Brand new chick under broody with head injury

[Weetamoo93]

When checking my broody for chicks, I found my first chick has this scratch on the head. The skin appears to be peeled back and inflamed around the neck area. It's not quite fluffy yet. No bleeding that I can see.

First brood ever, so first time mom. I think she must have stepped on it.

I've left it under her for now. It understandably just wants to be under mom and she was concerned by the peeping. My thought was Neosporin so the skin doesn't dry out. I figure there's not much else to do for a less than day old chick.

Edit to add: just remembered I have Vetericyn as well. Going apply a little of that first.

 

[Stipenvlerk]

Hi Weetamoo,

I would definitely consider taking the little one to a quite warm place where she can heal.
To me, the risk of this getting infected would be to high, and When she is much weaker than the others who knows what happens...

 

[Weetamoo93]

Hi Weetamoo,

I would definitely consider taking the little one to a quite warm place where she can heal.
To me, the risk of this getting infected would be to high, and When she is much weaker than the others who knows what happens...

Checked on it this morning after setting up a box and it's already passed. Thank you for your insight.

 

[Stipenvlerk]

Checked on it this morning after setting up a box and it's already passed. Thank you for your insight.

Sorry for your loss

 

[Weetamoo93]

Sorry for your loss

Thank you.

 

[LaFleche]

When checking my broody for chicks, I found my first chick has this scratch on the head. The skin appears to be peeled back and inflamed around the neck area. It's not quite fluffy yet. No bleeding that I can see.

First brood ever, so first time mom. I think she must have stepped on it.

I've left it under her for now. It understandably just wants to be under mom and she was concerned by the peeping. My thought was Neosporin so the skin doesn't dry out. I figure there's not much else to do for a less than day old chick.

Edit to add: just remembered I have Vetericyn as well. Going apply a little of that first.

This sometimes happens with inexperienced broodies.
They don't switch right away from defending the clutch mode to caring for the hatchlings, so the first to hatch will get pecked and sometimes even thrown far away from the nest as if it was vermin.

 

[Weetamoo93]

This sometimes happens with inexperienced broodies.

Wow. Did not know that was a thing, but I'm not surprised. I suppose there's not much you can do to prevent it, either. Broodies do go a little nuts sometimes.

 

[LaFleche]

Wow. Did not know that was a thing, but I'm not surprised. I suppose there's not much you can do to prevent it, either. Broodies do go a little nuts sometimes.

One thing to do is separating her in a space where no mice or similar can get, so she will be less likely to mistake her first chick with a mouse/rat trying to steal her eggs.

ETA: There is a video on Yout*be showing a broody that is killing a rat as big as herself when it tried to get at the eggs under her.

 

[Weetamoo93]

One thing to do is separating her in a space where no mice or similar can get, so she will be less likely to mistake her first chick with a mouse/rat trying to steal her eggs.

The underside of our coop is enclosed with hardware cloth buried almost 2 feet. I've never had evidence of rats or mice near the coop or run. Only toads. I think she's just paranoid and inexperienced. Their schedule was off the last two days, so the rest of the flock was closer to her for longer than usual, even though they cannot reach her in her little space to harass her.

ETA: she is residing in that secured area with hardware cloth away from her flockmates. Realized I forgot to add that, but I'm trying to handle toddlers.