How to take care of chickens after a predator attack is necessary for both your flock’s and your own safety. Unfortunately, predator attacks can happen at any time, so it’s vital to learn how to protect chickens from predators and keep yourself protected, too. 

How Do I Know if My Flock Has Been Attacked?

While chickens are prone to feather picking and can draw blood, it is usually fairly obvious if a predator or their flock mates have attacked the injured chicken.

Victims of a predatory attack will usually have deeper wounds, and depending on the prey, visible bite marks. You may also notice that the entire flock seems to be traumatized and dazed. Another clear indication of a predator attack is when more than one chicken has been injured.

Bear in mind that many chickens who have been attacked by predators will not survive the attack. These chickens may have their entrails eaten out, heads removed, wings and legs broken or eaten off, and remains scattered about.

Moving the Flock to Safety

How to take care of chickens after a predator attack should start with moving everyone to safety. Confine uninjured chickens to the coop if possible.

If the coop or run is where the attack happened, load the chickens into a large dog crate and move them temporarily to your basement. Make necessary repairs to prevent further attacks before moving the remaining flock members back to the coop.

5 Tips for How to Take Care of Chickens After An Attack

Knowing how to take care of chickens during or after a predator attack can literally be the difference between life and death. Caring for the victim isn’t a once-and-done job, nor is it a one-step process. While each case is different, here are five tips that are helpful no matter what predators you have encountered.

1. Gloves on!

How to take care of chickens during a predator attack begins with taking necessary precautions to protect yourself. If your flock has been attacked by a predator, the first step is to don a pair of heavy work gloves. Gloves should be worn to handle both injured and deceased chickens at all times.

Wearing gloves will protect you from becoming exposed to certain diseases, such as rabies and leptospirosis. Many predators, including the mouths of domestic dogs, contain harmful bacteria, so wearing gloves is the best way to ensure you don’t get sick.

2. Isolate the Victims

One of the first steps of how to take care of chickens after an attack is isolation. Isolating the victim(s) is essential to prevent the healthy flock members from bullying or turning cannibalistic toward them.

While it’s tempting to leave the injured flock member with their chicken friends, this is not the best option for your flock.

Set up a makeshift chicken hospital in your basement, spare bedroom or bath, or even a corner of the living room where she will be safe, and you can keep a close eye on her.

Important Note: If you have other pets in the house, be sure to confine them or the chicken in a separate room to avoid stressing the chicken and prevent accidental injuries.

3. Clean the Wounds

Wash any visible wounds with lukewarm (not hot) water and a mild soap. Next, clean the wounds with peroxide. Let the peroxide sit on the injured area for several minutes before thoroughly rinsing with clean water. The peroxide will burn, so having an extra set of hands to help restrain the chicken can be helpful. Wear disposable gloves/medical gloves at all times when cleaning the wounds and restraining the chicken.

4. Call the Vet

How to care for chickens after a predator attack should include a visit to the vet. Finding a vet who treats chickens can be tricky, but vet care is a must for the chicken to recover.

A vet will prescribe strong antibiotics, clean the wound with disinfectants, stop the bleeding, take radiographs to ensure there are no internal injuries, splint broken legs and wings, and perform a humane euthanasia if the chicken’s injuries are beyond repair.

5. Clean up the Mess

How to take care of chickens comes with some disturbing jobs. None is worse than cleaning up your beloved flock’s remains. While it may not be fun, all remains, feather clumps, and blood need to be cleaned up and properly disposed of to help prevent future attacks. Remains should be buried two feet underground or sent to a pet cemetery for cremation.

Never dump remains on your or someone else’s property, as this practice may be against the law in some areas, and the remains will attract unwanted predators to your flock.

3 Things Not to Do After A Predator Attack

How to take care of chickens after a predator attack includes knowing what not to do. Be sure to check out this list to avoid making these deadly mistakes.

1. Refusing Medical Attention

While the high costs of vet bills and the inconvenience of having to travel far distances may not sound appealing, refusing medical attention for your chicken(s) is an unacceptable practice.

2. Leaving Chickens to Suffer

Sometimes the surviving victims’ injuries are life-threatening and the chance of recovery is slim. In these circumstances, the best option is to humanely cull or euthanize the victim(s).

This may not be an easy decision, especially if the chicken is a beloved family pet, but it may be in the best interest of the bird. Under no circumstances is it okay to let your chicken(s) suffer needlessly, so even if it’s hard, letting them go may be the best decision.

3. Repeating the Offense

Knowing how to take care of chickens includes learning from your mistakes. There is no better place to put this to action than the aftermath of a predator attack.

How, when, and where the chickens were attacked will best help you avoid making the same mistake again. Here’s a list of questions to ask yourself.

• Were the chickens free-ranging at the time of the attack?
• Did the predator attack inside the coop or run?
• Were the chickens let outdoors overnight to roost?

If the chickens were free-ranging, confine them to a run or chicken tractor in the future to prevent future attacks. Continuing to allow your flock to free-range is guaranteed to invite further attacks, so be sure to keep everyone confined and safe. Unfortunately, this means forever, as the predator will be back to attack if you let your guard down.

If the predator gained access to the coop or run, thoroughly check the enclosures for weak spots the predator entered through and fix accordingly. Make sure to use the proper chicken fencing so it’s up to the task.

Last, but not least, if the attack happened when chickens were left outdoors overnight, lock them into a secure coop before dusk. If your chickens aren’t used to going into the coop, entice them to walk in with a trail of scratch or other treats.

Goodbye Predators

Sometimes, predators will refuse to leave the crime scene. This doesn’t usually happen, but if you find yourself in this situation, here’s what to do.

1. Do not approach the predator. Instead, try making loud noises to scare the predator. i.e., shouting, banging two metal trash can lids together, etc.

2. Call the local Game Commission and report your problem.

3. Provide an escape for the predator. (This works for weasels and other mustelids who have consumed too much food and can no longer squeeze through the hole from which they entered.) Remove all living chickens from the coop and leaving the coop door wide open will usually convince these predators to leave.

Emotional Support

Predator attack survivors (both chickens that have been attacked and those who have only witnessed the attack) are usually traumatized. Sadly, some chickens never recover from the trauma and go on to live their lives in fear.

Providing your flock with mental enrichment, such as treat balls, chicken xylophones, and swings, and spending time with them may help your flock recover from their trauma.

As always, prevention is key, so be extra vigilant to prevent future attacks. Nothing traumatizes surviving victims more than a repeated offense.

Final Thoughts

Knowing how to take care of chickens after a predator attack is necessary to protect you and your flock. And will help you know how to give the victim(s) their best surviving chance.

This article about how to take care of chickens after a predator attack was written for Hobby Farms and Chickens magazines. Click here to subscribe.