Possum attack and now no eggs for three weeks!!!

[megsneggs]

Hello to everyone. I am new to this forum and am looking for some fellow chicken commorodery. I had four but now three chickens and live in the suburbs of los angeles. They are two years old and would lay an egg pretty much daily like clock work. Up until three weeks ago when a possum got into my coop and run. It was mostly interested in eggs and left over scraps I am sure. We managed to get it out in the middle of the night in the pooring rain mind you but the possum had already gotten to the chickens. Not sure exactly what it did to them but one had a bloody eye and the other was obviously injured but I'm not sure where. Well two days later the injured hen passed on. All the others are fine now but they havent laid a single egg since the whole incident happened. Could they have been traumitized or something? What can I do to get them to lay again? Their droppings are very runny as well. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[gsim]

Possums are really nasty and a bite will become greatly infected in just hours. Likely it was infection that got her. Might have gotten a piece of the others too. Even a scratch from a possum is bad news. Flock security first, then feed them some Calf-manna with their feed. Also, bananas should help to lessen the loose stool you are seeing. it may get to even where you have to do a litter and nest material changeout. Could be the possum left other calling cards. They are absolutely the nastiest things around. You will likely see better advice on this forum. Most everyone on this forum has loads more experience than I do.

 

[megsneggs]

Thank you gsim. I really appreciate all feed back. I have lots of bananas right now so I will try that. Also the chicken that is ok that got the bloody eye is now loosing its feathers all around its neck. Looks like just the pokey part of the feather is still in the skin. Is this molting? Mind you the possum attack was three weeks ago. I thought they would have recovered by now. Thank you to all for your advice.

 

[gsim]

Quote:
According to posts I have seen on BYC, molting can happen in wintertime. Usually neck and heads show it first. Tail feathers may be next. If molting has started, extra protein will help the feathers grow back faster. No eggs until feathers regrown from most posts I have read. Posters on BYC have had luck with Calf-Manna or Hog Feed, either one higher in protein than reg layer feed. Can also give her a boiled egg treat now and then or 1/2 an egg every so often, diced/minced so as to be not recognizable as an egg.

 

[megsneggs]

Well... I took all of your advice and guess what.... WE GOT AN EGG THIS MORNING!!!! YEPPIE... hopefully the chickens are feeling better and are not feeling so traumatized.

To try to help them from all the trauma they experienced I moved the coop and run to a new clean location. Completely cleaned and hosed out the coop. Been giving them lots of TLC... basically spoiling them daily. I give them warm vitamin water and warm scrambled egg mixture every morning. My scrambled egg mixture consits of...... eggs, eggs shells, wheat bran flakes, yogurt or milk, sprinkle of vitamins, and olive oil. This morning I added some of my carrot juice also. One of them still looks really bad as far as its feathers go. They keep falling out... its neck is completely bare now and looks really nasty. Im going to treat them for mites as soon as the weather clears up.... its been raining alot lately. Hopefully there will be more eggs... not just one!
Thank you thank you to everyone!!!!
Meg