fox attack has left one badly wounded lonely girl

pickledtink

After the misery of losing my little skyline a month ago the other 3 went into a decline. They were just getting back on form when the worst happened. Completely my fault and the fox got in at them. No need to explain how I feel . This has been a hideous week and I'm a mess.
Houdini the top girl fought like a demon by the looks of it but was stone dead. My little french hen was alive and could take a few steps but died within 24 hours of shock.
Google was so badly injured it looked like she had her neck broken and the huge bites were horrific. She was completely floppy and hardly breathing. We've treated all her wounds and got water and vitamins into her and after a week she has astonished everyone by fighting back and is still with us but still a long way to go.
However it's now clear she is miserable and lonely.
A friend will pick out his most placid hen to put in with her but that can't be done whilst she is still in such bad shape. I can't get her interested in anything although she will eat when coaxed from my hand. She did venture out yesterday a little but isn't showing any signs of normal behaviour and went back inside as soon as the neighbours whom she knows well appeared ( this is normally the most nosey feisty hen on the planet).
I've tried hanging a mirror with a bell but no interest at all. 2 days ago she actually made it up onto her perch but she's avoiding the end they all slept together and seems to have slipped back a bit in her recovery. I'm positive it's emotional.
Any clues as to how to keep her spirits up until she can have company of another hen?

halight

Hi
So sorry to hear about this.
Your hens body might heal in time but her mind is another matter. Its the same for hens as it is for us. She will never forget what happen.
Keep doing all you can for her. Have you tryed putting some of her fav greens out for her? Spend some time with her each day, talk to her maybe pick her up that sort of thing.
Im sure that you are doing all them things anyway.
You just have to keep trying and trying.
She may never be the same hen as before, I hope that she gets better enough to aleast get some ejoyment out of whats left of her life.

I hope she picks up soon.

Scrapaholic

Sorry, I know nothing about hens but sad for their trauma and yours . Best wishes .

halight

Scrapaholic wrote: »

Sorry, I know nothing about hens but sad for their trauma and yours . Best wishes .

I keep hens but iv never had a fox attack.

I can only think how dredfull it must be and had sad she feels,

xsxclaire

is there any way you can get an indoor rabbit cage and keep her indoors with the family? the security and warmth of being away from where the attack happened and where she lived might give her strength and also having the family passing her by and talking to her all the time will stop her feeling lonely, when i have sickkys they always come inside till they are better and it really works wonders on them

halight

xsxclaire wrote: »

is there any way you can get an indoor rabbit cage and keep her indoors with the family? the security and warmth of being away from where the attack happened and where she lived might give her strength and also having the family passing her by and talking to her all the time will stop her feeling lonely, when i have sickkys they always come inside till they are better and it really works wonders on them

Yes i think this would be a great idea,
A cat carryer would do. As long as you let her out in the day time.

xsxclaire

yes the girls love nothing more then wandering around the house picking on the cats and eating their food playing with the kids ect it does them the world of good (chickens not cats :rotfl:)

vax2002

Unless you have dealt with the fox, it will be back every night trying to get in, thats what they do I'm afraid, they dont give up until they have got them all.

jammy_dodger

sorry to hear your news

i had 4 ducks and 5 black rocks and lost them all to mr fox he kept coming back bold as brass till they had all gone , sadly my last hen was left traumatised ..i know what a terrified hen looks like ..not nice

do what you can for her but i would nurse her away from were the killings took place

pickledtink

Thanks. In some ways she seemed better off in her coop at first although she definitely was making any response directly to me.
I've been advised that she needs peace and quiet for the physical wounds to heal. It really was very bad. She seemed to get her spirits up yesterday and was puffing up and even scolded me when I lifted her off her perch but she's been listless again today. I really don't know whether bringing her in would be a good idea or not.......

As for the fox. They've been utterly safe in their fox proof big inner run for almost 4 years despite plenty of foxes. They are let out to roam a fenced off space with some trees which is also enclosed but not fox proof during the day when I'm around. I thought I'd shut them in the inner one when I hadn't which is how it happened.

pickledtink

jammy_dodger wrote: »

sorry to hear your news

i had 4 ducks and 5 black rocks and lost them all to mr fox he kept coming back bold as brass till they had all gone , sadly my last hen was left traumatised ..i know what a terrified hen looks like ..not nice

do what you can for her but i would nurse her away from were the killings took place

Yes perhaps I should bring her into the kitchen tonight and see how she seems with that. If it distresses her I can always put her back. We cleared everything and cleaned the coop completely which did seem to make her feel better.