UPDATE. HELP. HAWK. Hawk just wounded another chic ken.What killed my favorite girl?

[Sublight]

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Suggestions on wounded chicken?

 

[Sublight]

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Assuming that it was hungry A possum would consume the guts before it touched any other part. Their teeth and jaws are weak so the intestines are an opossum's favorite part of the chicken because intestines are not ligaments, muscle tenders, & bones. In my experience when a hawk eats a chicken it looks like a cherry bomb went off inside of a feather pillow, with chicken down strewn in a circle around the body but with very few if any large (wing etc.) feathers plucked out. I vote for a skunk but I am only 51% sure of my diagnosis.

 

[Sublight]

Assuming that it was hungry A possum would consume the guts before it touched any other part. Their teeth and jaws are weak so the intestines are an opossum's favorite part of the chicken because intestines are not ligaments, muscle tenders, & bones. In my experience when a hawk eats a chicken it looks like a cherry bomb went off inside of a feather pillow, with chicken down strewn in a circle around the body but with very few if any large (wing etc.) feathers plucked out. I vote for a skunk but I am only 51% sure of my diagnosis.

It was a hawk. We caught it attacking DeDe's (RIP) sister. I ran it off, but it cut her up pretty badly. She seems to be ok. Im moving this thread because i posted a thread under emergency.. Here is the link if you want to follow it.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...my-favorite-girl.1220862/page-2#post-19538667

 

[MyChickens14]

It was a hawk. We caught it attacking DeDe's (RIP) sister. I ran it off, but it cut her up pretty badly. She seems to be ok. Im moving this thread because i posted a thread under emergency.. Here is the link if you want to follow it.

this is already happening too much! you need to secure your coop so that this doesnt again and again until your whole flock is taken down!!

 

[Boonie Stomper]

Heaven forbid but you could actually have all of the above trying to get at your girls and their eggs!

Protect them as well as you can.

 

[happyfrenchman]

You wanted help with the wounded chicken.... you are doing the right thing. a hawk attack is like a knife attack. If she doesn't die from blood loss from the talons... she will probably be ok. Make sure she is hydrated most importantly. Maybe some topical anti biotic on the wounds if you can see them. How is she looking? Is she alert and awake. If she is alive tomorrow you could likely let her out unless she seems to be injured still. But til you secure your coop that hawk will come back again and again. FYI you can use a hawks kill as bait and that hawk will return. You could even move the kill somewhere more convenient.

 

[Sublight]

You wanted help with the wounded chicken.... you are doing the right thing. a hawk attack is like a knife attack. If she doesn't die from blood loss from the talons... she will probably be ok. Make sure she is hydrated most importantly. Maybe some topical anti biotic on the wounds if you can see them. How is she looking? Is she alert and awake. If she is alive tomorrow you could likely let her out unless she seems to be injured still. But til you secure your coop that hawk will come back again and again. FYI you can use a hawks kill as bait and that hawk will return. You could even move the kill somewhere more convenient.

She is doing much better. Walking around, drinking, eating and preening. Unless she gets a infection she will survive.

 

[MyChickens14]

thats awesome!!!! now its time to protect your coop!

 

[happyfrenchman]

She is doing much better. Walking around, drinking, eating and preening. Unless she gets a infection she will survive.

Yes... that sounds right... you did right by not reopening the wound to flush it or anything that would just further stress the animal out.
If I were you, I would clip that hawk. The repeat offenders will not stop. I have heard of people trimming the feathers that block the vision on those fuzzy headed birds.