Second Verse, Same as the First

The place where the coon put its arms through the fencing, but didn't get in.
Obviously, it got some feathers off of her.

Here she is. Her back leg has that brown around it. That isn't normal, that is dirt and broken feathers. She also has her leg tucked up to her chest, favoring it. I can't get close enough to get a pic of her face to show you those abrasions. Yep, time to go to the infirmary.

Remember my freak out last year when one of our chickens was beaten up by a raccoon? Check my label "coop news" for that horrifying history.

Here we go again!

Five thirty this morning. I could hear squawking. Now chickens generally squawk at weird times, but this was insistent squawking. I was listening......then the squawking started to fade. Like the chicken was losing it's ability to squawk or it was dying.....not good. Hubbie jumped up and took the dog outside.

Sure enough, I heard two barks and something hitting our chain link fencing. I got up and met the hubbie at the back door with the question, "Did we just lose another chicken?" He said no, that he didn't see the critter but he was pretty sure it was a coon. It didn't get in the coop but got a hold of Henrietta by putting it's arms through the fencing and grabbing her. He said she seemed okay.

Later this morning I went to take a full sunshine, daylight close exam of her. My first observation, she has some very slight blood around her cockles and waddles (the red globs of flesh around chickens faces). Second observation, she has a slight limp. Third observation, the leg she is favoring has some messed up feathers. Conclusion, she got roughed up and I need to look at the leg.

Well, for a chicken with a gimpy leg, she sure made me chase her around the yard to get ahold of her. I turned her over, and moved some feathers around, which she did not like at all. That is unusual. Normally when examining a chicken, they kind of just go limp and let you do whatever to them. I think she is in enough pain that she didn't want me messing with her. Her right "elbow" has some cuts and abrasions on it. I think the coon got ahold of her by the leg and was trying to take her down (let's put it out there....it was trying to disembowel her to eat her.....there I said it).

I am ever grateful that the coon was not able to infiltrate the coop. I am glad none of us were in a dead sleep and heard her cries. I am glad her injuries were nothing like last year's.

The plan? Henrietta is in the household pet infirmary (pet carrier in the basement) resting. When I get home later and she has calmed down, I will put some peroxide on her leg and clean her up. We are also rethinking how to lock the girls up at night. It seems this happens when it's extremely cold and food sources for coons boil down to my ladies!

So, we feel lucky to have dodged a tragedy. We'll keep you posted....

It Can't Be That Easy!

In years past, with our rodent problem, there are more than two rats. I killed my first two this year in the traps and now......nuthin'. Our best year, we killed eight but that was in the later part of summer. Several of those rats were not big either, I think they were teenagers.

So, where did they go? Since it is only March, I am wondering if I got the Mama and the Papa, and Mama was either preggers or there is a nest somewhere that has now been left unattended with young that I am sure have perished by now. It has been almost a week, and we have no rat activity outside, none in the garage and and the trap is still set where it was last weekend.

Am I thinking we're rat free for the season? No. I think our pre-emptive strike was definitely effective.

Henrietta!

Someone on my chicken chat group had a mixed breed pullet that needed a home. Her name is Henrietta, and she is just under a year old. I was told she would be a mixed Wyandotte and Black Australorpe. While I was at work yesterday, the kind folks dropped her off at my house and my husband stowed her away in the animal carrier for her to just kind of settle down. I came home and did a huge double take....she looks like Lizzie! I wasn't expecting that! Her body shape is a bit different. She is bigger, and her tail doesn't stick up, it's rounded. That will take a bit of getting used to. The guy told me she also just does her own thing. She doesn't' socialize with the other hens, and just pecks around on her own. Sure enough, he is right.

