4 day old (from our 1st Broody hatching!) Head/eye injury.

[bharris0426]

Need some thoughts here. We were on vacation and OF COURSE the eggs my 2 broodies were laying on hatched! Our 1st hen hatched babies!! My poor sister was up in the chicken yard feeding chickens and sees a bunch of babies come out of the coop. She sends me a text.. THERE ARE BABIES IN THERE??!! LOL!! Whoops. I did not think they were due for another week. Both of my only 2 Barred Rocks hatched 8 chicks. One died. Not sure what happened. Both mommas are being wonderful moms. They are fiercely protecting the babies. Daddy is too!! It's so cool. Both moms watch them together then take turns warming them and keeping an eye on them. I am very happy with how they are doing! We have 14 hens and 2 roosters, 3 ducks, 3 drakes, and a turkey hen that thinks she is a big chicken. She is watching over the little ones too!! It is so cute!! Sorry I had to tell my I am so amazed and proud story!!
But here is the bad part. We came home the next day. My 16 year old son went up to check on them. This one was to itself except for the turkey watching over it. It has a head injury and it's eye is closed on that side. It was acting a bit off so he brought it in to the chicken hospital in our basement. (I was at our 18 yr old son's College Oreintation) when I finally made it home to take a look. It was raised and looked like a healing cut or something. Its a bit odd looking. It looks a lot better today. The first day we saw it was Thursday. They were born on Tuesday or possibly even Monday. We left super late Sat so any time between Sat and Wed when Christy saw them. Definitely looks like it happened either during hatching or very soon afterwards. Pictures are from today. Eye is opening some. The actual hen that laid that egg is my Golden laced Cochin and Dad is a California White.

 

[alinas2010]

Cute chick! I bet watching the hens (and turkey) be mommas is wonderful.

So the cut looks to be scabbed over, is that correct? If you’d like you can put ointment on it to help it feel a little better and maybe not so dry for the chick. Just make sure it’s ointment without pain relief.

As for the eye, have you been able to look at the eyeball itself? Do you see any visible injuries to it? How about debris or anything in it? You can gently rinse with saline if there is dirt or anything crust in the eye. But I would recommend getting some Terramycin ophthalmic ointment from a farm store. You may have to ask for it. It is easily available with all the other OTC medicines at the tractor supply store in my area, but some stores keep it locked in a cabinet.

 

[bharris0426]

Cute chick! I bet watching the hens (and turkey) be mommas is wonderful.

So the cut looks to be scabbed over, is that correct? If you’d like you can put ointment on it to help it feel a little better and maybe not so dry for the chick. Just make sure it’s ointment without pain relief.

As for the eye, have you been able to look at the eyeball itself? Do you see any visible injuries to it? How about debris or anything in it? You can gently rinse with saline if there is dirt or anything crust in the eye. But I would recommend getting some Terramycin ophthalmic ointment from a farm store. You may have to ask for it. It is easily available with all the other OTC medicines at the tractor supply store in my area, but some stores keep it locked in a cabinet.

Wonderful!! The hubs was a vet tech and kennel manager for 13 years so he had me put some antibiotic ointment on it earlier.. he didnt deal with poultry often tho. I didnt know about the other medicine. That is VERY helpful!! I'll have to take pics of the Turkey Bi Bi, having a chick in her breast feathers or under her wing. It is the sweetest thing! Here are some of momma and one with Bi Bi and a chick. I love that sweet girl! I feel bad for her. Her Tom died from congested heart failure a month before laying season. She laid on infertile eggs of hers then started collecting chicken and duck eggs to sit on. She was so hot and big they would collapse. So after a couple batches of slashed stinky eggs I started taking them from her everyday. It was pitiful but it was wrong to do that to the hatchable or eatable eggs. She was VERY broodie. Thank you again for the advice and for saying my sweet girl is pretty. I will go to the store in the morning.

 

[alinas2010]

Wonderful!! The hubs was a vet tech and kennel manager for 13 years so he had me put some antibiotic ointment on it earlier.. he didnt deal with poultry often tho. I didnt know about the other medicine. That is VERY helpful!! I'll have to take pics of the Turkey Bi Bi, having a chick in her breast feathers or under her wing. It is the sweetest thing! Here are some of momma and one with Bi Bi and a chick. I love that sweet girl! I feel bad for her. Her Tom died from congested heart failure a month before laying season. She laid on infertile eggs of hers then started collecting chicken and duck eggs to sit on. She was so hot and big they would collapse. So after a couple batches of slashed stinky eggs I started taking them from her everyday. It was pitiful but it was wrong to do that to the hatchable or eatable eggs. She was VERY broodie. Thank you again for the advice and for saying my sweet girl is pretty. I will go to the store in the morning.

What a sweet sight! I’m so sad for your turkey! I hope she is having a good time being a momma to the chick. Thanks for sharing the adorable pics! Let us know how she does with her eye.