NEED HELP FAST!!!!!!

[Annie Lamb]

I have a bird named Rosa. She is a purebred Aricana. She had been attacked by a hawk and her crop had been ripped open, the vet sewed it together. So now it has been a week since the incident and she has not been outside. (I also have to mention that she is a therapy chicken. I had her specially certified and she is trained.She is 5 years old and follows me around when I do the chores in the house and the backyard.) She has been exhibiting a particularly odd behavior. She fluffs her feathers up, scrunches up so that her head is touching her shoulders, and raises her tail straight up. I am really concerned that she is having a form of PTSD or a seizure of some kind. She does not seem to be in any pain ( but I know chickens are programmed so that they don't show that they're in pain).

So my question is, What does it mean when my chicken has her head drawn back into her shoulders and her tail pointed up?

~A very concerned Mumma Bird

 

[DancingWthDucks]

Try posting on the 'Emerancy Thread' for a quick response. Good luck.

 

[azygous]

First of all, I believe your hen is recovering easily from her torn crop. I'm sure that isn't her issue.

She could be suffering after effects from the hawk attack. This is normal. She will work through it in time. Just be sure she isn't subjected to any kind of stress. She needs to learn that the hawk isn't going to be swooping down on her again at any minute.

I would try to provide cover for her rather than leaving her out in the open where she fears what may come from the sky. I think you'll see she's much more relaxed under a roof for the next few weeks.

 

[FlyWheel]

<<Snip!>
So my question is, What does it mean when my chicken has her head drawn back into her shoulders and her tail pointed up?

~A very concerned Mumma Bird

I've had hens act like that when they're broody...

 

[Annie Lamb]

First of all, I believe your hen is recovering easily from her torn crop. I'm sure that isn't her issue.

She could be suffering after effects from the hawk attack. This is normal. She will work through it in time. Just be sure she isn't subjected to any kind of stress. She needs to learn that the hawk isn't going to be swooping down on her again at any minute.

I would try to provide cover for her rather than leaving her out in the open where she fears what may come from the sky. I think you'll see she's much more relaxed under a roof for the next few weeks.

Rosa is an indoor chicken. This means that she lives in my room and is treated like a puppy. She has plenty of toys and no predators. She is a therapy bird which means she is supposed to be with me 24/7. The Hawk Attack happened when I brought her out on her leash and the hawk swoop down and tried to kill her. The only reason Rosa survived was because I pulled the hawk off of her and kicked it halfway down the road. The hawk is fine (they're built to take a hit and walk away). So my question is, is it PTSD or is she getting mad at me for some reason?

 

[Annie Lamb]

Rosie isn't laying any eggs though. Can she still be broody?

 

[lilmillefleur]

maybe it's stress...?

 

[Annie Lamb]

Ok, I'll see what I can do.

 

[azygous]

You already know the answer, you just want it confirmed. Yes, she's experiencing a chicken form of PTSD. She's prey and she knows it deep down. The attack confirmed it for her, and she's reacting to this by going into the posture of submission. The tail held straight up confirms this. Hens assume this posture when approached by a rooster for mating, as well as a response to imminent attack by a predator. I've seen this with my own chickens as a hawk dives down at them right in front of me.

Continue to keep your hen indoors for a few weeks, protect her from stress. She will recover. Given time, they always do.

No, she is not broody if she hasn't been laying eggs.

 

[Weehopper]

She may be ready to lay eggs.