This morning, I put Henrietta in the pen and let the Goldie and Beaver run around the yard. Well, Goldie was the one who just seemed beside herself pacing all over the perimeter, as you can see by the picture. I have a video too I'll try and post. She was verbalizing, and just agitated. I thought, well let's get the fight over. I opened the door to the gate of the pen, and I just knew Goldie would go after Henrietta. Nope. She immediately went up into the roost. Again, I thought, maybe she needed to lay an egg. Nope. She came out and started pecking in the dirt. I went to get the egg, no egg. I think Goldie just wanted to check the roost to make sure Henrietta hadn't messed with it. All is peaceful. Henrietta could care less about Goldie and Beaver and as a result, they don't care either. Everyone is just pecking around outside. I am also kind of wondering since Henrietta looks like Lizzie, if that has helped introductions.

I hesitate to say this, because I said it a few weeks ago, I think all is well. After the raccoon attack, hens not getting along, hens dying, etc. I think we are on a level of normalcy again.

From the Chicken Folks....We Bring You "Flightless" Birds

I had to share this! This picture was posted on my little chicken community's yahoo group the other day. Lady is frantic she can't find her chicken. It is dark and they are searching like crazy fearing the worst. And then she looks up.....

There she is, well over fifteen feet off the ground, and they still can't figure out how she got up there. No, the ladder was for the husband to try and get her. That is, after they poked her with anything long they could find--roofing material, brooms, fishing rods, etc. She didn't budge. He got up the ladder to get her, and she gracefully flapped and swooped down onto the driveway. Little stinker!

So, if you think chickens can't get very high off the ground. Think twice! It may also be one of their few defenses. Reading this gal's story made me laugh so hard. Plus it made it clear to me, I might want to keep my girl's flight feathers trimmed.

Beaver Delivers!

And the chicken curse seems to be lifting. Beaver has been laying eggs in the last few days. Her eggs are very typical of a hen beginning to lay, they are small. As you can see hers next to Goldie's, there is a big size difference.

One odd thing happened the other night. I went to lock up the ladies, and found an egg yolk and white sitting in like a gooey egg shell in their roost. It's like the egg was laid too early with a gooey shell. How odd! I posted to my chicken yahoo group asking if I should be alarmed. Actually, happens occasionally in pullets beginning to lay, no worries. Whew!

Where did that white egg come from? It's one of the last ones from when we were buying eggs awhile back. As you can tell, we would rather use our ladies' eggs than store bought.

So, we are enjoying coop peace and quiet right now. As spring approaches, the rats come out, so you'll be hearing some fun news about that. Yes, I said rats. Please go way back to the very beginnings of this blog under a post called "Food Chain". Once we have a nice day, we'll take the dog outside, have her sniff out the compost pile, get her on the scent of rats, lock the chickens up, arm the hubbie with the pellet gun and shovel, and shake up the compost pile. Make sure the rats know where they aren't welcome.

Yes, in your mind somewhere is that phrase, "You might be a redneck if.......".

For the Full Flock

Okay, I talked to my chicken supplier. The great gal that matched us up with Goldie and Beaver last month, all in hopes of having a happy flock with Lizzie. She took the same kind of long sigh I did when I told her of Lizzie's sudden death. All that work seems wasted. But again, I am glad she had some happy times in the last few weeks, not being eaten by a raccoon or being tormented by our two mean leghorns.

Chicken Supplier Lady says she has chicks "under lights" right now and will be ready in about 4 1/2 months. They need to be 20 weeks or so before they can be given to a new home. That sounds fine to me. So, I know a few friends have mentioned maybe starting a flock this spring. If you want to contact this lady to get some pullets, now is the time to reserve your girls. I wholeheartedly recommend her birds. I can get you in touch with her, easily. Pullets, remember, are teenaged chickens, just on the verge of beginning to lay. What is nice, you didn't have to raise them from chicks, which is a lot of work.

She also pinions them for you. Both Goldie and Beaver came with their flight feathers clipped, so they can't fly. Chickens are not flight birds, of course. But they can sure flap up to the top of a fence and escape. So having those clipped keeps them from escaping, and it doesn't hurt them at all. Several of my chicken friends have lost birds from escapes like that. Again, I am very very pleased with Goldie and Beaver, and happy to wait out a few months for a third.

