1 week old injured chick

[jzervas92]

Hi everyone, so last week I received my order of chicks from mypetchicken. One of the chicks came with a swollen eye. I already had vetericyn so I decided to try to treat it as an injury first instead of an infection. It's slowly progressing, and all of the other chicks are healthy with no issues. Even the injured one acts like she's not hurt. I wanted to know if I'm doing the right thing, or if there is anything else I should be doing for her. They're also going through the pecking order right now and the injured chick got some of her back feathers pulled out. I bought this pick-no-more stuff and I was wondering if it's safe to use on chicks. Any advice will be appreciated!

 

[GitaBooks]

It sounds like she should be okay, however, you might want to try rinsing the eye with a salt solution. As for the pick-no-more, it should be safe with chicks. Provide some perches and toys to keep them entertained so they are less likely to pull one anothers feathers.

 

[jzervas92]

Thanks for the quick response! I'll give that a shot. I have a few roosts in there now, I might raise them a little bit. I also have a feather duster they enjoy playing with. It's been in the high 90's so they spend most of their time outside. I don't know why but the past few days they have been very feisty! Hopefully I can get this under control.

 

[GitaBooks]

I hear that high temperatures can make chicks more aggressive and prone to pecking at each other.

 

[jzervas92]

That's interesting I'll have to look into that. The run they go in is mostly shade with a little sun so they can warm up. I was afraid of the temperature getting to low in the brooder, but when I turn the heat lamp off the room seems to stay at 80 degrees. Do you think I should just leave the heat lamp off during the day and keep it on at night?

 

[GitaBooks]

That's interesting I'll have to look into that. The run they go in is mostly shade with a little sun so they can warm up. I was afraid of the temperature getting to low in the brooder, but when I turn the heat lamp off the room seems to stay at 80 degrees. Do you think I should just leave the heat lamp off during the day and keep it on at night?

My week and a half old chicks don't need (but sometimes use) a heat light during the day, and they don't even need it at night. However, they are bantams, which I find feather out quicker. If they aren't all cuddle up together with ruffled feathers, it means they are probably comfortable.

 

[jzervas92]

I'm going to try leaving the lamp off today and see how they act. Thanks for your help I appreciate it! I'll keep you updated on how it goes