Hi I’m new to Backyard Chickens.
I came across this sight after trying to find Information to help my poor chicken Cricket.
I have 5 Chickens that I adore.
Cricket was my very first chicken she is a Barevadel.
At 3.00am I woke to a strange noise couldn’t work it out drifted back to sleep to be woken again I listened I couldn’t work it out then I realised it was my chickens so of course I ran outside to my horror I found my Araucana Becky laying still surrounded by feathers then there was my Grey Australorp Gypsy laying on the ground surrounded by her feathers. I went to the coop to find my darling Cricket limp on the ground but still breathing. I scooped her up and went for a torch when I came back Gypsy and Becky were gone. I thought whatever came assuming it was a fox had come back to take them but to my delight I heard a squawk and Gypsy was with my Maran Boots running for cover. I found Becky under some scrub hiding. They must of been playing dead. Inside the coop was my Wyandotte Mapel she appeared oblivious to the whole ordeal. I felt terrible as you see it was all my fault I hadn’t been locking my chickens up.
I put them all together in a small room near the garage for the night. I wrapped cricket up in a towel. I expected Cricket to die but she didn’t but she is very much in shock and not doing to good. I have made up a bed for her and brought her inside.
She is very limp and cannot hold her head up. I have been holding her neck up to a cup of water which she is managing to drink. I have given her mashed up banana with weetbix a little salt and sugar. She eats a little of this. I’ve tried porridge but she ate very little of this and seemed to struggle with the stickiness of it. I found she manages the wet week bix better. I have now mixed in Tuna for protein.
I’m now thinking of trying a Vit E liquid squirted in her food.
I have found this site to be the most hopeful and informative site over these last couple of stressful finger crossing days.
I came across a couple of threads that have given me hope. As I don’t want to cause her suffering but I want to give her a chance too.
My husband believes it must of been a cat as they are all still alive. He said if a fox had gotten that close they would of been killed. As Becky and Cricket have a little blood on their skin but no open wounds.
Any suggestions or thoughts would be most appreciated.
Thank you for such a great site.
Elizabeth
I came across this sight after trying to find Information to help my poor chicken Cricket.
I have 5 Chickens that I adore.
Cricket was my very first chicken she is a Barevadel.
At 3.00am I woke to a strange noise couldn’t work it out drifted back to sleep to be woken again I listened I couldn’t work it out then I realised it was my chickens so of course I ran outside to my horror I found my Araucana Becky laying still surrounded by feathers then there was my Grey Australorp Gypsy laying on the ground surrounded by her feathers. I went to the coop to find my darling Cricket limp on the ground but still breathing. I scooped her up and went for a torch when I came back Gypsy and Becky were gone. I thought whatever came assuming it was a fox had come back to take them but to my delight I heard a squawk and Gypsy was with my Maran Boots running for cover. I found Becky under some scrub hiding. They must of been playing dead. Inside the coop was my Wyandotte Mapel she appeared oblivious to the whole ordeal. I felt terrible as you see it was all my fault I hadn’t been locking my chickens up.
I put them all together in a small room near the garage for the night. I wrapped cricket up in a towel. I expected Cricket to die but she didn’t but she is very much in shock and not doing to good. I have made up a bed for her and brought her inside.
She is very limp and cannot hold her head up. I have been holding her neck up to a cup of water which she is managing to drink. I have given her mashed up banana with weetbix a little salt and sugar. She eats a little of this. I’ve tried porridge but she ate very little of this and seemed to struggle with the stickiness of it. I found she manages the wet week bix better. I have now mixed in Tuna for protein.
I’m now thinking of trying a Vit E liquid squirted in her food.
I have found this site to be the most hopeful and informative site over these last couple of stressful finger crossing days.
I came across a couple of threads that have given me hope. As I don’t want to cause her suffering but I want to give her a chance too.
My husband believes it must of been a cat as they are all still alive. He said if a fox had gotten that close they would of been killed. As Becky and Cricket have a little blood on their skin but no open wounds.
Any suggestions or thoughts would be most appreciated.
Thank you for such a great site.
Elizabeth