Unless someone suddenly gives us a chicken, I am happy to wait it out for a new pullet. I have absolutely loved our two new gals. They are sweet in disposition, not mean, curious and spry. So, we will need to do introductions again in a few months, and I think it will be easier because we have done it before AND the weather will be much warmer, hopefully.

So the coop soap opera continues. We have had fights within the coop, and fights from outside sources. We have love/hate relationships. We have had a mysterious death. It's drama that no soap can match.

And We Say Goodbye....

This morning, I went to let the chickens out of their roost, and found our beloved Lizzie curled up and passed away. She looked like she honestly died in her sleep.

And what a shock! That was the last thing I expected to find this morning. She has been doing so well since our big raccoon attack in November, getting along great with our new chickens, acting very happy. I am glad she died peacefully and not at the hands of a predator. I am glad she died having new chicken friends and not enemies.

I am sure that something internal happened, because I have kept a close eye on her old wounds since November. I am sure some kind of infection or internal injury caught up to her. We wouldn't have been able to do anything about that kind of thing.

In the whole scheme of the food chain, I realize that chickens are at the level of feeder fish. They are very disposable. But in our little slice of the world, they are our pets and friends. So the kids are having a hard time this morning. I am having a hard time this morning. Lizzie was a sweet chicken. She would sit on your lap and let you pet her. She cooed when you pet her, and she endured a lot.

We will miss her.

Fresh Eggs!

Holy cow! After months of not having eggs because of one trauma after another. Dare I say, even forgetting the reason we have chickens is for the fresh eggs?

Goldie laid her first egg, and here it is!

I am a bit mystified as to why Lizzie still isn't laying. She's never been a prolific layer but she hasn't laid an egg ever since the raccoon attack.

But as the daylight hours get longer, they will lay more. Chickens internal clocks for egg laying is based upon how many hours of daylight there is. Since I don't have artificial light in their roost right now, it will be sparse. So good job, Goldie!

Chicken Integration

Oh my word, our pets have made us crazy! Our 16 year old lump of a cat has a bladder infection. She is peeing all over the house, including my candle business boxes in the basement. She left a puddle right under my desk. She's been to the vet, and we have the antibiotics and a follow up appointment. In the meantime....

On top of this, we are integrating Goldie and Beaver into the flock. I have done my research on how to do this. My yahoo chicken group has been invaluable in how to do this so they all get along. Here is what I learned:

1) Keep them separated but able to see each other and get to know each other.
2) Keep them in an open space so the one being picked on can escape.
3) Be careful at night when they are in the roost and super confined.
4) It takes time.

And all of these things I blew when we had Daisy and Maisy. Unfortunately Daisy and Maisy also had the taste of blood and even if I started doing it right, it wouldn't have worked.

BUT! I am a new chicken woman. What is interesting, it's Lizzie who is the aggressor this time. She goes after Beaver. And Goldie is the mediator. Goldie will put herself between the two and it distracts Lizzie. I haven't seen Lizzie go after Goldie. Goldie is a big bird, she is the biggest of the three and Lizzie is the smallest, so maybe Lizzie knows she wouldn't win if they really went at it.

So the first week, Lizzie has not been in the roost at night. During the day, for the first few days, I had Lizzie out in our backyard while the other two were in the enclosure. The second picture shows how they kind of just stayed at the fence near each other. Once I saw they all like each other, I knew we were on a good path.

After a few days of that (with Lizzie coming inside at night), I had them stay out in our whole backyard for a few days. Yes, there were a few squawks as Lizzie took a few jabs at Beaver, but one thing, Beaver can run! Plus, the jabs are just pecks. When Maisy and Daisy were fighting it was spurring, like what roosters do. The run and stab another chicken with their claws. It's quite aggressive. No thanks! The pecks Lizzie is taking is normal.

