Chick attacked! big cut with scull exposed! help!

[Jessgotchooks]

Rhode island chicks were hatching this morning, i took one chick out to try determine the gender, and then my 12 week old orpington comes up to me and looks interested in the chick, so i lower it a little so it can see, BIG MISTAKE!!
it grabbed the chick by the head and hauled it to the ground, then it bit it,
it was trying to eat it!!!???
now the chick has a big cut in head and neck. one is big on shoulder and one on head is exposing the scull! will it live? it was only 1 hour old! i managed to save it from being eaten but im so scared it well die.

1cm hole exposing scull.

also can anyone give me some newly hatched photos of rir chicks, one of a boy and one of a girl,
also the chicks wings weren't very big, is it a rooster?

it hatched very fast which means its strong so will it survive?

i cant bear the thought that i just killed a chick that could not walk

 

[16 paws]

Rhode island chicks were hatching this morning, i took one chick out to try determine the gender, and then my 12 week old orpington comes up to me and looks interested in the chick, so i lower it a little so it can see, BIG MISTAKE!!
it grabbed the chick by the head and hauled it to the ground, then it bit it,
it was trying to eat it!!!???
now the chick has a big cut in head and neck will it live? it was only 1 hour old! i managed to save it from being eaten but im so scared it well die.

also can anyone give me some newly hatched photos of rir chicks, one of a boy and one of a girl,
also the chicks wings weren't very big, is it a rooster?

it hatched very fast which means its strong so will it survive?

i cant bear the thought that i just killed a chick that could not walk

I had that happen to one of my newborn chicks also. Is the broody mama raising it or are you raising it in a brooder? My chick was fine after a day. I put it under a heat lamp in a brooder so I could see how it was doing. You can use liquid bandage on it if its an open wound. Clean it real good first. I returned it to the broody mama the next day and she took care of it. Normally they have an remarkable ability to heal up after very bad injuries.
Good luck and keep us posted.
Marie

 

[Jessgotchooks]

hi marie, its a pritty big cut, its open and moist, on the neck and head, i dont have a brooder and its with its mother, i could try clean it, but would i hurt it?
wont liquid plasters tear the skin off?
... and what are liquid plasters?
thankyou heaps!!

 

[Eggcessive]

If you have some iodine or betadine just put some on the wound, and leave it with the broody. BluKote would also work. The main thing is for the wound to not be red to attract more pecking.

 

[cafarmgirl]

The risk here is that the others are going to see it and may peck at it. I would rinse it well with water or saline and then apply Neosporin. Or wash it well and apply a coating of BluKote to help "hide" it from the others, it makes it less attractive to them anyway. I've never used Liquid Bandage on a bird but it sounds reasonable to me. They do tend to heal up very fast so hopefully that will be the case.

As far as sex of the chick, unless you are experienced at vent sexing it's far to early to tell.

 

[Jessgotchooks]

hi, thanks, the wound is massive on back of head and has exposed the skull, about 1 cm of it. so will a solution applyed only hurt the chick more?

 

[Eggcessive]

Hibiclens (clorhexadine) or btetadine would be what most humans would usein an ER to cleanse a heac wound. Neosporin ointment would be applied afterward.

 

[Jessgotchooks]

Hibiclens (clorhexadine) or btetadine would be what most humans would usein an ER to cleanse a heac wound. Neosporin ointment would be applied afterward.

will the skin ever come back together over the scull?

 

[16 paws]

hi, thanks, the wound is massive on back of head and has exposed the skull, about 1 cm of it. so will a solution applyed only hurt the chick more?

Liquid bandage was just used for a baby chick that had a very big wound on its head also by a friend here on BYC. It worked great for her and the chick is doing fine. You can get it at the drug store. Yes the skin will heal up. I will post the link to my friends chick emergency.
Marie

 

[16 paws]

Here is the link, she ended up calling her Frankie, for Frankenstein.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/6538848/
The chick is fine now.