Chick Survives Fox Attack

[Big S Chickens]

My family got home late last night and found one of our girls laying on the driveway. I believe she had gotten out of the coop and the fenced in yard while I was cleaning the coop earlier yesterday (our chickens are yarded with a 5 ft fence around almost a half acre). I thought she was dead at first but soon realized she was still alive. I know it was a fox attack because I had caught a fox trying to get another chicken a couple months ago. Luckily, I had my bedroom windows open that night and I heard everything going down and was able to run it off before it killed her. That was a chicken that constantly jumped the fence even after I clipped her wings and I saved her that time but a few nights ago we found her head and a bunch of feathers in almost the same exact spot we just found this chicken. I'm not sure if we scared the fox off when we were pulling in the drive or if something else scared it off but this girl seems to be in pretty bad shape from the attack. She's not making any noises at all and does not throw a fit when I pick her up or pet her. She can barely hold up her head and couldn't even stand until this morning. How realistic is it that she will pull through? I was thinking about giving her water with a syringe but would it be in vein? Is her fate inevitable? I've never slaughtered and cleaned a chicken before. I've only had my chickens for a little over three years so I'm still pretty new at this.

Any suggestions? I don't want her to suffer but I also don't want to kill her if she can heal. And I'm not even sure what to do with her if I have to kill her...

 

[Big S Chickens]

...and what's the best thing to do to keep the fox away from my chickens now that it keeps coming back?

 

[Fishsticks06]

...and what's the best thing to do to keep the fox away from my chickens now that it keeps coming back?

Shoot it.

 

[Big S Chickens]

Shoot it.

That's exactly what my dad said to do...

 

[Fishsticks06]

My family got home late last night and found one of our girls laying on the driveway. I believe she had gotten out of the coop and the fenced in yard while I was cleaning the coop earlier yesterday (our chickens are yarded with a 5 ft fence around almost a half acre). I thought she was dead at first but soon realized she was still alive. I know it was a fox attack because I had caught a fox trying to get another chicken a couple months ago. Luckily, I had my bedroom windows open that night and I heard everything going down and was able to run it off before it killed her. That was a chicken that constantly jumped the fence even after I clipped her wings and I saved her that time but a few nights ago we found her head and a bunch of feathers in almost the same exact spot we just found this chicken. I'm not sure if we scared the fox off when we were pulling in the drive or if something else scared it off but this girl seems to be in pretty bad shape from the attack. She's not making any noises at all and does not throw a fit when I pick her up or pet her. She can barely hold up her head and couldn't even stand until this morning. How realistic is it that she will pull through? I was thinking about giving her water with a syringe but would it be in vein? Is her fate inevitable? I've never slaughtered and cleaned a chicken before. I've only had my chickens for a little over three years so I'm still pretty new at this.

Any suggestions? I don't want her to suffer but I also don't want to kill her if she can heal. And I'm not even sure what to do with her if I have to kill her...

View attachment 1838949

So she doesn’t have any flesh wounds? No injuries apart from being traumatized? If her feathers were ripped out, I doubt she will die. She’s just scared, a fox attack can be haunting. Try to comfort her, she can make it through this. For her medical treatment, I can’t help you. Maybe wait until someone else comes by. Other than that, she should live.

 

[Fishsticks06]

That's exactly what my dad said to do...

Well then do it, foxes are relentless.

 

[Big S Chickens]

So she doesn’t have any flesh wounds? No injuries apart from being traumatized? If her feathers were ripped out, I doubt she will die. She’s just scared, a fox attack can be haunting. Try to comfort her, she can make it through this. For her medical treatment, I can’t help you. Maybe wait until someone else comes by. Other than that, she should live.

She's lost quite a few feathers and some come out every time I pick her up or pet her but I can't find a single puncture wound. I hope she pulls through. I also know I have to do something about the fox or I will lose more of my girls. The three times I know it's been here now has been between 11pm and 2am.

 

[cottagecheese]

Yes she needs water but you must be careful not to get it into her lungs, so please be very careful with the syringe. Even better would be 'electrolyte' water which you can make with 1 cup water + 1 tablespoon sugar + 1 teaspoon salt. Actually please make the electrolyte asap and carefully get her to drink some, as much as she wants, because this is very important in the first like 24 hrs.

ETA: Hopefully she doesn't have any internal injuries that are life threatening.

 

[Big S Chickens]

Yes she needs water but you must be careful not to get it into her lungs, so please be very careful with the syringe. Even better would be 'electrolyte' water which you can make with 1 cup water + 1 tablespoon sugar + 1 teaspoon salt. Actually please make the electrolyte asap and carefully get her to drink some, as much as she wants, because this is very important in the first like 24 hrs.

ETA: Hopefully she doesn't have any internal injuries that are life threatening.

Thank you for those measurements! I took some out to her and she did drink some. Her jugular is very dark and swollen in the same spot the fox beheaded my girl the other night. So, I'm sure it was trying to do the same to this one. ..but no puncture wounds...

At this point, I'm getting very concerned about her not eating. It has now been a day and a half of her being like this and I periodically have been dipping her beak in water so she can drink but now I'll be giving her the electrolyte water. I'm just not sure if she's just sore or if she's critically injured.

 

[Fishsticks06]

Thank you for those measurements! I took some out to her and she did drink some. Her jugular is very dark and swollen in the same spot the fox beheaded my girl the other night. So, I'm sure it was trying to do the same to this one. ..but no puncture wounds...

At this point, I'm getting very concerned about her not eating. It has now been a day and a half of her being like this and I periodically have been dipping her beak in water so she can drink but now I'll be giving her the electrolyte water. I'm just not sure if she's just sore or if she's critically injured. View attachment 1839803

If her jugular is sore, she probably has a hard time swallowing. Soft food could really help her out.