Hey 👋 I’m new to raising chickens and have questions

[HelloDarling86]

I had a hen that was attacked yesterday by a hawk. She was taken into the air and dropped unfortunately. She is alive and eating as well as drinking but is unable to stand and walk. Any suggestions on how to care for her or has anyone else had this same issue.

 

[Grammy60]

Hello and welcome to BYC Thanks for joining us.sorry about your chicken someone my knowledgeable will be alone to help you

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

That's tricky. Hawk attacks can cause internal damage even without dropping the chicken from height. Give her some electrolytes and a little sugar in her water to treat for shock. Do her legs feel broken?

 

[janiedoe]

I'm so sorry! I hope she is just very sore. The fact that she is eating and drinking is encouraging.
Have you gently felt her hips and legs for any swelling or broken bones? Do you see any swelling around her abdomen?
There are some very knowledgeable members who may be able to offer advice.
@Eggcessive @azygous @Wyorp Rock

 

[SilverBirds]

Welcome to BYC! So sorry to hear about your hen. I would post your problem in the Emergencies / Diseases / Injuries and Cures sections to recieve better help. Hope you hen can recover.

 

[Blue Raptor]

I had a hen that was attacked yesterday by a hawk. She was taken into the air and dropped unfortunately. She is alive and eating as well as drinking but is unable to stand and walk. Any suggestions on how to care for her or has anyone else had this same issue.

Welcome to BYC!! It could just be shock.. how high up would you say she was dropped?

 

[DobieLover]

Welcome to BYC.
Poor girl.
I would keep her in a warm secure area and support her with a poultry booster in a wet mash and offer 2 water sources. One with electrolytes and one just clean plain water.
I would check her over carefully for puncture wounds.

 

[azygous]

Here's what you do in the event of a predator attack to treat the survivor.

1. Treat for shock as the number one step. Give warm Gatoraid or mix a half teaspoon of sugar into a fourth of a cup of warm water with a pinch of salt and baking soda. Have the patient drink it all or syringe it into the beak.

2. Flush the wound well with saline. This is better than soap and water as it maintains the PH of the tissues. But warm soap and water will do. You need to wash away the bacteria from the wound.

3. Inspect the wound carefully. If it has a skin flap dangling, keep that. Do not cut it off. Look for bite, tear or puncture marks indicating a puncture wound. If you see this, the patient will need an oral antibiotic such as amoxicillin. Bacteria from the predator’s mouth can be injected deep into tissue and can kill in as little as 24 to 48 hours. You can order this https://www.kvsupply.com/item/aqua-mox-250mg-capsules-100-count/P06184/250mg once a day for ten days. Or you may be able to find this or something similar at TSC or a pet store.

4. Spray with Vetericyn wound treament and let dry. Use a topical antibiotic ointment such as Neosporin or a generic without pain killer in it to coat the wound. If there's a skin flap, lay it across the wound that has just been coated with the ointment. Then smooth on a generous amount over the top of the skin flap to hold it in place.

5. It's useless to try to stitch a wound on a chicken. Don't even try. It's also useless to try to bandage a wound other than on the feet. The chicken will not tolerate it. It will be pulled off faster than you can blink an eye.

6. Clean the wound every day following the above steps. Keep the wound covered with the ointment. Never allow the wound to get dried out or it will not heal.