I have to be honest, after nearly two decades of living with chickens and seeing so many of them die or be eaten by predators (I had to shoot a lot to keep them from suffering), the Red Hen has me stumped.
We did everything we were supposed to do – warm water, special antibiotic cream for animals, and careful and unnerving trimming of her wounds; she continues to do what chickens do.
She jumps in and out of the roost with the other hens; she seems to have a strong appetite; she rested for much of the day and walked around more than before.
The negative: her droppings are highly irregular and unhealthy looking, she is often just lying down by herself, she is strolling and seems disoriented.
She is especially wary and still seems to be in a kind of shock. She is not herself.
My experience with chickens tells me she will weaken and die over the next few years. Chickens can get sick and die suddenly or be resilient creatures, healing quickly from relatively minor wounds.
When chickens are threatened, they go into trauma. That can kill some chickens, others rebound in a few hours, and others may take a couple of days.
I think the Red Hen (yes, we know Maria calls her the Brown Hen. So what?) was shocked when we found her seconds after Bud’s attack. Shock can also result from another condition and is often triggered by other issues such as wounds or burns.
The significant threat from a chicken wound is an infection, especially during bug season, which we are now in.
Our greatest fear is maggots, flies, and tiny gnats that swarm right underneath a chicken’s body. I see the bigs are coming out in the warm weather.
We have made certain her wounds are covered with disenfectanta and antibiotic creams. We have other ointments we can apply and will.
Tonight, she was the first of the four to jump up into the roost; she lay down next to the first and old white hen who sleeps next to her and, I think, protects her from the other hens. They can get nasty when there’s a sick chicken on the roost.
So the truth is I don’t know if she will make it. We can do nothing more for her, and we talked about it today and agreed. She doesn’t seem to be suffering, and there is no reason to shorten her life or end it.
Maria and I have a veto rule. Each can veto the decision of the other if we don’t like it. There was no need for a veto; we are in sync.
We’ll keep putting on the antibiotics and ointments (she is eating well). She will either sicken and die naturally, recover slowly, or linger for days or weeks and deteriorate.
Chickens aren’t the same as for dogs or donkeys or cats for me, but it is unsettling to see one of the animals you live with attacked and injured. I appreciate the many empathetic and kind and thoughtful messages we received.
I laughed when an old farmer who heard about the chicken attack – it’s a small town – and who stopped me at the post office to ask me a question: “who the hell names their chickens?” I just laughed.
I thank you. Everywhere I went in town today, people asked me about the chickens. Most of them have been through it.
Ahhh hoping for the best for her to recover. You and Maria certainly are trying your best to return her to good health
Jon…
I regret this incident. But it was an accident, and accidents happen. Your knowledge kicked in, and the hen received more care than it might have otherwise.
Now it’s wait and see.
We care about the hens because you guys do. Maria’s Monday morning videos and your blogs have made them part of our day. Of course they’re farm animals, but to you guys, they are also pets of sorts.
And to us, they are online personalities. But even online, reality seeps in.
As a youngster living on her grandparents’ Missouri farm, my wife experienced this paradox. She befriended a piglet named Georgie. But as they do, Georgie turned into a George – a big George.
One evening at the dinner table, she asked where George was. Her grandfather replied, “You’re eating him.” It was quite a while before pork returned to her diet.
A few years ago, a Blue Heron literally knocked on our front door. We ran outside, and my Hubs was able to scoop her up in his arms. We could see that her beak was broken. We took her to a wildlife hospital, where they told us that when birds are stressed, their bodies can’t always recover. She passed away that night, but we felt better that at least she was safe.
Its wonderful you and Maria are respectful of each other and can veto one another. Our roo who got wandered off and got in a storm was a frozen lump of snow.. are a luke warm bath and drying of feathers- we kept him in a dark crate alone til he ate again and then returned him with his flock. He survived but yes he is a bit off. However I can’t say my husband and I agreed- I think I will suggest veto idea- !
Who the hell names their chickens?? You’re giving her good care, that’s a blessing.?
Good question Gwen, mushes like me and Maria most often, but not lately
We bought 4 chicks, one died within a day, and the other’s we fondly named. Maybe Mabel (weren’t sure initially if a he or she as she crowed and was strong and a bit aggressive. Willow, who was shy and pretty. And the 3rd who I cannot remember her name, but she was colorful and gorgeous. They all turned out to be good egg producers. They loved classical music or acoustic/ukelele music. And they liked to be sung to. Each over time passed away…usually by a coyote. But I loved them dearly.
Good luck with your hen. It is so hard when they are attacked. You do your very best and then let nature take its course. Thank you for your writing and observations. It gives us a unique view into your life, your family and your beautiful farm.