[EJCTM]

Cat, sounds like your hen is going to survive, which is great news.

Another thing you can do for a sick or traumatised hen is to give them electrolytes in their water. In the US, you can get Pedialyte from the drugstore, which is a children's supplement. You just dilute it according to the instructions. I know a lot of chicken keepers in the US who swear by it. You can also use it now and then just to perk up a chicken after a moult for example.

If you wanted to link up with other US chicken enthusiasts, then I have found this site really useful, also for advice on emergency treatments, etc. www.backyardchickens.com

I hope your little hen goes from strength to strength.

[catgoodyear]

Violet is pecking, eating, and drinking by herself now!  She has lost a bit of weight though, and she's moulting (loosing a lot of feathers at least) so that has us concerned.  Is that normal after a traumatic event? 

I will definitley do the Pedialyte thing.....I was making up an electrolyte mix from powder, but Pedialyte is much easier. 

I'll keep you posted!

[EJCTM]

That is great news!

I don't know if moulting can occur as a result of trauma, but it would certainly make sense as a stress reaction. You might want to give her a vitamin and mineral supplement for a few weeks while she moults, as she will need a lot of her natural resources to make new feathers. I use something in the UK called "chicken spice" but I know people in the US who use children's vitamins added to the water. If you do this, make sure you get the one without iron. I am not sure of the correct dilution for chickens, but you might be able to find this out from the forum I mentioned as it is widely used in the US.

[Beano]

Hi, I'm glad to hear your chicken is getting better. Moulting is natural after such trauma. Poppy lost a frightning amount of feathers when she was getting better. Whenever I lifted her up, there was a circle of feathers where she was sat. I gave her poultry spice in her feed also and the occasional piece of cat food as a treat. Not too much of the cat food though because it can make their poo stink like cat poo.