My first hawk attack today and dealing with the guilt....

[minnehaha]

So sorry you have an injured girl. I hope she pulls through, it sounds like you are doing everything right to help her. What are you feeding her? If it were me, I would scramble her some eggs with cheese and milk and give it to her warm. Healing protein, and warm easy to eat soft food does wonders for a wounded baby.

 

[Brookliner]

You might try spraying "bluekote" on the wounds. It is antiseptic and will turn her skin blue so she will be less likely to peck at her wounds. You can get it at your local grain store. Note: when you use it wear rubber gloves and old clothes because everything it touches turns blue.
Best of luck with your bird.

 

[123RedBeard]

Yeah, BlueKote is good stuff ... Once it dries it is fine!

If she is eating and drinking she will be fine in a few days ... She maybe a bit timid going outside though ... Understandingly under what happened to her!

 

[LittleRedCoop53]

Quote: I let my silkie chickens out in my fenced front yard...is this considered 'free ranging' ? I see hawks fly way up in the sky and never thought about them hunting my silkies...there are bushes and trees along the edges for cover. Once in the summer i saw a hawk swoop low between the house and coop/trees, the trees and bushes were thick with leaves then, so i think it was a deterrent...but now the trees are bare and things are more open... i haven't seen a hawk fly low here again...are my chicken in danger? You said a hawk swooped down and took a large chicken right in front of you? how far away were you? was it in the open? I think i have lot's of ground cover for them to hide under....but now i'm worried after reading this

 

[bobbi-j]

I let my silkie chickens out in my fenced front yard...is this considered 'free ranging' ? I see hawks fly way up in the sky and never thought about them hunting my silkies...there are bushes and trees along the edges for cover. Once in the summer i saw a hawk swoop low between the house and coop/trees, the trees and bushes were thick with leaves then, so i think it was a deterrent...but now the trees are bare and things are more open... i haven't seen a hawk fly low here again...are my chicken in danger? You said a hawk swooped down and took a large chicken right in front of you? how far away were you? was it in the open? I think i have lot's of ground cover for them to hide under....but now i'm worried after reading this

Some people consider any time out of the coop or run "free ranging". I don't know how big your yard is, or how long they get to be unpenned, so I really can't say. What I will say is, any time your chickens are out of a secure coop and run, they are vulnerable to predators. A hawk, fox, coyote, neighbor's dog, or even your own dog can attack so quickly you and your chicken may never know what hit it. We were pheasant hunting once, and my cousin had a hawk swoop right over his head and take a hen pheasant right in front of him. They can be pretty brazen.

 

[deacons]

OP, I lost one of my first chickens to a hawk attack only a couple of months after having them. I wanted them to be "natural" and have free run of the acreage, and I learned the hard way that chickens are an easy mark for predators. I now do supervised free-range time, as you're describing, but even that has its risks. A few weeks ago, we had an attempted hawk attack while I was standing just a few feet away from the girls. Luckily, they all scattered and found hiding places with no injuries. But I couldn't believe the hawk was so bold with me right there.

You've gotten great advice about caring for your injured girl. I would echo what people have said about keeping her warm and keeping high-protein options in front of her. If you post some pictures of her wounds, you'll probably get more specific advice, but vetericyn and triple antiobiotic ointment have always been my fallback for cuts.

Hope she continues her recovery! We'll all be pulling for you.

 

[leithsloft]

I let my silkie chickens out in my fenced front yard...is this considered 'free ranging' ? I see hawks fly way up in the sky and never thought about them hunting my silkies...there are bushes and trees along the edges for cover. Once in the summer i saw a hawk swoop low between the house and coop/trees, the trees and bushes were thick with leaves then, so i think it was a deterrent...but now the trees are bare and things are more open... i haven't seen a hawk fly low here again...are my chicken in danger? You said a hawk swooped down and took a large chicken right in front of you? how far away were you? was it in the open? I think i have lot's of ground cover for them to hide under....but now i'm worried after reading this

I was around 30 feet away. My hens were on the edge of the woods in my backyard right next to a large shed. The hawk was not afraid to dive in for his meal.

 

[leithsloft]

Sweet Pea is doing great today! Her wounds are healing nicely and she is leaving them alone. She is one lucky hen! I thought maybe the other girls wouldn't lay today due to the trauma of the attack. 4 out of 7 laid this morning! Thanks everyone for the kind comments and wonderful advice! Renee

 

[centrarchid]

DO NOT OVER TREAT. Keep her in a cool dry location with low light levels.

 

[leithsloft]

DO NOT OVER TREAT. Keep her in a cool dry location with low light levels.

I'm not sure what you mean by "over treat"?