Yesterday, the girls spent the whole day out in the yard. They did fine. When it was dusk, and I needed to go lock them up, it got interesting. Lizzie ran up to me as if to say, "Okay! Ready to go inside with you." The other girls were already in the roost. Okay, another trick I learned, to introduce them at night, turn out the lights. They can't see in the dark. So I pick up Lizzie and she is literally nuzzling and trying to cuddle with me. She even gets on my shoulder. I open the roost so we can all see each other and I turn out the light. It becomes apparent to me that Lizzie has memories of her past encounter in the roost with other birds. She really acts scared. I calm her and I perch her on one of the perches and pet her. The other two are just walking around. There is no aggression, no posturing, anything. So I close the door and listen. Nothing.

I go out a few times to listen, no thumping or squawking. Way late in the night I go out with a flashlight to see. Seriously, everyone is sleeping. Yahoo! I go out this morning, and everyone is still sleeping because it's dark and their little internal alarms say it's still sleepy time.

They are out in the backyard right now. But several observations:

1) Lizzie has chilled out. She is not going after Beaver nearly as much. Maybe a little bit this morning. Beaver and Lizzie can be in the same proximity, even brushing against each other, and no pecking happens. I think that pecking order thing is about done.

2) Chickens are smart! Chickens also remember things, like being attacked in a roost or being taken in at night.

My husband was quite thrilled last night to not have a stinky chicken in the house. Although that smell has been coupled by the cat smell. Our agreement during all this pet turmoil has been I am in charge of the birds, and he is in charge of the cat. I think I have the better job. Dosing cats with meds is not my idea of fun in the least bit! More power to ya hubbie!

The ladies this morning. All hanging out, no posturing or pecking.

This pic is from a few days ago when I had Lizzie outside the coop and Goldie and Beaver on the inside. It's a great example of how Beaver uses Goldie for protection. She is cowering under Goldie.

The Eagles Have Landed

We have the birds. I met the gal in a McDonald's parking lot to do our chicken deal. Felt kind of clandestine and dangerous. Dangerous more than anything if a chicken got loose at the busy intersection.

Anyway, we have names I think. The Gold Sexlink (I wanted to name her after a famous pinup girl only because her breed is so sexy, but that is just me, and try explaining that to young boys) is Goldie. Surprise! The Wyandotte is named Beaver. Why? Because her colors are awfully close to Oregon State's colors of black and orange.

Let me give you some translation of the chicken behavior I have seen so far....

Lizzie still in the roost. "I ain't coming out, I hear birds, and I don't want to
play!" Doesn't she look good though from her raccoon beating?

Finally a bird that appreciates my recycling of an old ladder, she actually perched on it! This is Goldie checking out the new place. She is all curiosity right now. Her thoughts are, "Where is everything?? I need to know where the washer and dryer are, the fridge, and the bathroom."

Beaver stayed in the box for quite a bit in this stance.
"What? Why are you looking at me and flashing that thing at me?
This is weird!"

Bringing Home Our New Ladies

We got pictures! Here are the pictures of the new ladies coming to join our coop on Tuesday. The top picture is our new Wyandotte. Very different looking picture than what I found the other day, but very typical of Wyandottes, they come in all kinds of two tone colors. I really like the brown and caramel combo. I sound like I am shopping for purses, I realize. Chickens come in all kinds of colors and combinations, not just the white ones we always picture.

The second one sounds like a naughty pinup chicken. Her breed is a Golden Sexlink. Yes, I typed the word sex. The breeder has really been watching the flock these two are in for the last week, and I so appreciate that. She didn't have to do that for me. She says these two are definitely the most docile out of them. And I realized after having two almost identical chickens, it would be nice to be able to tell them apart easily.

So both birds will lay brown eggs. Both are docile breeds. Both are about 20 weeks old, and not quite laying yet. Hopefully will be in about two weeks. That could change easily with our super cold weather, adjusting to a new home, etc. But at least we won't be buying store bought eggs for six months.

Okay, now we need suggestions for names?? Anyone?? The kids have no idea yet, and it would be nice to give them some ideas. Two names not allowed, Henny and Penny. Please feel free to post suggestions under comments.

Also, everyone wave to your computer--seems the stalker is back, and is checking out the blog again. Seems she always shows up around the holidays, just enough to make everyone edgy. Hello!!

