post closed: everything is OK now. thanks, everyone.

[lisahaschickens]

Hello,

You may have seen my posts about my pullet that was attacked by a hawk yesterday. She was bleeding from the mouth for a couple of minutes, but that stopped soon and then she was in shock for many hours after that. This morning, she perked up and started walk, eating, drinking, and peeping. She has been getting better all day and this evening I found her perching up on the corner of the cardboard box where she's been recuperating. That means she can fly and wants to perch. I don't want her away from the others too long because I don't want them to forget her. Just now, I took her back out to the coop and put her with the others and sat with them for at least a half an hour. They seemed to treat her fine and like she had never left. She ate from the feeder, drank from the waterer, and then snuggled up in a bunch of them under the brooder lights (they're seven weeks old and almost done with the lights, but it still gets cold some nights here). There seemed to be no problems.

How long until I can be sure they won't beat her up for being gone and/or hurt? She has no external injuries and pretty much seems like her old self. Can she stay in there all night? Might they start to beat up on her after a delay?

Any advice is needed so I can decide whether I can leave her out in the coop tonight or not.

Thanks!

 

[BellLisamo]

well she can sleep out there, that would be fine, since they dont move at all when its dark, but i would check her in the early am when the rooster crows (if ya got one lol).

how long have you kept her inside?

 

[birdlover]

After just one day, she should be fine. Get back to us and let us know how it went. So glad she survived the attack! Blasted hawk!

 

[lisahaschickens]

she was inside just shy of 30 hours (the attack was yesterday around 3pm and I took her out just now a little before 8pm). They were all settling down for the night when I got in there with her, but they all got up and started milling around and eating and stuff and interacting with her when I put her in there and they seemed fine. Is that an indicator of anything?

Could I wake up and find her dead in the morning, killed by the others in the night or when they first wake up, or is that unlikely?

They are all brooder mates and exactly the same age. I have 3-4 cockerels, I think, but at 7 weeks, none are crowing. Tonight one made a funny screetchy noise that may have been an initial attempt, though.

Thanks for the thoughts!

 

[lisahaschickens]

and yes, thanks... blasted hawk indeed. I love 'em and think they're beautiful, but this was like NINJA hawk... I was maybe 100' away and I am ALWAYS checking the skies and trees and anytime a hawk, goose, or airplane goes overhead, the whole flock usually runs for the coop. I was shooing some others back from the wrong side of my yard and I looked up and there was the hawk on the ground with my girl... I never even saw him and he was so quiet that the other chickens didn't notice and kept on grazing even when he had a hold of her!

 

[cmom]

Since it was only one day she should be ok with the others. I have separated a couple of my hens from the rest of the flock for about a week, They were beating up on the pullets. Now all is well.

 

[birdlover]

Well? Did you get any sleep last night?

How is she this morning?

 

[lisahaschickens]

She is doing well! When I opened the doors to the run this morning, she stayed inside and ate from the feeder. I don't blame her for being shy. The run is totally covered and as predator-proof as possible, though, so they'll be fine in there. The others are dying to come out and free range and I'm hesitant... what if the hawk is hiding nearby and waiting for me to let them out again... how close to a human will a hawk strike?

Thanks for asking about her progress. She seems to be on her way back to normal, but only time will tell. We are so lucky the hawk didn't rip her to shreds and/or fly off with her!

 

[BirdMom]

If they're that tiny, I probably wouldn't free range them, or at least only free-range them when I was right there with them.

We have a lot of hawks flying over our place these days, but so far they haven't managed to get one of our chickens, ducks, or guineas that free-range all day.

We heard of using an air horn to deter the hawks, but couldn't afford one, so I bought a "mega blast" from the cheap little novelty toy section in Walmart. Cost $.88. The kids are on hawk watch and whenever they see one coming too close to the house, they rush out and start blowing blasts on that. Today there was a hawk actually coming down below tree-top height in the front yard while the roo and the ducks were there. My daughter blew a few blasts on the hawk-horn, as we call it, and that hawk winged away so fast and didn't come back!

All the other ones that were nearby took off, too, and we didn't see anymore in the area for quite a while. So I think it's pretty effective. It's LOUD!

Funny thing is, it's only this little round plastic tube with a hole in the side, a little bigger than a film canister, and it's got a layer of thin rubber on the end, like a piece of balloon. You blow in the hole on the side and it's as loud as an air horn.

Glad to hear your chick is doing better now.

 

[BirdMom]

Oh yeah, regarding my comment that I wouldn't free-range them if they're that tiny, I just mean I wouldn't do it without being right there to watch for hawks. I've never seen a hawk get too close to humans. If we're out with our birds they fly over, but keep their distance while they can see us. They get a low lower if we're not outside with the birds.