Hawk attack!!!!missing hen PLEASE help!

[roxyblue]

Hi Everyone!
While I was out today (my dad was at home) a red tailed hawk found its way into our run and grabbed one of my poor hens. My dad has very good reflexes and after hearing the chickens bawk BAWKING ran down the stairs and into the chicken coop. He captured the (BIG) hawk, though through the door which he left wide open my one of my hens escaped. We looked over the one that the hawk had landed on and found many small talon marks. We smeared some antiobiotic cream on them (that we had gotten from the vet for a previose hawk attack) and let her back in her safe coop with her sisters. We CAN NOT find the one escapee.........I have looked everywhere. Please Help! and advise is very much needed! this has only happened once before. Before I had BYC to turn to
Thanks so much!
-Roxy

 

[BrattishTaz]

A scared chicken will find a place to hide. Look under cars, bushes, in trees, under porches, anywhere she could squeeze into. The goods news is, if she is not badly injured, she will come home to roost. Try to stay calm.

I hope you find her.

 

[seminolewind]

She won't freeze to death, and may find a branch to sleep on. Or when it starts to get dark, they look for the coop and she may come back. If she's out there, she will most likely come back to her flock and home.

 

[Sjisty]

If she's hiding, she will come out when she feels it is safe. She will probably come back when it starts to get dark tonight. Good luck!

 

[roxyblue]

THANK YOU!
I looked for TWO hours and couldn't find her. then when my sister comes home from school the first place she looks is under the lawn mower(which I HAD looked under). GUESS WHAT! There sits my dear Roxy........now I have to worry about the other one. should I repost this in emergencys now?
thanks again soooo much!
-Roxy(blue)

 

[Shireshome]

Don't worry about you chicken too much. It sounded like you said she just ran out the coup door. I'm sure she is just hiding. You probably will not be able to find her. but the good news is, she will come out on her own. just keep a close eye out for her and if you have any farmiliar sounds like the sound of the food bucket or a customary
"here chick chick chick" the would normally signal theire feeding time, try that. And give your dad a big hug for saving your girls. Dads love it when their the hero.

 

[BrattishTaz]

I don't think there is a reason to post a new thread right now. Antibiotic cream was the appropriate treatment for the injuries. Just re-apply once or twice a day, add some extra protein to her diet, and keep an eye one her. As long as she has no internal damage, she should recover fine. Make sure the other chickens are not pecking her wounds. Use Blukote or separate her if they do.

 

[roxyblue]

Oh don't worry I have given my dad a BIG hug........he's been the chickens hero twice now. The first time the hawk struck while they were free ranging. he got there just in time.....though my poor Daisy died later of a desease that was probably transmitted from the hawk,(what the vet said). BYC is the best! you guys have NEVER let me down!
-Roxy

 

[roxyblue]

Just an update:
they were scared to come out of their coop into their VERY PROTECTED run, however after lots of arugala,yogurt and scratch they couldn't resist. Stella (the one that was wounded) seems to be doing fine she is eating,drinking and was the first one out this morning. We took her to a freind who is a doctor and he looked her over well and said that as long as I keep her from getting infections she should pull through. To give you a better Idea of the wound size: she has maybe eight dime sized rips in her skin, some on her wing,some on her breast,one on her crop, and a couple on her stomach (were the hawk had her) I have put antibiotic on them and they didn't bleed much. What do you guys think?
-Thanks
-Roxy

 

[seminolewind]

I think she's fine and lucky. Great you found her. I hope you can adjust things to where they have some protection from overhead.