chicken in bad health or terrorized?
Thu, 08/13/2009 - 00:49
my hens were attacked last night by a possum, i was able to scare the possum away and the hens slept soundly in my kitchen the rest of the night. one hen in particular, Birdy, had the most damage, feathers everywhere, and she was ramming herself against the fence when i found her with the possum. i don't see any blood, but she looks exhausted and like she could pass at any moment. i put her in a pet carrier and brought her inside. my daughter said Birdy even threw up? she won't drink or eat or move. i am scared. should i force feed her somehow? just leave her alone? does it sound like head trauma? i am scared to loose her. what else can i do?
about all you can do is let her be for a while. She was terrorized by that possum. She may have some bruising from the fence.
Just make sure she's got plenty of water and food. She'll eat when she's ready, but keep a close eye on her and talk to her. She'll realize you are on her side and will recover faster if she's not lonely.
I got sick reading your post sachafoo. I lock my hens up every night in a shed before dark and once in awhile I forget or get home after dark and I figure, whats the harm, they'll be okay.... this is just my needed reminder to be ever vigilent in locking the girls up at night. I hope she makes it out of this okay, how horrible for her and you!
I agree that keeping the chooks in an enclosed space is ideal. My friend who helped me with my chicken set up insisted on a completely enclosed "gated community" for my girls -- the coop is in an enclosed yard with chicken wire on all sides and across the top, with a full sized gate for easy access. I thought this was a bit much but now am glad he insisted. Sachafoo and others might consider retrofiting their chicken yards to ensure no predators can get in when you're not around. Good luck.