Injured hen

[Aaron Grubb]

Three days ago, my fantasy world, where chickens can free range without care, was shattered when a fox attacked my flock. The fox killed one and injured another.

She is not bleeding but something is wrong with her right leg. It doesn't appear to be broken and she doesn't appear to be in pain. Seems that she is having trouble extending and putting pressure on her right foot. She is eating and apparently drinking, though I have not seen her drink.

I know it's hard to say anything definitive without seeing her, but is there any chance for recovery. I have her in a stock tank in the house so she can hopefully heal and then be reintroduced to the flock. Any thoughts?

Thanks everyone.

 

[centrarchid]

Good chance of recovery. Fox inflicts a combination of puncture and crushing wounds on quarry. Bruising and risk of infection from punctures will slow bird down. Look for punctured airsacs as birds with such will have trouble breathing. Late bird stay quite for a few days and expect it to have a hard time making roosting.




Foxes kill larger prey such as adult chickens by numerous bites to body and neck and seem to direct a lot of effort towards bird's back which gets into nerves and airsacs. Trauma paralysis victim and killing bites are often directed at neck and head. Later can result in decapitation. Sometimes when fox gets into a flock, it incompacitates one after another until easy catches done. Then fox goes back through and finishes of any living wounded then carts them off, usually singly.