4 attacked-3 dead-1 still barely breathing....Help! I need advice!

[*GEL*]

Hi, I have had my 4 girls for about a year and a half now (2 golden comets, 2 Isa Browns). We have never had predetor problem or issue prior to this, so I had gotten a little lax on their security (the guilt is killing me). Anyway, this morning I went out to find all the girls against the back wall of the coop, one in-tact, dead from a broken neck. Two torn up and missing heads, and one still barely breathing. She was standing, but her head is all bloody and she can't seem to move it - it is just down. Is it possilbe for a chicken to recover from a broken neck (not that I know that it is broken, because I don't)? I thought she most likely should be culled, but my brother-in-laws girlfriend thinks she could make it, maybe.

She is now in a cage in the basement/family room - we cleaned her up as much as possible and cleaned her wounds (couple of small puncture wounds in the back - missing A LOT of her feathers - head is bloody, but doesn't seem to have any open wounds). She has a labored breathing, heart beat seems good - but I am really concerned that her neck is broken and want to do the most humane thing......what do you all think/what would you do? We are still trying to figure out what attacked them, and are going to make the coop a fort knox before we get anymore, but I would like to save Mable if you all think it's possible, I just don't want her to suffer if it's a lost cause......ya know?

 

[OregonChickenGal]

If her neck is broke, cull her. Don't let her suffer.

 

[Beth G.]

*GEL* :

Hi, I have had my 4 girls for about a year and a half now (2 golden comets, 2 Isa Browns). We have never had predetor problem or issue prior to this, so I had gotten a little lax on their security (the guilt is killing me). Anyway, this morning I went out to find all the girls against the back wall of the coop, one in-tact, dead from a broken neck. Two torn up and missing heads, and one still barely breathing. She was standing, but her head is all bloody and she can't seem to move it - it is just down. Is it possilbe for a chicken to recover from a broken neck (not that I know that it is broken, because I don't)? I thought she most likely should be culled, but my brother-in-laws girlfriend thinks she could make it, maybe.

She is now in a cage in the basement/family room - we cleaned her up as much as possible and cleaned her wounds (couple of small puncture wounds in the back - missing A LOT of her feathers - head is bloody, but doesn't seem to have any open wounds). She has a labored breathing, heart beat seems good - but I am really concerned that her neck is broken and want to do the most humane thing......what do you all think/what would you do? We are still trying to figure out what attacked them, and are going to make the coop a fort knox before we get anymore, but I would like to save Mable if you all think it's possible, I just don't want her to suffer if it's a lost cause......ya know?

OMG poor baby but, it's like a human those are hard breaks to recover from. I say you might want to consider putting the poor baby out of her misery. It sounds like she is in alot of pain! Ripped off heads sounds like a weasel to me but, not 100% sure I've seen Racoons do that too.​

 

[moondog425]

It sounds like an opossum or a racoon. I would cull her.

 

[*GEL*]

Thanks for the responses........

Is there anyway for me to know for sure if her neck is indeed broken or if she is just holding it that way for some reason that I am unaware of without causing her undue stress or additional injury?

 

[suburbanhomesteader]

I am so sorry for your pain. I know the guilt you must be feeling; it has happened to me, too.

I just wanted to say that if you decide to put her out of her misery, we should all honor her memory and call it what it is: euthanasia.

To "cull" means to remove an undesirable animal.