Raccoon. Shock? Injury?

[Penelope98118]

Hello,

I am new to this site, and sad to say I am introducing myself in an unpleasant way. I have 3 birds in Seattle and this morning I chased a raccoon out of our yard. It seemed like no one was hurt until we put them all back in the run. Penelope, a 2 year old black orpington, is unbalanced, wobbly and breathing strange. It seems like the breathing part is shock and I will head to the store for some pedialyte. But we checked her out and we can't see any injury or blood. Could limping and wobbling be part of shock?

Thanks for your help chicken community.
Laura

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Hello,

.... this morning I chased a raccoon out of our yard. It seemed like no one was hurt until we put them all back in the run. Penelope, a 2 year old black orpington, is unbalanced, wobbly and breathing strange. It seems like the breathing part is shock and I will head to the store for some pedialyte. But we checked her out and we can't see any injury or blood. Could limping and wobbling be part of shock?

Thanks for your help chicken community.
Laura

No, but it very well can be the result of the coon grabbing your hen by her leg or foot and the hen pulling out of the raccoon's grip, thus laming herself by escaping the jaws of sure death.

Raccoons live in troops or colonies and when you see one coon there may be 2 dozen or more living, sleeping, and foraging in the same area. 150 or so years ago it was traditional for families to sit down to a Christmas dinner of roast coon with all the fixings. That is why people were able to raise large flocks of free range chickens back in the "good old Days"