Mourning Hen

[IamHereNow55]

I'm a first-time chicken owner; I started it with four hens who basically grew up together (they're from the same supplier).
Recently we lost two of the hens to a predator while they were out on the property, we were out so we didn't see what happened, but we assume our hen, her name is luna, saw one of the hens get killed (she was hiding in the neighbor's yard, which has never happened before).
After the attack Luna has slowly become more lethargic and overall quite depressed. It's been roughly a week now and she hit rock bottom the other day. We don't think she's ill, just mourning the loss of her flock mates.
As I stated before we are first time chicken owners, ive been tube feeding her since she now refuses to eat and provided her with towels for comfort. Is there anything else we can do? Shes been staying in the coop with her remaining flockmate during the night and we've been taking her out during the day so she can have her space to cope with her mourning. Apologize for the long paragraph and thank you in advance for the help.

 

[Anon112]

Have you looked her over very very carefully for any injury? It can be very hard to spot something like a puncture, but they can get infected which can cause lethargy and loss of appetite.

How does she react to her flockmate in the daytime?

I'm really sorry for the loss of your two hens!

 

[fldiver97]

Chickens are flock creatures. She may do better with her remaining mate.
Have you looked her over for any injuries? Chickens hide illnesses and injuries as best as they can.
Offer her some soft scrambled eggs and soft food and maybe company.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

You might also offer sugar water or electrolytes for shock.

 

[Bawkbok]

I'm sorry for your losses. Yes, chickens grieve the loss of others, more pronounced in smaller flocks. The remaining two should form a tighter bond once their order is re-established as to who is now the leader. I would leave them together.

As others have mentioned, check her for injuries, treat for shock and provide extra attention if you have the time and are able; just by being a presence and sitting with them can help.

Congratulations on being a new chicken owner. It is a rewarding experience but not without challenges as you're learning the hard way. The more time you spend with them, the more time you will want to spend with them. It's addictive that way.

 

[IamHereNow55]

Thanks for advice, if I do find any injuries how should they be treated? Or should I just take her to the vet?

 

[Bawkbok]

if I do find any injuries how should they be treated?

It depends on what type of injury you find, if any, and where they are located. At a minimum, you would want to clean the wound with saline solution or Chlorohexidine which can be found at WalMart. Once the wound is clean of dirt or debris, you can use triple antibiotic ointment. Just ensure it does not have any pain relief in it as this can be toxic to chickens. Just plain Neosporin or Triple Antibiotic ointment applied to the wound. Do not wrap it.
You will want to check under her wings, under her belly and separate her butt feathers to check her vent area, etc., all the areas that cannot be easily seen when just looking at the chicken. It's easiest to pull them right after they roost as they are more cooperative since they don't see so well in the dark. I like to bring them in the house to the bathroom where I have bright light. If you don't have a helper to hold her, then wrap a towel around her body to support here wings so she can't fly away, it will help calm her down. This will allow you to more easily hold her on your lap or under your arm or support on a non slippery table top while you inspect her. While inspecting her, speak softly to her -- I like to sing in a low soft tone. It mesmerizes them, lol. Let us know what you find.

 

[Anon112]

Thanks for advice, if I do find any injuries how should they be treated? Or should I just take her to the vet?

If you have a vet, it might not be a bad idea to take her in. At the very least, they can help you look her over for injuries and could immediately hook you up with antibiotics if she does have any punctures/wounds.

It's also possible that in a panic to escape or in trying to squeeze through a space to hide, she may have strained something or otherwise have a soft-tissue injury that won't be visible.

Whether she's injured or not, treating her for shock (keeping her reasonably warm/comfortable, giving her sugar water, etc) can't hurt.

From the first time a predator attacked my crew (I had a chicken with a nasty bite from a fox), the vet said one piece of good news is that they can't get rabies. The downside is that punctures are so hard to find and can get infected easily.

You didn't mention this in your original post, but is she able to walk and balance normally? Are her wings drooping down or any other physical signs aside from not eating?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

As you look her over, watch for areas of bruising on the sides of her body under her wings, these could indicate crush injuries where a predator maybe had her in its mouth, even briefly. Please note that chickens bruise shades of green, even kind of turquoise, not blue and purple like people.

 

[IamHereNow55]

If you have a vet, it might not be a bad idea to take her in. At the very least, they can help you look her over for injuries and could immediately hook you up with antibiotics if she does have any punctures/wounds.

It's also possible that in a panic to escape or in trying to squeeze through a space to hide, she may have strained something or otherwise have a soft-tissue injury that won't be visible.

Whether she's injured or not, treating her for shock (keeping her reasonably warm/comfortable, giving her sugar water, etc) can't hurt.

From the first time a predator attacked my crew (I had a chicken with a nasty bite from a fox), the vet said one piece of good news is that they can't get rabies. The downside is that punctures are so hard to find and can get infected easily.

You didn't mention this in your original post, but is she able to walk and balance normally? Are her wings drooping down or any other physical signs aside from not eating?

Her balance was a bit off today, her wings where drooping and she was pretty fluffed up. I did see her trip up once. I'm going to check her for scars and bruising in the morning (its pretty late rn) and look for a vet as well- it could very well be a soft tissue injury or a strain.