EMERGENCY!! HAWK ATTACK!! **update pg. 3**

[pinguin]

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So glad she's on the mend. I keep a keen eye out for hawks--saw two red-tails soar over the coop yesterday. No free ranging for us.

As for reintroducing a bird to the flock, we're currently in the process. Chickie was out for almost 2 weeks, some sort of GI bug (diarrhea). No sneezing, coughing or anything else, thankfully. Beginning of the week, did a test run; it didn't go well. Another pullet attacked within minutes, drawing blood on comb & wattles. Chickie did her best, but she couldn't hold her own in a prolonged attack.

Because we had house guests (she'd already been "booted out" of the bathtub!), we moved her to the garage in a playpen. That didn't work very well. Every time anyone walked through, she got upset. Finally decided to move her into the 2x4-ft brooder coop in the main coop. We removed the bottom so she can scratch & dust bathe. She can watch the others & they can watch her. Every day I let her go out in the open run with the others, always supervised. There are still some skirmishes, but minor nips, not vicious bloodletting. Hopefully, in a few more days, she can stay with the rest of the birds full time.

Perhaps your birds will be more accommodating. I thought mine would be since they've been together ever since they hatched. But out-of-sight that long is out-of-mind, I guess, in the chicken world.

Good luck!

 

[26chickens]

Two of my friends have had chickens with very bad injuries, one from a dog attack & the other from a racoon. I wish we had taken pictures, but let me assure you the open wounds were as big as a fist. Our local cat & dog vet suggested Ben Gay hemorrhoid creme for the wounds. That stuff is like magic! Both the chicken & the Guinea made it through with flying colors (pun intended). Those wounds just kept shrinking up & the feathers grew back.

I also like to use electrolytes in the water for my chickens on a regular basis, but especially if they are stressed from something.

One of my oldest chickens, a Silkie named Marshmellow, is my daughter's favorite. She'll carry her around like a doll & kiss on her. Thursday around 5 pm, I heard an awful sound like a hen was caught by a dog or something! I went running & all the hens came running to the hutch except for the Silkie. The frantic squawking kept coming from across the ditch & I couldn't see her or the attacker through the brushe. Then silence & a flash of movement going up & away, but out of my sight. I didn't even catch a glimpse of color. I just know that it wasn't a ground animal. I went back to the flock & gave them some cracked corn, but still no Marshmellow. I went down where I could cross the ditch & up & down where I had heard the commotion. Nothing. When I came back, she was there too... and panting. I gave her electrolytes & put her in a pet carrier to stay calm for a few hours (after lots of hugs from me & my daughter)!!! Happy ending!!!

 

[lisahaschickens]

Hi pinguin, thanks for sharing your experience. I fear the same thing! I am hoping that if she's only gone for 1-2 days and not 2+ weeks that it will go better for me, but who knows. I am new to this. My dad suggested bringing her in at sundown when everyone is quiet and so they'd be less likely to attack her. My DF thinks the opposite - he thinks bring her during the day so I can watch them for a long time to see how it goes. He thinks if I put her in there at night, it might be fine and then when they wake up in the morning, it could go badly and I might not be there. Maybe I will post on this topic specifically to get more thoughts on it.

Good luck reintroducing your girl! I hope you finally get it worked out! Please post back about your progress, I would love to hear!

 

[pinguin]

Quote:
Works well to introduce chicks to a broody at night--I've done that a time or two--but a full grown bird is a totally different story. No mothering hormones to kick in with the general flock! I've lost two pullets to illness & that was hard enough. To lose them to the flock would be horrible, especially if I could prevent it. So, yes, I have to agree with your DF. If all goes well--& it very well may--they'll accept her immediately. But if not, you'll be there to intervene.

I'll try to remember to update Chickie's progress.

 

[spook]

Oh wow, lucky little girl! You are a brave chicken mom and she is lucky to have had you home. Any birds that I've ever seen that have come up against a hawk have been negative ones, so its nice to hear of a good story.
Last year I became blessed by a bunch of predatory birds. I love the raptors, but get so angry at them too, especially after they took two of my bantams after I had just walked back to the chicken coop. Three days later we came home to find a juvenile Eagle resting in the apple tree. So, now for my girls good, they are kept in a run. These things happen, its nature, but it still stinx.
I am so glad your pretty girl is another step closer to growing old!
)

 

[Megan04]

Good to hear she is doing better!!!

To get the blood out of the sweater, use peroxide. It bubbles it right out. Just be sure to put a towel or wash cloth in between layers of material, so it doesn't leak through and get on another part!

 

[lisahaschickens]

Megan - thanks for the good tip! The peroxide won't bleach the color out of my sweater, though, will it?

Spook - yes, I feel lucky that she didn't have her head ripped off. This was like ninja hawk - I am always looking for them and I was less than 100 feet away and suddenly it was just there on the ground with her out of NOwhere.

And I, too, love the big raptors. I think we're so lucky to have such a large, healthy population up here. I think they are beautiful and majestic and oh so important to the ecosystem, and I am excited whenever I see one, especially eagles. But, I have to say, I wasn't excited to see one on the ground with my girl! Like you said, it's nature, and I do expect it, but that doesn't mean I like it. But, I'll do my best to keep them safe and if a hawk gets the best of me sometime, so be it. And we do have a great run for them that is like a fortress - 12 inch deep, 6 inch thick concrete sunk in the ground with 1/2 inch hardware cloth sunken in and covering all the walls and the roof. I feel totally secure with them in there... but, they ate all the grass out of it in like 2 days and they LOVE to free range, so I let them when I'm with them. We have lots of great green grass for them and they love it. However, from now on, I'm not even going to walk away or turn my back if I can help it. If I have to, they must go back in the run. Period. Lesson learned.

 

[hennypenny9]

Quote:
Yes, and be sure to use cold water because (I'm pretty sure) hot makes the blood adhere to the material.

I'm remembering all these things for when I move and can have chickens. My dream coop will be totally covered. For hawks and for raccoons who will climb. I'll bury the hardware cloth into the ground, too. I've become super paranoid, I know, but I don't care.

...I want chickens so much.

 

[lisahaschickens]

yep, you're right that cold water sets blood stains into the fabric. I will try the peroxide, thanks for the tips!

HennyPenny - when do you move?

 

[hennypenny9]

Quote:
Dunno, house is for sale, I don't own it my parents do but they don't live in it. The house next door to me is also for sale, which hurts our chances. We're having an open house tomorrow. I'm secretly happy that we have to sell because I want to move into a more rural area, to get chickens and not fear the neighbors. It is legal where I live currently, but it's very populated and... Snobby.

Anyway, I'm happy your pullet is okay. It's such an adventure to watch chicks grow up. I love when they make that soft little coo~