Advice on stopping hawk from killing chickens
romycat
15 years ago
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handymac
15 years agoJerri
15 years agoRelated Discussions
chicken rescued from hawk
Comments (4)Good advice from brendasue. :) Like she said, you need to keep the bird warm and quiet to guard against shock, which can kill. I'd be willing to bet there as puncture wounds from the hawk's talons, though. Either the hawk's grip or the fall may have broken or bruised her leg(s) if she is limping. If taking the bird to the vet is out, it might be a good idea to get some over-the-counter bird antibiotic such as Ornacyn (at the pet store in the bird/reptile section) and add it to the hens' water. Use the doseage for parrots and follow label directions, and if it comes in tablet form crush it up first (the tablets take forever to dissolve). Keep her warm and quiet, and you can give her unflavored Pedialyte (at the grocery store, in the baby aisle) to drink to boost her electrolytes--good for injured or sick birds. You can get an idea of what is going on with her leg by starting at the top, GENTLY but firmly grasp her leg between your thumb and forefinger and squeeze, working your way down the leg. If she jumps or sqwauks at a certain point, you've found an injury. Get another hen and compare how it feels between the two hens' legs. You might be able to feel a serious enough break with your fingers. Also, test her--does she grasp with the injured leg's foot? Hold her up and tip her back and forth a bit, watching the foot--does it move or grasp? Anything that can help you diagnose her will help you. Feel up into her thigh area as well. Offer her goodies to keep her eating, such as live mealworms, cooked ground beef, scrambled eggs, diced grapes, raw corn on the cob, etc. Anything that keeps her eating and hydrated is good, and extra protein from things like mealworms will help her heal. I've got a chicken info site here that may help, this is the section of health: http://jackshenhouse.com/VSChickHealth.htm Good luck with her, and congrats to your wife for battling a hawk to save her! :) Velvet ~:>...See MoreAdvice on stopping hawk from killing chickens
Comments (30)Thanks to all that have shared over the past. My 10 chicks just started laying about 3 weeks ago. When they began laying, they became much more more brave about ranging out in the open and have been roaming our 3 acres like never before. Up to the point of laying, they stayed within 25 yards of the coop and always under the trees. I witnessed the first hawk attack yesterday. One of the hens had wandered off down near the wooded creek area and a broad-shouldered hawk hit her twice as she skedaddled for the coop with me hollern' and shouting the whole time. All the others ran for the shrubs around the house. Fortunately, she just lost a good size clump of feathers. I'd seen another hawk doing reconnaissance a couple of months back and had strung two lines with some streamers from our 2nd story deck to near the coop about 10-20ft off the ground. Think I will add a couple of more today to other points at the edge of the woods to increase the coverage and maybe add an owl decoy. I haven't given up on free-ranging yet, but I guess my next step would be to build a penned chicken run....See MoreWill chickens kill one of their own?
Comments (10)Sorry for your loss. YES-YES...If they are lacking protein--when they start to lay they may do this. If nest boxes are too big-a hen may be injured when another hen sees the red tissue as the egg is expelled from the vent and begins pecking it causing it to bleed. Others then see the red blood and the flock may continue this pecking behavior eventually kill her. Or, as they begin to lay there can be an upset in the pecking order which on rare occasions result in a death. There is an unlimited reasons why this may happen. Even running out of water for several hours in hot weather can trigger this behavior. The best prevention is plenty of room, plenty of hiding places (only big enough for a single bird), lots of obstacles to run around to get away. I use 2--2'H x 4'W pieces of plywood fastened together to make a corner. Place this in the coop with one of the sides parallel to a wall about 18" from it. This allows a hen a place to run behind (out of sight--out of mind). Setting several buckets (laying on their sides) around makes good hiding places, also. Lowering the light levels in the coop helps. Put thin material (green is the best color to use) over the windows to defuse the natural light from outside. Hopefully this is only a one time thing. Good luck....See MoreHow do I stop killing little plants?
Comments (3)There are two possibilities: 1. Your conditions are not adequate for the plants 2. Your manner of depotting and replanting impairs the plants root system. Best remedy is to know the plants and to have your situation suitable. Check out the link below. And check out all the links on the pages. Be sure your conditions will enable the plants to grow well. Here is a link that might be useful: Rob's Plants...See MoreNancy in Mich
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