Hope this helps someone else-weird weasel attack

[featheredmom]

We had 2 wonderful EE hens that we found dead 2days in a row. Something ate their head and feet and tried to make a nest out of the body...they were in a space near impossible for most animals to get into(no fox, raccoon, etc). It was just strange.

Well, our dogs caught a weasel that weekend and we have had no more losses since(2wks).

I see many people have problems with "mystery predators"(and we did too until the dogs brought their catch).

We never did figure out how they got into the coop or how they got the hens out...we have since taken the whole coop apart and reassembled since we couldn't find a problem. Hopefully that will ensure the problem does not continue should another weasel find its way onto our property.

This was our second experience with wild animal death, we lost one in spring to a hawk while we were out with the babies(3mos)-not even 3' away...another very sad day...worse because we saw it, but better because we weren't as attached as we were with the weasel attack...chicken death is ALWAYS hard.

 

[Pati]

Hi, I live in Vermont and this is the 2nd year of having hens and roosters. Last night was the first time, I heard a ruckus from the back yard and my dogs began barking.
I took a flash light and one of my dogs over to the hen house. When I entered the hens were every where. I looked on the floor and there was a weasel with his mouth on the rooster's neck. Well not having anything to kill the weasel, I started stomping on it's head and continued until it was dead. Had a cinder block within reach and put that on top of it until I could get the rooster into the basement and into a crate...he is still alive this morning, I gave him a few drops of water at a time with a syringe, he is breathing thorough his mouth. I have not searched his neck to see how much damage was done, don't want to stress him more than what he went through. I need to figure out what to feed him which will give him a good gropful. I'm thinking mixing some layer pellets in water until it can go into the syringe, since he seems unable to eat, I'm sure he is very sore.
If anyone reads this, please let me know if there is anything that I can feed him, to give him nourishment and something to give him strength to pull through.
Thanks...

 

[featheredmom]

Pati-

So sorry for your attack! But glad you caught that weasel before he did anymore damage to your roo!

We use grogel for our babies when they are sick and also for our adults if they have suffered an injury. Luckily we have only needed it twice for the big guys(once for a broken beak and another overheated). It is like miracle serum, literally. Its easy to keep since it comes in powdered form and just mix with water and they also seem to love it which helps entice them. Both of our "big hens" that received it were back to themselves within an hour and they seemed even heartier than they were pre-injury.

Right now we have a chick that was laying on her side breathing hard and she came back in 20minutes after a force feeding of grogel. I couldn't even look at her, it was so sad and I just knew she was taking her last breaths. My daughter refused to give up and made up some extra liquidy gro gel to dropper feed...a week later she is running around the box like nothing happened(her name is zombie since she came back from the dead). I have never seen anything else like it!! We offer it in addition to chick feed for the first 1-3days when we get new chicks, it helps offset losses from "mailing stress"(number of days determined by how healthy and vibrant they are looking each morning).

Good luck with your roo, I hope he is able to pull through!! The fact that he is still alive today is a good sign!

 

[ladybirdb12]

Question,
I am new to chickens, but can you give adult chicken Exact baby bird food (parrots) to sick or hurt chicken.
I am just asking, for the future.
Thanks

 

[featheredmom]

Ladybird

I have NO CLUE, but I can't see why not for a short term thing. I know that mine eat just about everything! Since I run a bakery, at least once a week mine get huge piles of pumpkin "guts"(seeds and strings), apple peels and cores, carrot peels, celery tops, burnt bread/muffins, you name it, they get it...and love it!!!

I can't see some bird food hurting them for a treat or short term meal.

 

[ladybirdb12]

Thank you
Boy I bet your babys love it when you get home from work lol! That's great.

 

[featheredmom]

LOL, I actually have a commercial kitchen as well as a garden on our property(we have 111ac), they KNOW when I come from the back that they are getting something good(when we come from the house they are just going to get pellets and corn chops), they all gather at the corner "begging" Its adorable! They know its either peelings from the kitchen or "buggy"/half eaten produce from the garden-whoever said chickens were dumb is very wrong!

I think my funniest guy is the blue silkie, she is smaller than the rest so she will wait for one of the hens to grab something from the pile, then she will take it out of their mouths and take off running! She knows she can't compete in the "pile" with the big hens, so she just waits. So cute!

So their eggs contribute to the business and my business contributes to them, its all a cycle! Quite honestly, best cycle Ive ever been involved with!!!

 

[Pati]

Hi Featheredmom,
I never heard of 'grogel powder' where do you find this and is grogel the brand name?
I called a Vet in the area who takes in injured (wild) birds and spoke with one of the other Vets
who told me to make a meal of pureed ground meat and vegetables, he stood in front of the dish
and continued to eat. Seems like he will make it. Thanks for your reply and the suggestion of
Grogel.
Pati

 

[featheredmom]

It is called Grogel Plus B and we bought it from McMurray and MPC. Meyer also sells it, but we had already bought enough with the first batch of chicks.

It is not cheap, like $3 for one packet, BUT one packet will mix with a 1/2 cup of water to feed 100 chicks for 6 or 8hrs(don't remember now). With the first batch I mixed the whole packet as instructed, now I just mix it as needed, about a tsp of powder and just enough water to make it look like jello(what it is supposed to look like). The chicks appear to love it and it is their food and water in one-so much less messy! It contains vitamins, minerals, probiotics, etc. Just a great product!

Truly has been a miracle for my chicks and wish I had it for my first 3 groups of feedstore babies! It does wonders for the weak babies as well as the hurt adults, I give it to the babies day one(inital feeding JUST the gel, then subsequent feeds gel mixed with starter) and then only when needed after that. The change in the chicks after about 20minutes is incredible! I watched a chick that I KNEW was a goner(she was laying on her side, taking her last breaths), get up in 20minutes after a force feeding of grogel, he/she is still around a week later and one of the healthiest looking chicks in the box! I can not say enough about what a miracle that stuff is!!