Hawk attacked Silkie bantam

[Dracarys]

@filmcmahon, I'm so glad your hen survived the attack! Aerial predators are effective hunters and to be able to survive an actual attack (instead of a near miss) with little injury is close to miracle level.

Yesterday late afternoon I was at the coop ushering in the hens for the night. My big Plymouth Rock, Mary was nowhere to be found. She is the alpha and several years old. She always comes running, no Mary! They free range but it is wooded on the side of a mountain. I checked till after dark but no Mary! No feathers etc. Could a hawk pick her up and carry her away with no sign of a struggle? Or was it something else?
I so sad!

I'm so sorry for you loss.

I know others have said that it's most likely a land predator, but I'm sorry to say, it could have been a hawk or another aerial predator too. When my Welsummer pullet was attacked by a hawk, my husband, who saw the other girls running for their lives, was at the scene in about a minute after the attack. The hawk tried to fly away with her into the nearby wooded area, but couldn't get enough lift and dropped her. I've read hawks will drag heavy prey to cover, to eat in peace. I guess it dropped her because it couldn't fly higher than the current threat, my husband.

There was no feather loss, no visible puncture wounds or blood other than stained at the corners of her beak. If he hadn't seen the hawk, we would never have known there was an attack and just counted her as missing.

What has helped us with our free range girls, besides the other pullets' hard lesson in survival, was to put up shelters in as many places as we could. Now that they are more vigilant about watching the sky, they run to their hiding spots which aren't very far. Just make sure they have lots of openings as escape routes.

 

[Eggcessive]

@merceme57 click on the blud box in the center of this page to “post new thread”
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/emergencies-diseases-injuries-and-cures.10/

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I can’t go down her right side, it leaks right out to the outside. I can go left of her trachea ( her left ) and I’m hoping that will lead to the crop.

I need to know if going down to the left of her trachea will work. If not I’m making her suffer and I can’t take that.

I tried going left, I can get tubing down about 4 inches, just don’t know if it’s going where it needs to.

I'm sorry your are struggling
You can't use the left side, the right side leads to the crop.
Can you follow up with your vet, possibly have them show to how to give subQ fluids?

 

[merceme57]

I'm sorry your are struggling
You can't use the left side, the right side leads to the crop.
Can you follow up with your vet, possibly have them show to how to give subQ fluids?

I will call them tomorrow. Unfortunately they aren’t too concerned with chickens other than pure livestock. I do know how to do subQ fluids, for avian it’s typically between the wing and body if I’m correct? ( I’m diabetic due to losing half of my pancreas to pancreatic cancer/Whipple surgery so not much seems out of the realm )
Just not sure the vet will want to give the fluids. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. She’s still on her feet and responsive. Happy Thanksgiving to all

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I will call them tomorrow. Unfortunately they aren’t too concerned with chickens other than pure livestock. I do know how to do subQ fluids, for avian it’s typically between the wing and body if I’m correct? ( I’m diabetic due to losing half of my pancreas to pancreatic cancer/Whipple surgery so not much seems out of the realm )
Just not sure the vet will want to give the fluids. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. She’s still on her feet and responsive. Happy Thanksgiving to all

@casportpony may have a tutorial on giving SubQ fluids, hopefully she will be along soon. I understand about the vets, quite a few people have mentioned it's hard to find one that will even see a chicken.

Sounds like you are both hanging in there. Happy Thanksgiving.

 

[casportpony]

Attached are two pdf's that talk about fluids. I have a great video but it's too, but need to send it via email as I do not want to upload it to Youtube or Vimeo. It's the one that's in the Lafebervet pdf.

 

[JerJohnson]

i`m in the NY Hudson Valley, in a secluded wilderness type area. When I hear the alarm, I usually run outside w/my .22 rifle. I have only rarely caught sight of any hawks but I know they`re there. I believe they can see me, {hawkeyes and all} and see me as something they don`t want to tangle with. I cannot be here all the time and I hate it but some loss will occur. I also have lots of cocks, scaring them off, and there`s tons of brush for them to go under. I`m figuring if i want my chickees to have a Grand life, there will be some risks, but i still hate it.