Saved from the mouth of a Hawk! Help!

[duckfeathers]

I'm so sorry this had to happen! In my experience there is nothing more you can do. maybe you can ask a friend (who owns chickens) about this one. I'm afraid that in this case, it does not sound good at all. Then again, she might just fully recover. Keep your hopes up and make sure she stays happy! it might be good to keep her near other chicks (although I would not put together). This would probably help greatly. Especially if she has not been alone much before
-hoped i helped!
Good luck!

 

[Raissikitten]

You were exactly right!! Yesterday I had work to do outside, so I fed her and put her on my patio with me.. (Fenced in and covered) The other babies came around, but didn't bother her at all.. She started walking around everywhere, and even flew up on the wood pile, (Low, not to high) and took a nap.. There is a mirror out there on a headboard we are moving out, and she got in front of it and started cleaning herself up, talking to herself.. Well, last night, I brought her in, and she cried for a good 10 minutes.. She was lonely! So, Seeing that she would clearly see and walk enough to get away from them if she was bothered, I let her sleep out there with her siblings, although she was several feet away from them.. (They were raised in a dog pen on the porch, so they think they live here) Anyway, This morning I didn't have time to try her on food, so I fed her through the syringe and let her stay outside after I locked the others off the porch. When I came back, I dropped some food for her, and she ran right to it and started pecking!! She missed every time though, since she is still adjusting to being blind in one eye. So I filled a dish, and she sat down and ate like she was starving!! I haven't seen her drink yet, I am giving her a little bit and if not I will give her a syringe with water.. But otherwise, she is making it on her own now! I highly doubt she will ever be able to see out of the one eye, which is fine. I will let her spend her days on the patio if I have to, and take her out when I am doing yard work.

 

[PeepsAreForMe]

Oh i love happy endings!!

 

[sumi]

Me too! Lovely end to a sad story. You are a good chicken Mom(?)

 

[family4]

You did a fabulous job on your first aid!! Way to go. It's funny that animals seem to know when you have saved them or helped them out. This bird will probably be more attached to you then ever!

 

[Mattemma]

Hope she makes it.

 

[LindaCT]

One of my hens got attacked by a falcon-type bird today (I did make a thread about it) and she also won't open her eyes, although I can't see any injury there. She opened her eyes for a split second when I was feeding her just now so I know she can. She is lying down though, she can't seem to sit up so I am also worried about nerve damage. The only visible wound is on her one wing. I am trying to remember if I ever learned about this. Like cats and dogs will sometimes shake their prey to break a spine, do falcons/hawks do something similar?

 

[Debbi]

Interesting, I hope both birds pull through!

I think it might be the way the hawks attack. If you've ever seen one attack it's prey, they hit from behind, and usually go for the head and neck area. The impact from a diving bird is great! You can hear the thud, and the explosion of feathers that can occur is really something. I would guess in both birds, that they have some swelling going on in their brains and neck vertabrae. Try applying a cool ice pack maybe and see if that doesn't help them along some? Just a guess, but good luck to you both!

 

[LindaCT]

Nerve damage is now pretty much a definite. Thanks Debbi.

My hen made it through the night and this morning she was opening her eyes. I gave her some water (she complained at me) and I then went to work for 2 hours. When I got back she was sitting normally for a hen (legs folded under her) whereas before she had always had her legs out straight to the side (the dead chicken pose) so she must have changed position when I was away.

After I fed her (mashed cooked egg yolk in water, via a syringe, my thanks to Sylvestor12 for the thread about it) she wasn't able to go back to the comfortable position but stuck her legs out straight again and moved her neck around (with her eyes closed) and squawked. The best way I can describe the movements is like a human with cerebral palsy who has involuntary muscle movements.

An ice pack isn't really an option, I wouldn't know how to apply one to a hen! Also it is winter here. In Cape Town it doesn't get very cold by global standards but she just had a MAJOR moult and is covered in new feather sheaths not in nice fluffy warm feathers.

 

[LindaCT]

Update: I had to put her down tonight.

I am writing down some brief observations just in case it helps anyone else to come to a decision in these circumstances. The predator attack definitely caused bad nerve damage that left her unable to control her movements properly. She would never have been able to resume a normal life.

She seemed stronger on Thursday, had recovered from the initial shock (see above post) and was not complaining. She crooned at me each time she heard my voice. I fed her with a syringe every few hours. Her wound was healing OK (it did not look infected, no smell etc) and I continued with the Bactroban.

Today I realised I was mistaken about her eyes, she was only opening her left eye and not her right. I then figured that she might be blind. And although she could sort of stand, when I was feeding her, she was unco-ordinated and struggled to get into a comfortable position. Her neck swung down and to the left.

Today she no longer crooned when she heard my voice. She complained and struggled when I picked her up to feed her. I had to cuddle her close to hold her still and open her beak for the syringe. This afternoon she was looking uncomfortable and seemed restless. I fed her and decided that it might be time to let her go.

This evening she stated crying and thrashing around quite stongly and she was clearly in distress. I called my folks and gave her some rescue remedy in a syringe. My dad came round in half an hour to help put her down with sharp secateurs, he brought a security guard who was happy to have some meat to take home to his family. I cuddled her, carried her out and put her in his hands. They say she didn't struggle.

I noticed that a pigeon or dove had also been taken by a predator in our garden this afternon. My other girls have been confined to their coops, I am going to only be able to let them out under supervision from now on, which they hate.

(cross-posted to the Emergencies section, where I made a thread)