angeline
Hatching
Hi guys, I'm new to both this site and backyard chick keeping. Today, while we were working on our chicken coop, I let my 4 baby chicks (all about 3 to 4 weeks old) out in the yard in their caged playpin with a rubberish fabric top so they could eat some grass and get accustomed to outside. We worked away and our cat, who's accepted the chicks as part of the family, stood guard in front of their pin. An hour goes by and the chickens are having the time of their life. Soon some friends of ours came over and we all gawked at our new baby chicks. They wanted to see the garden and the greenhouse so we walked the fifty feet and were there for about 5 minuets when I hear our cat kind of growl which he never does. Then my friend says, "oh my goodness! Check out that hawk just sitting on your porch! My heart sank. I knew what was going on. I immediately ran towards him, arms flailing, making the most absurd noises I've ever heard. He flew off, our cat darted in his direction. First thing I notice is the top of their pin has been messed with, it has strong Velcro straps so the only thing the hawk could do was probably squeeze his head in. I instantly check our chicks to find our poor Honey is bleeding. Right away I get her in a separate brooder box and put her sisters away. I run to the store for saline solution, neosporin and Gatorade. Not until I started to clean her up did I realize how bad it was. Her throat has been ripped open. I've don't the saline solution rinse and applied the neosporin 3 times in 6 hours. We mixed Gatorade with her water and she loves that. The only thing that's really worrying me is a large bump right under her wound. I don't know what it is or how to treat it. It doesn't seem like her wing is damages as she will flap them. Is it just swelling? Internal bleeding? We're so scared! Were waiting until the bleeding completely stops to give her a little aspirin in her water. Any help is greatly appreciated, I'm very new to this! Our poor cat is even worried about them. He kept whining at the bathroom door where their brooder boxes are until we let him in so he could see they were OK. He's been outside perched on the porch keeping an eye out for that hawk for almost 3 hours. Anyway, thanks in advance for any help! I'll try and post a picture.