Chicken Stuff

What is going on in the coop? Well, Lizzie isn't broody--that nurturing thing that kicks in with chickens that makes them want to sit on eggs. Depending on where you read, it can happen quickly or it can take forever.

Lizzie isn't anything. She is lonely. She just kinda hangs out. It didn't help that she was "cooped" up inside our house while the temperatures hovered around 20 degrees.

So I think I have found some chickens. The picture above is of Wyandottes. Why am I changing my mind on the breeds? Because I have been researching breeds more closely and chatting with some online buddies, and my two favorite breeds (Barred Rocks and Rhode Island Reds) tend to be dominant birds. What does that mean? Lizzie gets the tar beat out of her again.

But the Wyandottes, from what folks are telling me are a gentler breed, like Lizzie's. Hopefully, it will be easier to incorporate everyone than the boxing match we had last month.

I have found someone who has 20 week old "pullets". Pullets are basically teenaged chickens. They aren't quite full grown, but sure look like it. I will be able to get them next Tuesday. I have been talking with this person quite a bit, and she does have my other favorite breeds too, but once I told her our chicken nightmare of November, she thought I should reconsider and so do I.

So, wish us luck. I'll be posting coop news next week.

The Chicken Posts are Only Going to Get Worse

Remember how happy I was that it seemed like Lizzie and the others were getting along so well? It was short lived. I went to let them all out the next morning from their enclosed roost. The two white chickens, Maisy and Daisy, had thumped on Lizzie all night long. She was pretty beat up--again. The raccoon did worse damage, but we were back to square one. We have an injured chicken in our house, and no hope that she can go outside with the others.

Okay, new plan! I have had it with the two leghorns. They have always been a bit aggressive and mean. It's a characteristic of their breed. If you want a chicken for a pet, they aren't the best choice. I got them as a freebie. They lay great eggs, which is why they are what we get in the grocery stores. As a family we agreed it was time for Maisy and Daisy to find a home where they aren't hurting others. I posted them on craigslist, specific that they needed to be by themselves and not around other chickens, and they have a new home. I am glad for them, I am glad for Lizzie.

Lizzie is now outside, and acting very chicken like. She is still just a bit nervous. She keeps looking around seeing if Maisy and Daisy are going to pop out somewhere and pounce on her.

A hen by itself is not a good situation. They are very social creatures, and will eventually just kind of go numb without a friend.

Here is the plan:

1) Encourage Lizzie to go "broody". That means make her go into mama-chicken protective mode to get her to lay on a clutch of eggs, incubate them and raise them.

2) Have her incubate a bunch of eggs.

3) Give away any roosters that emerge from that clutch.

4) Keep a few hens and give a few away.

5) Have peace in our coop because Lizzie and her "family" won't kill each other because they suddenly don't remember who each other is.

5) Get the kids involved in this little adventure and maybe learn some cool things.

6) Buy eggs for the next four months. Bummer!

The biggest question from my chicken lovin' friends out there, what breed will you choose? I have had in the past Plymouth Barred Rocks (black and white birds, lay big brown eggs) and Rhode Island Reds (brown/red birds that lay big brown eggs). Both are very friendly, and the kids would definitely not have to run from them. Both lay huge brown eggs, which I love. I have found a place where I can get Rhode Island Reds, and we'll see what we can do to get the eggs underneath Lizzie's little belly. I also found a place that has Black Australorps, which is what Lizzie is. I just don't like their eggs as much. They are very small. I like big eggs.

I would consider Buff Orpingtons, because they are truly a beautiful golden color. They are known for their pet friendliness, and their large brown eggs. I just can't find a place that breeds them. Maybe next time.

Here is what is a bit freaky. This is seriously a hair brained idea isn't it? My husband is going for it! When I mentioned posting Maisy and Daisy to craigslist, brooding Lizzie, etc. He said, "When can we post it? Can we get fertilized eggs after the holidays? This would be great for the kids to get involved in."

Who are you and what have you done with my husband?

Chicken Soap Opera Continues...

