Hawk Attack - Chick still alive - please advise/help

[mmaddie's mom]

I'd say MIRACLE also!

 

[DDRanch]

What a happy ending.

 

[Ukyou]

This thread has been a big help since a hawk attacked my daughter's favorite 5 week old chick this morning. I saw the attack since I was letting them hunt for bugs by our barbecue grill and was watching from the kitchen while doing dishes. Luckily it was a small hawk and a big chick so it didn't go high and dropped it and I got out as it was attacking again and threw the bowl I had been washing at it. at first I thought it broke Amy's neck since its head just flopped and when I put her down she just laid on her side and panted laboriously. My husband was working from home and we had a brief discussion about putting her out of her misery. Instead we decided to pull my daughter out of school so she could say goodbye (which other pets have taught me is very important to my 7 year old) Turns out that once my daughter was holding her, Amy went from eyes closed, not moving and barely breathing, to holding up her head, pushing into the crook of her arm or under her hand, and peeping. She has only taken a little bit of water and watermelon juice so far, but we have hope now.

 

[Kuvasz]

UKyou, My heart goes out to you, your chick, and especially your daughter. It's so hard to have our pets get hurt when we're kids, and when we have kids, too. I hope you will come back and give us just as good of news in a few days as I was thankfully able to report about Eagle. Was just up there acting as the "Skyguard" in the fenced area when I saw your post on my phone. Came down to reply, and to send you all lots of good thoughts, and good wishes for a speedy and complete recovery.

The thing that seemed to help Eagle the most and that she wanted the most was watermelon! I chopped it very small in a shallow dish, and added a little water to the watermelon's natural water...and she would sip that almost continuously when I'd offer it, which was every 20 mins or so. Sometimes I'd have to gently push her beak into it, and she would drink. I"m pretty sure she was in shock for about 3 days, and seemed just very 'removed', and would forget to drink on her own. Also, found out watermelon has the equivalent of electrolytes, so that worked well for her. She subsisted on that and boiled egg for several days, lost a little weight...but when she started eating again, she couldn't seem to stop!

Please come back and give us your updates. What is your chick's name?

 

[Chicken Chickita]

Quote:
This whole thread has been very inspirational and my thoughts are with Amy. Please update this thread to let us know what happens.

 

[Ukyou]

My daughter is feeding Amy watermelon water with a little syringe and my son discovered she will become more alert when he brings her the small bugs he can catch in the grass and wood pile to eat. I am a lot more hopeful then I was 6 hours ago, but it has been a heck of a day.

 

[Kuvasz]

So glad to hear that Amy is drinking a little bit, and eating some yummy bugs! Sounds like your kids are taking just awesome care of her!

Does she have open wounds? If so, you may want to cleanse them with peroxide, and apply some neosporin. It was suggested to me to give Eagle antibiotics, but I never did do so, and her wounds seemed to heal really fast with the peroxide and neo.

She also appreciated being covered up in a baby blanket the first couple of nights, and I think staying warm and quiet helped her as well.

Wishing you and Amy a restful and healing night. Unfortunately, I know what you're going through. I'm so glad this thread has been inspirational to at least one person. The afternoon I started it as a cry for help for Eagle, I was in such a panic. All of you have been so helpful. Thank you.

 

[Kuvasz]

Wondering if there is any news on little Amy?

 

[Ukyou]

She is doing a lot better. At first I thought she was blinded in one eye, but this morning she opened both eyes. This afternoon she was walking and peeping so I let my daughter take her out to see her sisters. It was cute since as soon as my daughter set Amy done she let out her sister call and her 3 sisters came running over. However she did have a bit of trouble walking and if they moved too quickly down the yard, Amy would stop and peep until my daughter would come and carry her back over by her sisters. We only let her out for about 10 minutes and then it was back to the cage in my daughter's room. I do think she is becoming a bit spoiled, but I expected that since my daughter has been asking for a pet bird since she could talk. The fact that at 5 1/2 weeks the chicks still sleep in a cage in her room, makes my friend laugh at me.

 

[Kuvasz]

Hi UK,

So happy to hear that Amy is doing better! How cute that she's gotten so spoiled and that the chickies are still sleeping in your daughters room! ha! I totally understand that. lol It's wonderful to have such great news! I hope others come and share their healing from attack success stories too. It's encouraging, so encouraging to hear it! Great job your daughter has done with her!!!