Hawk attack with minor (hopefully) injury

[meags163]

I let my chickens out to free range while I cleaned their coop today and stepped in the house for 4-5 minutes. When I came out I heard lots of noise and saw a hawk trying to get them! There was a lot of feathers so I thought one was gone but she came back a little while later. One hen is bleeding a little on her waddle and her beak but she is eating and seems to be fine. The one who had the feathers pulled off her back has a bloody eye. Its not bleeding anymore but it is puffy and watery and she is closing it to stop the pain I'm sure. She seems to be ok and is sitting quietly on her roost. She I bring her inside for the night? I'm afraid to clean her eye area and I'm not sure if I should just let her be and let the wounds heal on their own or intervene. What do you think?

 

[mychookschick]

If she has her eye still closed I would separate her... just because I have a chicken who is blind in one eye (basicly, with her eye shut, your chicken is temporarily blind in that eye) and she has no depth perception.... So, your chicken will most likely be picked on... And for the others, If the blood is showing a fairly good amount I would separate them as well. Just because chickens are scavengers and if they see the blood they will pick at it until you notice..... Which might be too late. I speak from experience in this area. When my chicken were becoming mature, there was a fight in the coop and I didn't know it, but, when I went out all of them had bloody (hamburger) butts.

 

[Judy]

I'd clean the eye with normal saline, hopefully by dripping or running it over her, then put some neosporin ointment or antibiotic ophthalmic ointment from the feed store on it. She might even lose the eye, but hopefully you can control infection and keep it from spreading. You can do the same with the other one, though she might do fine without treatment. You'll have to watch them for pecking as they tend to go after anything bloody. They like to be with their flock, so I would not separate them unless you have to because of pecking, and then I'd get them back as soon as possible.

You can easily make your own saline; it's a scant tsp of salt in a quart of water. Here's more details: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_you_make_a_normal_saline_solution_for_washing_a_wound

I'd have said mildly soapy water except you are dealing with an eye. Just plain clear water for cleaning would also work' but a touch of salt in it will be less painful.