Bartonsfinest
Songster
I have been a chicken tender for a little over 2 and half years now. Little back story about me before I commit to anything I literally will beat the subject to death research it till you can't find anymore information on it. That way Im not ignorant to whatever the subject matter is that I have been researching or whatever I'm about ready to commit to. so before I had gotten my two first chickens I literally for 9 months did nothing but research and Google and reading and just any anything possible so that I had some type of knowledge of what I was getting myself into before I got these chickens I didn't want to bring these chickens home and not know what the **** I'm doing. So doing my research I was reading about predators and attacks and what likes your chickens and everything like that and you know I thought for the most part I was either a prepared or would you know know what to do if this ever if I had a predator attack happen boy was I WRONG SO WRONG! No more free reaching for my girls yesterday a hawk came down and attacked my 9 month old Appenzeller spitz ironically her name is hawk. It was very traumatizing my 14 year old daughter is the one that stumbled upon the graphic attack my daughter came in the house and she was pale white I've never seen her look like that or that tone in her voice but like I said it was very traumatic and poor Miss hawk which I changed her name her name is now Erica Jr so EJ for short prayer for junior is currently very injured she is alive we have two black sex links that are big a Jersey Giant and and two other nine month old hens that are of large breed they were unhurt none of them were hurt but two of my chickens did were they we couldn't find them after the attack it took about 3 and 1/2 hours until we found our second one our Jersey Giant was hiding in the house next door's doorway my husband had walked around the property and found her and then are my black sex links McNuggets was bedded down somewhere in our backyard and she just came out right before dusk and when she heard my husband's voice and they were both fine no problems they were just shaking up and traumatized and my other black sex links at the time was in the chicken coop Laying a egg she was unaware of what was going on. This happened at 4:00 in the evening yesterday. I was in my bedroom at the time and it's facing towards the yard where they free range I did not hear a thing at all when this was going on not a thing and I normally hear everything when something's wrong than Chickens went outside before I wanted to hop into the shower and I checked on them it was about quarter after 3:00 and they were fine they were in their Coop just laying down there pouting because it's been snowing here and it's been cold and yards of swamp so they were pissed cuz they don't want to go out and get their feet all money and stuff so they were kind of pouting when I went and check them and stuff I was like he was okay and everything was talking to him and I walked out of the coop and hawk and omelette mother had started to follow me out and I said no you guys just go back in there and I went back in the house and around 4:08 my daughter comes running and telling me that we've been attacked and I can't help but feel responsible because if I wouldn't have went out there and checked on them they wouldn't have came out the coop I'm hawk is smaller she's about the same size as the hawk he I'm pretty sure she lost her right eye it's packed out and her left side of her face looks like it's he has severe road rash and she has a puncture wound on her neck I did clean it it took me a long time to get it done because I was so distraught I kept throwing up and I was so upset I could have been panic attacks out of my husband she I try to remain calm as much as I could for her but I did end up getting it cleaned out and I had to stop and give her a couple breaks cuz I needed a break and I got her separated from the flock and she's in my house and my bathroom which is in the next room and I've been checking on her and changing her bandages and syringe feeding her electrolyte water and I've been putting aspirin into her water for pain and antibiotics and broth. She hasn't try to open her left eye I'm pretty damn sure that her right eye is gone I think it's been it looks like it was packed out I'm not ready to post pictures on here yet I know that's stupid for me to come on here and explain this post not post pictures I'm just not ready for it yet I think I don't want to hear that I have to cull her. I know that that's not a humane thing to do if the animal suffering do they keep letting her suffer but I want to give her at least 48 hours as long as I'm keeping her comfortable and she doesn't seem like she's in pain to see how it goes I did try to contact three different vets where I live there is not a avian vet close it is about a hour away the closest one and it's going to completely different state and what the receptionist told me if she still going to be in shock that it probably wouldn't be a good idea to pack her into a car and driver an hour away plus it wouldn't be just an hour because there are road construction going on that route and there's different detours so she said it probably took me about an hour 20 minutes hour 30 minutes depending on traffic and I don't think that was a good idea at the time I still don't the other one is in Columbus any other ones down in West Virginia. We are in the process of building a fenced-in roof and run attached to their Coop but the weather has not been kind to us here I live in Ohio and it's been freezing cold one week blizzard next week and then it's raining I live on a hill and my yard is a swamp nothing but mud and it wouldn't it would just be a waste and very muddy to try and put the run in while my yard is like this. Send me time I don't know what to do with my girls I have a screened in front porch or nothing to get to him I thought about picking him up one by one and bring him onto some porch put hang on and give him some you know leg room I don't feel comfortable with even sitting out there with him in the yard I'm by myself most of the day I'm only 5'4 I doubt I could do any damage I have dogs but they're they don't care they're just they're dogs third little pussy dogs we're not little ones a pickled animation black collapse they don't really give a shit so if anybody has any ideas about how to entertain my flock until my husband gets the run up which probably will be next week I would appreciate it and like I said when I'm ready I will post pictures of EJ's wounds and I'll keep everyone updated