Hen in shock? Won't hardly eat or drink, tail drooping

[johyatt]

Today is Monday, Wednesday night last week something, guessing a coyote or fox, got the lead hen through the chain link fence of the enclosed coop the sleep in at night and have for 6 months. Don't mean to be graphic,but it kept rolling is along the fence line trying to pull it through. This happened at dawn. When we went out and let the rest of the chickens out, as usual in their fenced in run, 7' chain link fence, for the day. We cleaned up the mess from the chicken that was killed. We left and came back about three hours later to find another hen gone. There were a few feathers in the enclosed coop they sleep in at night, which was open but no other mess at all, just gone, in broad daylight. We have kept the remaining chickens locked up since then in there coop and ran smaller chicken wire up 3' from the ground along the chain link hoping to detour any predators from getting their paws in to attack another one. The chicken that was killed in front of them all was a red star. We have a black star left that we did not think was injured but is now not eating or drinking. She was the one we got with the red star that is now gone. She was fine last Thursday, the day of the attack, we thought. Friday she would not get up, eat or drink. We found a scratch all the way down her stomach on Saturday, no blood or anything and looked to be healing well. She will eat a couple of bites of food off a spoon of crumbles mixed with water and yogurt. She occasionally drinks the water, but not normal for her. She was the loudest, besides the one that got killed, and has not uttered a peep. She is approx. 1 year old. Her crown is still as red as can be as if she is healty. Her crop is empty and her stool is yellowish white watery color. She still gets up in the hen house to roost. She hasn't laid an egg since last Thursday. And tonight we notice ants on her and poop stuck to her feathers. She keeps her tail tucked in and looks out of it.
We are new at having chickens. If anyone has suggestions, please help us. I don't want her to suffer, but I don't know what to do. Her feathers are still shiny and crown is red.

Could she still be in shock? Could she have internal injuries we don't see? How long can they live without eating? Waht predator do you think did this? Please help !!!

 

[Kedreeva]

If those two, the red star and black star, hung out together a lot, it may be some amount of depression. No one likes losing a friend

That being said, make sure you check her over for other signs of illness or infections.

There are any number of animals that love to eat chicken. Raccoons, Coyotes, weasels, possums, cats, domestic dogs, predatory birds.... others I'm sure I haven't named.

 

[johyatt]

Thank you very much for your reply !!! She made it !!

She started laying again two days ago. Took her awhile but she did recoop ! We reinforced their chain link coop with chicken wire run along the inside as well. Maybe that will keep it out, I hope. We are pretty sure it was a coyote from the tracks.
Thanks again !

 

[The Tinman]

You can tell the differance between a coyote track and most domestic dog tracks by the foot pads. With a coyote track you can make an X between the pads. Also the track should almost be a strait line - - - -where as a dog the tracks would be side by side -_-_-_-

 

[johyatt]

Thanks ! How do you tell the difference between a coyote and a fox print? I have looked at them on line but they are so close. We are on large acreage, over 140 acres and there are no dogs on the property. The track, I think was either a coyote or fox, but I can't tell the difference. There is no telling what else is out here either. My chickens are in a 10' x 20' coop chain link on all sides and top and the fence buried in the ground so nothing can dig under. And we have now run chicken wire on the inside of the chain link hoping to deter whatever it was. Outside of that is a 50' x 100' foot run with chain link fence 8' tall, area they have to run in during the day. So whatever it was climbed, jumped or whatever the fence. There was no evidence of anything trying to dig only big paw prints outside the enclosed coop. Prints were too big for a raccoon.

 

[Brahma Mamma]

I'm glad you posted this problem. We just put some of our chickens in the chicken hospital and one of them was in similar condition. She didn't make it. I have seen this shock syndrome with several of our chickens after a predator attack. My guess is that she got trampled in a chicken pile up and maybe has internal injuries. ;{ There's not much you can do except what you're already doing. Concerning your predator: that sounds like a racoon. We have already trapped one. They like to reach through the wire (we have 1" chick wire- very small) grab the leg or neck and chomp away. Nasty creatures. If you get another victim check the injuries. You should be able to see nawing and sometimes broken brones (legs/wings pulled off). I suggest get a live trap. Suggestions of bait are tuna fish, marshmellows, one guy swears by molasses. Look on the predator thread, there are some great suggestions there. Get out your 22 and blow that guy away. They run in packs and will be back!

Sorry for your loss!

 

[johyatt]

We set a trap after the attack and nothing. We thought it would be a raccoon too except the tracks are way too big. Looks like a dog print, a large dog print, that is why we were assuming it was a coyote. We also have one of the night cameras we set out and nothing yet. Whatever it was, hasn't been back yet and attached at daylight when the chickens come down out of the enclosed coop. Hopefully the chicken wire inside the chain link will deter them. If they get their paw in through the chain link, the will hit the chicken wire and the goal with that was to push the chicken away when they hit the second fencing. There is 4-5" between the two fences which nothing can get in between. The chicken that made it had a scratch down her belly and feathers form her belly were everywhere too. My thought was maybe it tried to get her too but she got away. I am very thankful she made it. I have gotten way more attached to my chickens than I ever thought I would. She is one of the first ones I got and they are pets. They follow me everywhere and I love it !! And yes, my 22 is standing by along with my 45 !