaaawwwwwwwkkkkk, and such. But the tone of the squawk says it all ya know. You ought to hear when I am late with the scratch. Man, do I get an ear full then.

Sorry, I thought when I got my chickens I would not get attached. They were egg birds. Maybe future meals. That one went out the window. Does still hurt when they are gone. This is my first loss. Buried her this morning. Man was she mad.............Sigh!

Hope you win a million races, run a thousand miles with the wind at your back, and love like there is no tomorrow. God Bless you and your flock, and thank you so much for your caring words. They mean a great deal.

I didn't say however that we chased the hawk away this afternoon before another attack happened. We are going to have to be on our toes from now on.

Hahahaha, I know that bawling out!! I get it every morning because I won't let them out before 10 am also. Some of them sound like they are just going to die if I don't let them out. LOL Then when I open the door and they come out it's like they are really telling me off - before they move on to see what is under the bird feeders. LOL

Attached!!! Oh yeah. I hatched out every single one of mine in an incubator in my bathtub and brooded them all in my living room. Every time I lose one, I so grieve.