Quote:
Not a good sign, but we'll hope for you..........
Not a good sign, but we'll hope for you..........
North Carolina
- Thread starter ruachicken1
- Start date
Well Matt I had a scare with one of my chickens similar with yours.
Six days ago I was working in my vegetable garden when I heard big commotion in the chicken run. I recognized the "screams" for predator, so I run there. I enter the run and I find all my girls and boys hiding in a corner. There was an open area between the roof and the fence that was big enough for a hawk to fly in and out. There were no feathers anywhere, but that was the only place I could think for any predator to get in, so I immediately checked my chickens to see if anyone is missing...... and it was.
My 5 month old Golden Lace Cochin bantam pullet was missing.
I franticly started to look for her in every corner of the run, and even out side in the woods, in the hope that maybe she just flew out side over the fence when she got scared, but no luck. I look for her for a long time, and I was still hoping that maybe she was just hiding somewhere. At this point I felt sick from the stomach, specially because I knew it was my fault for keep putting it off to close the roof. In the same evening when my husband came from work I send him to Lowes to get the wood and we closed the opening. For the next few days, every morning in my heart I was still hoping to find her alive in the woods. The hole thing was so heavy in my mind, I couldn't stop thinking about her, so yesterday while I was seating in my chair in the run watching them eating some cucumbers, I remember your post (Matt). So I got up from my chair and start looking around if there was any place in the run small enough where she could get stuck in and I could miss her. As I was looking I was keep calling for her. When I got in the second part of the run, I heard a sound that responded to my voice. My heart was beating very fast, while I was keep saying: " where are you baby? talk to me! chick, chick, talk to me" Between the raise bed and the wire fencing there was a 2-3 in. opening and you can push the fence to make the opening bigger. Over there I could see her feathers. She was almost underneath the bed frame, only part of her wing was outside. You can imagine what was going through my heart at that point. I lift the frame and I got the chicken out. I could feel every bone in her body, she had a handful of poop stuck to her butt feathers, and one of her legs had a small wound and was crooked (pinned underneath her in a odd position). The poor hen was there for 5 days. I had to cut some of the feathers around her butt to get the poop off. I run with her inside and I give her some dried mealworms (my chickens go crazy for them). She was eating surprisingly good, and was quite alert. I put her in the house and pampered her. She still can not step on the injured leg, she hops, and she doesn't have much strength, but she is eating very good, drinks water, and today I had her out on the grass for several hours after I give her a warm bath. I do believe she will make a full recover, and since the leg is not broken, I think she will recover it's use as well.
I stapled the wire fence to all the raise beds, so there can be no opening between them.
Looking back to this incident, I think I know what happen. Few months ago I saw a black snake, in exact the same spot I found the chicken. He was about 2 ft long and his head was small enough that he could get in through the chicken wire, and hide underneath the wood frame from the raised bed. At that time I put some snake repellent on the outside of the fence all around the run, and I forgot about it. I believe the snake got in and grabbed the pullet by the leg and dragged her underneath the wood. Either because she was to big or because he could not pull her out through the fence he let her go, or maybe something scared the snake away. The poor hen was stuck underneath the wood in a very odd position for 5 days with no food or water, but she is a real fighter and it amazes me of how well she is doing.
This is my pullet, looking very well after she had a bath this morning.
In the upper left you see the opening between the fence and the roof (that part is now closed with wood)
This is where I found her, almost underneath the wood frame and the fence. In this photo I already stapled the fence to close the gap.
The second part of the run
First part of the run
Six days ago I was working in my vegetable garden when I heard big commotion in the chicken run. I recognized the "screams" for predator, so I run there. I enter the run and I find all my girls and boys hiding in a corner. There was an open area between the roof and the fence that was big enough for a hawk to fly in and out. There were no feathers anywhere, but that was the only place I could think for any predator to get in, so I immediately checked my chickens to see if anyone is missing...... and it was.
My 5 month old Golden Lace Cochin bantam pullet was missing.
