This afternoon, while free-ranging, one of our buff orpingtons was attacked by a hawk. She had ventured down to the tree line, away from others. The hawk saw its chance and grabbed her. But, as is often the case in these attacks, the hawk lost its grip and came away with a talon full of feathers. Bella must have seen it, because she started barking at the chicken laying in the weeds. Bella’s barking alerted Brian, who went over and saw the pile of feathers and feared the worst.

Amazingly, the chicken was still alive, with a puncture hole in her chest and lacerations on her head. He picked her up and carried her into the house to me. I held her for a while, expecting her to die soon. However, she kept breathing – albeit labored. So, I took a couple of Qtips and tried to see what the wounds looked like. It looks like maybe she got pierced behind the skull a little bit as well as on the chest.

I held her wrapped in a towel and talked to her for a while. She is now resting in a laundry basket on a blanket. If she can make it, she’ll be put back out in the coop after she recovers. I’m a little irritated with my roosters, as they are supposed to alert and sound the alarm about predators for the hens. They’re too busy scratching for seeds and bugs, I guess. A few days ago we had a bald eagle reunion in the backyard. I am quite certain that this little tan hen would not have made it out of those talons alive!

UPDATE:

The hen made it! A couple of days R&R in a hospital cage, and she’s back out there. Even her eye seemed to heal up.  😀