Survivor of fox attack but now hiding under coop

[Angie284Sawyer]

Hello. Yesterday evening after I let my girls out to free range a fox grabbed one and was about to take her off. I heard all of the racket and came out and the fox dropped the chicken (SLW). I thought surely she was dead but she was in shock. She has a bite on her back. I watched her for awhile and then she hopped around and wanted back in the pen with the others. I thought she might take to the coop and hide in a nesting box but she went under the coop and has remained ever since. I'd like to get her out and separate her, clean her wound again, etc. but I can't reach her and I am wondering if I will do her more harm than good to try to force her out with a broom or something. I have not seen the other hens bothering her. Should I leave her be or try to remove her? Her back where the bite is is pretty bare and I think if she were not under the coop the other hens would see the wound and may peck her. But under the coop is probably dark enough that they don't see it. Any advice would be appreciated.

TIA,
Angie

 

[Nambroth]

It would be very wise to catch her if you are able, so that you may clean and assess her wound. If the fox broke the skin there is a good chance for infection, which can easily go systemic and kill her if not taken care of.
Bringing her in and keeping her in a calm area (dog crates work well) where she can rest would be best, with access to feed and fresh water. I can't really offer much more advice without knowing her condition in more detail.

 

[sbhkma]

I have to agree-she needs to be assessed. Not only is she susceptible to infection, but flystrike as well. You'll need to clean her wound and dress it with antibiotic (no "caine" type pain killer in it) or use Vetricyn. By keeping her inside you'll also be able to monitor her food and water intake and make sure she's not dehydrating. After the wound starts to heal well, you can spray it with blue kote which will hide the color of the wound so the others don't peck at her-but if it were me (and I was in your place a couple months ago, only a coyote) I wouldn't put her with the flock for 3 or 4 weeks and let her heal well first.

 

[Angie284Sawyer]

Unfortunately, my hen died before I got home yesterday. I have learned much from this experience. Most troubling is that I believe the attacker may have been a coyote which I did not think in our area. However, a neighbor recently posted on FB asking about coyotes in our area and the positive responses were overwhelming. I had seen a red fox in recent weeks but had been disturbed after witnessing the end of this recent attack because it did not look like the same fox. Coyote never occurred to me and I was thinking it must be more than one fox. It was much scruffier looking and more dog-like than the fox. Now I will be researching information about coyotes.

Angie

 

[sbhkma]

I'm so sorry you lost her. Since my Sophie got attacked, I've been walking the entire 10 acres every day with my 3 dogs and letting them mark territory anywhere they **** well want to. When we hear them howling at night we fire off a .410 to make more noise than they do. Haven't heard them in the area in about a month now. I think they understood our message. Good luck with your birds and the coyotes. There is a lot of info on the 'net about them, some of the info should be helpful to you in your specific situation. The can and will hunt during the day. My gal was "almost" taken about 3 hours before dusk - pretty much late afternoon! So grateful for my dogs who beat the living crap outta that coyote!

 

[Nancy GB]

One of my hens was hiding beneath the coop yesterday and wouldn't come out for love or money; I crawled under and extracted her. Her comb was bloodied and she had a puncture wound on the top of her head and appeared simultaneously tense and drained. I brought her in, gave her an epsom salt bath and put her in a crate overnight, where she ate and drank. After dressing her wounds this morning, I released her back into the small,peaceful flock and she zipped right back to the same place under the coop. I should have read this thread first- she was probably attacked (though I was home when the chickens were out- coyotes are sneaky), maybe the roo drove the attacker away? Anyway, she needs more time in the crate. I will retrieve her and give it more time.

 

[sbhkma]

Yeah.. I'd give her a few days to get over it and to heal so the flock doesn't peck the wound open. Once you see it healing well, put some blue-kote on it-it's a good antiseptic and it stains the wound blue so it doesn't LOOK like a wound and attract the flock. Glad you're watching out for her! Good job.

 

[Nancy GB]

Thanks! She's now safely ensconded in the brood box for the day and is eating and drinking. I might bring her in to spend the night in the crate, we''l see. Her wounds are cleaned and treated, and she was much easier to colllect! I'm trying to sort out how to upload a picture of her.

 

[Nancy GB]

This is Repecka! Eating and drinking!

 

[sbhkma]

Lovely bird. Eating and drinking is a great sign! I had my girl in a dog kennel in the spare bedroom for almost a month while she healed (in an outside kennel next to the flock in the day, inside at night).Some folks thought it was great, some thought I'd lost my mind. but I didn't lose my chicken!