Injury after attack- need help ASAP.

[MadsTaylor]

We had a fox or coyote get into our run and it took out 21 of our flock. One of our black sexlink hens was acting strange, and we thought she was in shock. It has been 3 days since the attack.

I am beginning to think she has a broken or severely injured neck. It is very floppy and jelly feeling, her wattles are swollen and pale, and she can't hold up her head. She has still been eating and drinking, but she stays in one spot for extended periods.

My question is- does this look like wry neck or severe neck injury? Should we put her down?

 

[Eggcessive]

It is wry neck from her injuries. I might give her human vitamin E 400 IU daily and 1/4 tablet of human Vitamin B complex, along with a small amount of scrambled egg for selenium. Help her to get enough to eat and drink. Let us know how she gets along. Is she the only chicken who lived? I’m sorry for your loss.

 

[MadsTaylor]

It is wry neck from her injuries. I might give her human vitamin E 400 IU daily and 1/4 tablet of human Vitamin B complex, along with a small amount of scrambled egg for selenium. Help her to get enough to eat and drink. Let us know how she gets along. Is she the only chicken who lived? I’m sorry for your loss.

We had 34, and only 13 survived. She was the only one with injuries. Out of the 21 killed, 8 completely vanished with no trace. 13 of them were found dead in the run with absolutely no injuries. The only thing we can come up with is that they had heart attacks or it killed them to come back later. There were no visible bite marks, no blood, no (visible) signs of broken bones. We are heartbroken over it. It took out most of our favorites, almost all of our original flock members/ best layers. Our 3 year old daughter is devastated.

 

[Eggcessive]

I’m sorry that this happened, but it is a common happening when there are predators around, and a coop/run is not secure. Chickens have to have a predator-proof coop and covered run to keep out raccoons, foxes, coyotes, dogs, and other predators. 1/2 inch hardware cloth wire is needed all around a run, and a 12 inch apron around the ground outside the run can prevent predators from digging under. There is a ton of info about safe coop and run building available here on BYC. See the link below for all articles. I have a neighbor who has lost 3 flocks to raccoons. So sorry you are dealing with this loss. Let us know how the hen gets along.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/coop-run-design-construction-maintenance.9/

 

[MadsTaylor]

I’m sorry that this happened, but it is a common happening when there are predators around, and a coop/run is not secure. Chickens have to have a predator-proof coop and covered run to keep out raccoons, foxes, coyotes, dogs, and other predators. 1/2 inch hardware cloth wire is needed all around a run, and a 12 inch apron around the ground outside the run can prevent predators from digging under. There is a ton of info about safe coop and run building available here on BYC. See the link below for all articles. I have a neighbor who has lost 3 flocks to raccoons. So sorry you are dealing with this loss. Let us know how the hen gets along.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/coop-run-design-construction-maintenance.9/

Absolutely! My husband buried a skirt all the way around except where it got in. The ground was solid as concrete and he couldn't get it dug out. We were shocked it was able to dig in with how hard it is. We are definitely looking into options to permanently resolve the issue.

 

[Eggcessive]

Have you used a game camera to see what is coming around? I haven’t ever lost any inside my locked coop at night, but have lost 3 to a bobcat in mid afternoon, and some others over the years from hawks or raccoons while free ranging during the day.

 

[MROO]

Absolutely! My husband buried a skirt all the way around except where it got in. The ground was solid as concrete and he couldn't get it dug out. We were shocked it was able to dig in with how hard it is. We are definitely looking into options to permanently resolve the issue.

Electric fencing is your FRIEND!

 

[MadsTaylor]

Electric fencing is your FRIEND!

That's definitely on our list!

 

[PrettyCoolChicks]

Sorry for your loss.
hope your hen recovers with the vitamins, keep us updated!

 

[MadsTaylor]

Sorry for your loss.
hope your hen recovers with the vitamins, keep us updated!

She is doing astounding! We treated her for wry neck, and she is back to normal now. We are happy to have our girl back acting like herself!