Okay, so in the days before Thanksgiving and knowing we would be out of town, I was trying to incorporate Lizzie back into the chicken coop. The problem was the other chickens forgot who she was and started thumping on her. Normally, I let them just duke it out, but this time I couldn't. She is still injured, yet healing, and it's two beating up on one.

What to do?? Not sure yet, but on Wednesday afternoon I go to check on the two remaining ones outside, Maisy and Daisy. Suddenly, Maisy is gone. I mean gone. I was freaking out, just knowing I would find a pile of feathers and a glance at a satisfied raccoon. I look all over, and find her cowering in a corner.

I figured out what happened. The leak in our fencing into the coop that allowed the raccoon in also has allowed our 60 pound dog, Clementine, in. I had let the dog out earlier, and she had been inside now for about two hours. I think Clementine roughed up Maisy. I can't get too mad. How do you tell a dog to go after small animals (rats, squirrels, and raccoons) and not the small chickens?

Maisy is not nearly as tame as Lizzie, yet she let me pick her up and examine her. Her wings were fine, no blood, just limped a bit but no broken bones. I think she is just bruised a bit.

Now what? We are even further from what to do with all these critters! No one wants to babysit beaten up chickens! First things first, I sat on my behind in that chicken coop and pulled out chicken wire, dug up dirt, reinstalled galvanized wire, buried the wired 6+ inches below the surface, and buried it under river rock. Good luck to the next critter who tries to dig under it.

Next, my neighbor volunteered to take Lizzie for the few days if she were in an animal carrier. Done! She also agreed to come over and lock up chickens at night. I love my neighbor! She absolutely loved taking care of Lizzie, her grandson came over to see her and enjoyed her sweet cooing.

Okay, a few days ago, I am cleaning up Maisy a bit and holding her down. I clip her little claws, and sure enough, clipped too close and her toenail starts bleeding profusely. Luckily I have stryptic which is an instant bonding agent that stopped the bleeding.

Right after I got her bleeding under control, and put her back in her coop, the dog decides to try to escape and gets her leg wedged under our fence. It took both my husband and I to unwedge her. Her yelping could be heard for blocks.

Lord have mercy on our critters!

All that to say, the plan for Lizzie. I have been putting her little animal carrier out in the coop with the chickens so they can get reacquainted without beating each other up. It seems to be working. Plus, with Maisy being a bit gimpy it's taken the fight out of her a bit. Yesterday, Maisy and Daisy were all cuddled up on the outside of the door to the carrier cooing at Lizzie.

Today, I stopped in the kitchen with Lizzie to go outside. I opened the door to replace her water, and she just starts strutting around my kitchen. Thank goodness the dog didn't see her! She really seemed ready to go outside. She wasn't cowering in the corner anymore. She seems recovered, not just healing. Her head still has matted feathers, and I think we'll just wait for those to work themselves out.

I put her outside with Maisy and Daisy today, not in the carrier. Instead of attacking Lizzie right off the bat, Maisy and Daisy just acted curious. After a few minutes, there was a bit of squawking and posturing, but Lizzie was defending herself. There is a need to redefine pecking order, and I understand that, but it wasn't a fair fight 10 days ago when I first tried to put her out there. She would have been reinjured. Now, they are all getting to know each other again, with just a few squabbles.

And more restful nights for me.

More Chicken Updates

Okay, I know you are all sick of this topic. I am about done with it too. But I still have gimpy chicken in a box in my bedroom. It's still kind of consuming my time and efforts at least for a few more days.

I have posted some before and after pictures at the bottom of this post. The before picture is not pretty. It isn't disgustingly graphic or anything, but if you are squeamish, you might think twice before looking. I posted them on my Facebook page with the same warning, and people seem to not be squeamish. But I think it might be worse for me because I saw it up close and fresh.

