What killed my chicken

[bobbi-j]

Am so sorry to read your post. I just joined this group because my chicken may be dead in the morning...
I have been leaving my coop door open but after 18 months something happened.
At 4 am this morning I heard noises in the yard...ran out there with my flashlight and one of hens
(have 2) had gotten out of the fenced area in my backyard. She was walking like she was in shock...I good see
her back tail feathers were a mess. I went to the coop yard and another hen was yelling...then my flashlight light went
to the coop door. There standing in the door was oppossum. I turned on all the lights in the yard...banged on the coop roof
and then he disappeared. The hens went back to the coop (100's of feathers around).
Now this morning the injured hen was featherless on her backside...and she had some small bloody cuts and scratches.
She walked around ate and drank water but by 4pm she was laying in the shade near the coop.

She is very shy so I did not try to catch her....I feel so bad....they went in their coop at dark but I had to give her a little buge
to get up and in. But they are safe now. Door is closed and locked. Lights all on in yard.
I am worried she might die in the night.....I don't know if the oppossum harmed her or in her scare she hurt herself trying to get out of
coop yard but most of the feathers are in the coop. (I cleaned it out today)

Can she survive with her cuts....should I have done something ?? This is my first disaster and I am sick about it. Can anyone tell me
what I should do? Do you think the oppossum scratched her up in her frenzy to get out of the coup. I have not had any messy or
stolen eggs that I know of. Please advise. thank you

From your description, it doesn't sound like she has any life-threatening injuries. If you have a farm supply store near you, it wouldn't hurt to get some Blue Kote to put on her scratches and cuts - anywhere that has been bloody - to keep the other chickens from picking at her.

 

[JadedPhoenix]

Quote:
I've had hawks attack 13 pound roosters before so breed and weight doesn't have anything to do with whether they will go for it. If they are hungry, they will go for all it is worth.

 

[bstorm44]

Bobbie J.....
thank you for your reply...you are the only one that did. And I appreciate your comments and yes, I will go
find some of the Blue Kote tomorrow. She isn't not as active today as she was yesterday and I am a bit concerned
about that. I will keep an eye on her only friend in the coop and make sure she does not get mean. Thank you again so much.

 

[bobbi-j]

Bobbie J.....
thank you for your reply...you are the only one that did. And I appreciate your comments and yes, I will go
find some of the Blue Kote tomorrow. She isn't not as active today as she was yesterday and I am a bit concerned
about that. I will keep an eye on her only friend in the coop and make sure she does not get mean. Thank you again so much.

You're welcome. Just a helpful hint - in the future, instead of adding on to an existing thread, you will usually get more replies if you start your own thread. I would also suggest finding out how that opossum got into your coop. Does your coop have an attached run? Does that run have a cover on it? Here is a picture of one of my coops with an attached run.


The run is 2x4" welded wire with 1/2' hardware cloth around the bottom of the run to keep chicks from slipping out of the welded wire. The 2x4" spaces aren't enough to keep out a weasel or rats, but it does keep out the larger predators such as coons, opossums, coyotes, etc.

 

[JJSS89]

Am so sorry to read your post. I just joined this group because my chicken may be dead in the morning...
I have been leaving my coop door open but after 18 months something happened.
At 4 am this morning I heard noises in the yard...ran out there with my flashlight and one of hens
(have 2) had gotten out of the fenced area in my backyard. She was walking like she was in shock...I good see
her back tail feathers were a mess. I went to the coop yard and another hen was yelling...then my flashlight light went
to the coop door. There standing in the door was oppossum. I turned on all the lights in the yard...banged on the coop roof
and then he disappeared. The hens went back to the coop (100's of feathers around).
Now this morning the injured hen was featherless on her backside...and she had some small bloody cuts and scratches.
She walked around ate and drank water but by 4pm she was laying in the shade near the coop.

She is very shy so I did not try to catch her....I feel so bad....they went in their coop at dark but I had to give her a little buge
to get up and in. But they are safe now. Door is closed and locked. Lights all on in yard.
I am worried she might die in the night.....I don't know if the oppossum harmed her or in her scare she hurt herself trying to get out of
coop yard but most of the feathers are in the coop. (I cleaned it out today)

Can she survive with her cuts....should I have done something ?? This is my first disaster and I am sick about it. Can anyone tell me
what I should do? Do you think the oppossum scratched her up in her frenzy to get out of the coup. I have not had any messy or
stolen eggs that I know of. Please advise. thank you

Sorry to hear this. Why in the world did you not kill the possum?