3 week old chicks Neck feathers PLUCKED

[Icedangel11]

I have a young chick, two maybe three weeks. I was late in putting out the food this morning and I think someone tried to eat her. Her neck is missing most of her feathers, theres a little blood but it's VERY red.

I'd post pictures but I don't have a camera right now. It looks like a Naked neck, but with 1/4th the feathers in tact.

What's the survival rate of this? I separated her because she wasn't keeping up with momma and I was worried the other chickens would see red and peck at her. She was a bit hunched up, hiding the injury. VERY active though and is able to run and she's eating well.

What is the survival rate of this? I put some neosporin (without anything 'caine in it) on her neck to ward off infection. I'm not sure what else to do! D: Will she live if it's just missing feathers? There's no skin broken, but there is a TINY amount of blood.

 

[eliseswart]

We had two chicks who had the same wounds, they were younger, only one week, and the mother was caught in the act! Never saw such a thing. We put merchurochrome (desinfectant) on the necks and they're doing fine, separated from the mother though and their siblings.
So if your chick is not ill, It will be allright, if the wound is well treated. Ours are 3 weeks now and staying with two Sussex sisters of 2 months.

Good luck!

 

[Icedangel11]

Well, she's eating just fine and the redness has gone down a LOT.

I think it was one of my older pullets (just hitting 5 weeks old) who did it. They like to chase the chicks around, and without food I think they might've tried to eat one.

It could've also been a newish Banty rooster, but I'm not entirely sure on that, since he's been protecting the chicks from the pullets, and will even bring them food to eat. Plus it's a LOT of feathers for a roo to pull out at once without the momma noticing.

She's got a red spot on the back of her neck, though. Like a bruise. And it's pretty big, too. My main concern with putting her with the flock again is chickens peck at red things, you know? So I guess I'll give her a week inside and try putting her out?

 

[Icedangel11]

So she is unhappy with the change of food I've given her.. I've switched her to chick starter (was on grower) because I felt the higher protein would help her feathers come in.

She's flicking it everywhere in protest. :T

 

[eliseswart]

The feathers of my two are still missing after 2 weeks. I kept them isolated from the others however, until the wounds were healed. Chickens tend to pick on funny spots, especially bloody ones.

Only yesterday I put them with the Sussex and watched what happened: it went ok. I wouldn't change the food if I were you. I give them their normal chick food, but the lots of salad as well (having a kitchen garden) and bits of mashed boiled egg with garlic every now and then.

The mother doesn't hurt the other ten. Very curious.

(I apologize if I make lingual mistakes, I'm Dutch and speak French all the time, so I'm a bit mixed up.)

 

[Icedangel11]

Your writings very fine.

Due to finances I could only afford a 10 pound bag, as opposed to my normal 50 pounds, it was by the same maker, though.

She got very depressed, stopped eating after a few hours. I put a sibling in with her, to keep her company but she stayed silent and huddled. No fighting, no peeping, nothing. Then I noticed, after a while, the other chick did the same thing. They only perked up when they could see/hear momma through the window. She pretty much acted like she was dying.

So, I took a cotton ball and unrolled it, put it around her neck, and used a bandaid to secure it. I brought momma inside for a bit to watch the chick get used to her neck covering, put momma back outside, and then force fed her since she hadn't eaten all day. She got 6 ML Egg yolk/goats milk mixture (till her crop was decently full, but not overly so) and then I put her outside under momma. I watched her mother closely, and aside from cluck nervously at the chicks flailing, she did nothing. She's a VERY gentle mother, I've never seen her peck a chick before.

The bandaid, thankfully, is the same color as the chicks feathers, so it doesn't stick out. I think the stress of being away from mother was worse for her than the small amount of bleeding. The wounds had closed enough and stopped bleeding. The worst part was the bruise. I think three times a day I'll catch her from outside, change her bandages, and then once a day I'll feed her some yolk to really boost up her protein intake. She's young enough I think when her feathers come in on the neck (around a month and a half, I think.. ) you wont be able to tell..

I mean, a bare neck certainly isn't a death sentence for a chick, or else the Naked Neck breed would never survive, right? It's just up to her to make it.. She's got a big momma and TWO roosters watching out for her.. And with plenty of food to eat, I don't see a reason for the older hens to try and eat her again.. And if the do the bandaid and padding should stop them. It's not edible, and it's not tasty (if anything it tastes bad)..

 

[eliseswart]

That bandage is a very good idea! I was indeed considering something like that.
The first one took me for her mother, so she followed me everywhere, wanted to sit on my lap, shoulder and feeding her was easy, when I pretended to eat it with the funny sounds the hen always makes.
She is not mine, but my neighbour's, who doesn't have enough time to give her the attention I can. Hard working farmers with cattle.

So good luck, hope she'll be better.