Chick has sore shoulder and eye

[jobeibi]

The McMurray catalog said to add sugar to the chicks' water after day three, so I did. Last night, one of the chicks looked like she had gotten her shoulder wet and the feathers had dried kind of sticky. The others would peck at the darker feathers, so I took her out and washed it gently with a cotton ball, and let her dry before putting her back. This morning, I noticed that the shoulder is sore, and the feathers look sticky again, but that it's probably from the oozing sore, and not the sugar water. The eye on that side also looks bad. I don't know if that's from being pecked by other chicks, or from rubbing the sore shoulder with that side of her face, which she keeps doing.

I want to put some neosporin on her shoulder, but she keeps rubbing it with the side of her face, and I don't think petroleum jelly based ointment is good for eyes. Any suggestions?


ETA:
Chicks about 4 days old
RIRs
Bought from feed store

 

[Judy]

???

I would think it would say to add sugar UNTIL day three.

They don't need sugar. Some people put a little ACV in the water -- see the FAQ page if you are not familiar. Sugar is only used if a chicken is sick, and then very little, for a short period of time.

 

[jobeibi]

You're right. The print is tiny, and I am getting old and, apparently, slightly dyslexic.

She's ok, except when her shoulder hurts, she gives up eating and goes and takes a nap. I put her in isolation so the other girls don't harass her, but she seems lonely in her private room.

 

[Judy]

Isolation is good to protect them from getting pecked when they are bloody. Otherwise, you're right, they are very social animals and don't like to be away from each other. i know you'll put her back as soon as you can.

Sometimes you can put some Blue Kote on and hide the blood and put them together -- if you can find Blue Kote. They tell me feed stores carry it but mine does not. Probably TSC. Handy stuff. You probably already knew this.

 

[jobeibi]

"You probably already knew this" is not something I expect to hear directed at me on this forum for a long, long time. But you probably already knew this.

 

[Judy]