I franticly started to look for her in every corner of the run, and even out side in the woods, in the hope that maybe she just flew out side over the fence when she got scared, but no luck. I look for her for a long time, and I was still hoping that maybe she was just hiding somewhere. At this point I felt sick from the stomach, specially because I knew it was my fault for keep putting it off to close the roof. In the same evening when my husband came from work I send him to Lowes to get the wood and we closed the opening. For the next few days, every morning in my heart I was still hoping to find her alive in the woods. The hole thing was so heavy in my mind, I couldn't stop thinking about her, so yesterday while I was seating in my chair in the run watching them eating some cucumbers, I remember your post (Matt). So I got up from my chair and start looking around if there was any place in the run small enough where she could get stuck in and I could miss her. As I was looking I was keep calling for her. When I got in the second part of the run, I heard a sound that responded to my voice. My heart was beating very fast, while I was keep saying: " where are you baby? talk to me! chick, chick, talk to me" Between the raise bed and the wire fencing there was a 2-3 in. opening and you can push the fence to make the opening bigger. Over there I could see her feathers. She was almost underneath the bed frame, only part of her wing was outside. You can imagine what was going through my heart at that point. I lift the frame and I got the chicken out. I could feel every bone in her body, she had a handful of poop stuck to her butt feathers, and one of her legs had a small wound and was crooked (pinned underneath her in a odd position). The poor hen was there for 5 days. I had to cut some of the feathers around her butt to get the poop off. I run with her inside and I give her some dried mealworms (my chickens go crazy for them). She was eating surprisingly good, and was quite alert. I put her in the house and pampered her. She still can not step on the injured leg, she hops, and she doesn't have much strength, but she is eating very good, drinks water, and today I had her out on the grass for several hours after I give her a warm bath. I do believe she will make a full recover, and since the leg is not broken, I think she will recover it's use as well.
I stapled the wire fence to all the raise beds, so there can be no opening between them.
Looking back to this incident, I think I know what happen. Few months ago I saw a black snake, in exact the same spot I found the chicken. He was about 2 ft long and his head was small enough that he could get in through the chicken wire, and hide underneath the wood frame from the raised bed. At that time I put some snake repellent on the outside of the fence all around the run, and I forgot about it. I believe the snake got in and grabbed the pullet by the leg and dragged her underneath the wood. Either because she was to big or because he could not pull her out through the fence he let her go, or maybe something scared the snake away. The poor hen was stuck underneath the wood in a very odd position for 5 days with no food or water, but she is a real fighter and it amazes me of how well she is doing.
This is my pullet, looking very well after she had a bath this morning.
In the upper left you see the opening between the fence and the roof (that part is now closed with wood)
This is where I found her, almost underneath the wood frame and the fence. In this photo I already stapled the fence to close the gap.
The second part of the run
First part of the run
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arianna... I am so happy you found her.
poor little thing.
Quote:
Thank you, I was so happy to see her, that I almost cried.
Thank you, I was so happy to see her, that I almost cried.
Arianna I am glad you found her and that she is ok. As she gains strength she should recover the leg. To help you can try some physical therapy on her. While holding her gently move the leg in a normal fashion. Place a little pressure up to make her push down. Gentle and slow is the key. As long as the blood circulation to the leg was not compromised in her trapped position she should recover.
On a side not, the longest I have ever heard of a hen being trapped and survive was 8 days.
Matt
On a side not, the longest I have ever heard of a hen being trapped and survive was 8 days.
Matt
This is why we spent over an hour searching for our missing polish. He is a ground dweller and I am afraid he is stuck in a crevice somewhere, ya know they are not the brightest bulbs in the barn
it beats the alternative
What a heart stopping tale........so glad you found her and she is recovering
Glad you found her! Hello everyone here in North Carolina! Just saying hi and seeing who's close by!
Quote:
It's amazing how strong some of them are. She has actually being trapped there for 6 days. I lost her last Thursday, and I found her yesterday (Wednesday).
It's amazing how strong some of them are. She has actually being trapped there for 6 days. I lost her last Thursday, and I found her yesterday (Wednesday).
Last edited:
I'M GETTING SOME BEAUTIFUL SILKIES
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