The only new thing we have noticed is how Lizzie drinks water. The fact that she is drinking water is important. Birds in general need lots of water and can become dehydrated easily. So I have put water in her box, but not sure if she is drinking it. But what is funny, if I am holding her and put it in front of her, she cranes her neck like a duck and puts almost her whole face in the water and drinks deeply. The kids think this is so funny. She didn't do this out in the yard, I am wondering if her craning has something to do with her neck. But, hey, she is drinking and letting me handle her and staying relaxed.

My dad, who grew up on a chicken farm, told me she should be just fine within a week. He also told me the finer points of how to use my new pellet gun to kill rodents and get rid of raccoons.

Why am I showing these? Well, I am pretty pleased that in just a few days she is doing so well. I am quite amazed in fact. I am an animal lover and have never given aid to an injured animal before, so this is an accomplishment for me. And I never want to repeat it again, because the initial stress was gut wrenching.

Lizzie right after the attack.

Lizzie yesterday, with my little helper who loves to see how she is doing.

Yesterday up close. Looking not so bad!

Where that feather is sticking out on the back of her head is her worst gash. It's deep and hard to clean. I don't mess with it much because it opens up pretty easily.

Sitting quite relaxed on my arm. Yes, her box is under my sewing desk.

Lizzie Update

Whewie, what a crazy last 36 hours. Here is the "story":

Four thirty in the morning on Sunday morning, I could hear my husband get up to let the dog out. I heard the back door open. But what was unusual was her instant fierce barking that woke me up, but not enough to get up.

Five minutes (sure, we'll go with that) later, the hubbie comes and says in that voice all wives know, "Honey.....ummmmm......a raccoon got into the coop and got one of the chickens." I honestly don't remember the exact course of events after that. I know that in my mind, I knew she was a goner. Chickens have very few defenses and raccoons are vicious.

I know that over the next two hours, I got a few updates from my husband while I tried to go back to sleep. I know that sounds selfish, and it was. I was beyond tired that night. I had worked 18 hours on Saturday and had a long Sunday ahead of me. But as much as I tried, I couldn't fall back to sleep. I just had a raw feeling in my gut thinking about what happened to my favorite chicken. Ticked off that a raccoon got into my coop made up like Fort Knox. And so on....I got up.

It was six or so when I got up and the sky was beginning to turn slightly light. Again, not sure of the course of events but my hubbie had spent those two hours trying to figure out how to put Lizzie out of her misery. We don't have guns that rural families have. We use tree trimming tools, and don't have an ax. He was a little beside himself trying to figure out what to do for her to take away her suffering.

Like I said in the initial post, I pictured a disemboweled chicken, so I didn't want to see this part of the show. But once the sun came up, and I got my caffeine going, I asked what she looked like. I heard that she could walk and flap, she was bleeding, but didn't seem to have broken bones. Just really bloody. I asked the hubbie to put her in a box and bring her inside. He brought her into the garage, I honestly think he just wanted to not have to deal with her. I don't blame him, he just went head to head with a raccoon and saw her in it's clutches.

Okay, I put on my brave face and went out in the garage and brought in the box. Honest to goodness, I was petrified to see what I would find. I opened the box in the kitchen, and saw my little Lizzie. Words can't describe how messed up her head was. She was cut up badly. Lots of pretty deep lacerations, but nothing life threatening, like a deep cut to the throat. She obviously put up a fight. She was very quiet. I don't know much chicken first aid, but I know if she is frightened much more, she can drop dead from shock. But I realized, she could survive this. So I closed the box and did what I do best.

I went online. My favorite backyard chicken website is www.backyardchickens.com. Went to their message boards and pleaded for help as well as looked at a lot of other strings of folks who have chickens attacked by predators. Folks, what happened to Lizzie is nothing! There are some pretty horrible stories of what raccoons can do to chickens, and it's awful!

Got some chicken first aid help, and got some pretty valuable raccoon advice. One thing I had a hunch would be correct, the raccoons will be back to this food source (my coop) until the food source is exhausted. I have two other chickens! I will be making some coop repairs in the next few days and locking up the chickens at night.

