Fox attack thwarted but hens injured/traumatized

[hopp2it]

Last Saturday night, my husband was able to thwart a fox attack on our 6 hens. My husband changed the timer on their coop door so they had unfortunately been stuck outside after dark. None of the hens were killed but it looked like it with the amount of feathers everywhere. A couple of the hens since then have shown they did get a good licking from the fox with a sore wing, some crusty spots from teeth, but mostly they just seem traumatized. Egg laying has been down to maybe 1-2 a day. None of them seem real interested in being outside although they come out of the run/coop when we go out there to feed or check on them. We found one dead yesterday just before sunset but unsure of why she died. She seemed to have gotten the least of the injuries from the fox and was just fine the day before. We think something was wrong and the other hens took her out.

My questions are does it seem likely the hens are traumatized and this is why they aren't interested in being outside much as well as why they aren't laying much anymore? I know I'd be traumatized still!

Thanks,
Dia

 

[centrarchid]

Watch for infection. Fox delivers multiple bites to body that are not lethal in small numbers but can kill by shock in large numbers and can cause infection.

 

[aart]

..and it will be back...might be what got the one the next day.

 

[hopp2it]

The fox attack happened Saturday night and we haven't seen it since. The one died during the day Thursday afternoon. It definitely wasn't the fox again, but maybe just shock/infection from the attack.

 

[ozarkchicks]

did the fox run when your husband got there or did he have to chase it away? are there a lot of foxes around, I'd watch out for them

 

[hopp2it]

A combination of both. It took off a good distance on it's own, then ran further when my husband took a shot at it. He didn't aim to shoot it, just scare it. I don't think there are a lot of foxes. My husband will shoot them when it's fox season.