After setting up Lizzie for the day, I went to work for ten hours. When I came home it was pretty late, but decided to try to clean up her wounds a bit and put some neosporin on them (chicken first aid from the message boards, no kidding). Again, put on my brave face and took her into the bathroom to see what I could do. I tried to wash her head, but the blood was exceptionally crusty. As I held her, no kidding, she cooed at me!! It broke my heart! So I put her in the bathtub and dripped warm water on her head to soften it up. Yucky yucky bloody water drained off her, but I was able to get to the wounds. I put peroxide on them and dressed them in neosporin.

Here is what seriously freaked me out. She was absolutely lethargic. I am putting burning peroxide on her and her eyes are closing. I couldn't figure out if she was dying or falling asleep. I held her for quite awhile wondering if I would hold her while she died. I also could feel her body shivering occasionally, so either she is cold or she is fighting an infection. Ugh!

I put her back in her box and laid a heating pad on the box to keep her warm. I just knew I would open the box in the morning and find a dead chicken.

Nope! I opened the box this morning and her head perked up and she was perking her head out of the box looking around. I found out later that truly, when chickens are tired, they fall asleep in the middle of anything. Since I was doing this at about midnight, her body clock says it's sleep time and doggone it she will sleep. I also found out that is probably the best time to dress her wounds because she won't flap around and fight me. Just picking her up at lunchtime to look at her today, she was definitely fighting me.

So, when she did poke her head out of the box this morning, she looked pretty doggone good. She wasn't dead! The neosporin and peroxide definitely promoted healing through the night.

Another thing, last night when I was examining her all over last night, I noticed a weird puffed section of her skin. just above her wing but below her beak. Just like a balloon had been blown up under her skin. A few feathers had been pulled out there, but not many. I honestly thought that could maybe be internal damage of some kind. I also thought it could just be bruised skin too, but it was weird and a bit alarming. I could bandage wounds, but internal stuff, not so much!

This morning that puffed up spot is only about a third the size it was last night. Much better! She has acted more like a chicken today. She is moving around in the box and bock bocking a little bit. Yesterday, she was laying down and not holding her head up much. Today, she holds her head up and is looking around, and even holding her tail feathers up. Chickens are a lot like dogs in their body language--head up and tail up, they feel good. Head down and tail down, they don't feel good.

I have never nursed an injured animal back to health, but I am feeling pretty good she'll pull through this. Considering that 36 hours ago we were trying to figure out how to put her out of her misery, this is quite an accomplishment for this city girl!

What else did I do yesterday? I bought a pellet gun with a scope. I can't wait to use it.

Trauma...

One of our chickens, our lovely youngest hen, Lizzie, was attacked by a raccoon last night.

Long story, but thanks to our barking dog, the raccoon didn't make the final blow. But, now we have a raccoon who knows how to break into our coop and has the taste of fresh chicken on it's mind.

A few new policies are in place until we can get some extra security put in place. The chickens will be locked up in their boxed enclosure at night. They go in there at night anyway, but the door isn't closed and locked. It will be now. Honestly, I think that raccoon got into the box and pulled her out because the chickens stay inside when it's dark. Also, this morning, the sun is out and the other chickens haven't come out yet. I think they are a little freaked out too.

I'll give some more details later. I have a long day of work, a headache, and a big trip to Home Depot to make my coop like Fort Knox, although I thought it already was.

Lizzie is inside the house in a box. She is quite shaken up, and quite bloody. All the backyard advice I read about says she will probably make it. At four this morning, it was very surreal to figure out what to do for her. Once the sun came up and we could assess her better, we decided to see what we could do.

I couldn't go outside to see her and was trying to picture how bad she was based upon what my husband was saying. His first descriptive words when it first happened was "mangled". I pictured a disemboweled hen. Later on, it turned into "cut up pretty bad but she can walk". Okay, well, let me take a look. He put her in a box and we brought her in. Her head is cut up pretty bad. The coon was going for her head for sure. There has been much bleeding, but it has stopped. I think our barking dog prevented the final bite that would have decided this issue for us. Anyway, she is in a box, in the house, resting quietly.

Get this, the hubbie is going out of town all this week too. Wish me luck!