Chick pecked to skull

[ospiee]

My (a little over) one month old chick got pecked to the skull by our older hen. We lost 3/4 of our chickens to raccoons and we got some chicks for our last remaining hen. At first when we introduced them when they were old enough, she pecked them a bit, but over time she’s been bullying one particular chick. Tonight we went out and saw the chick laying down and she’s been for a lack of better words, scalped. She had been out in the cold for who knows how long and was still breathing so we’re giving her a chance.
- Her eyes are kind of rolled to the back of her head, but I can’t really tell (she’s keeping them closed)
- She’s “moving” (more flailing around at certain times)
- My dad got a bit of water into her with a syringe
- I put her in a small dog kennel with paper towels and a heat lamp to warm her up.
- My sister tried to clean the wound but she couldn’t do much (we’re very squeamish)
- There’s also two little tendrils? sticking out of the sides on the back of her head? they move when she moves her mouth. Does anyone know what these are?

What can we do? I’m hoping if she makes it through the night she has a chance. I’ve read on putting Neosporin on the wound to keep it pliable so the skin can stretch and heal. Should we keep trying to keep her alive or just cull her now? I think she’s fighting.

We also put the other chicks in the building we have the injured one in. They’re in a separate pen, but I don’t want our hen to turn on to another chick because she thinks she killed this one.

Thank you

 

[ospiee]

Um! Well unfortunate update everyone.
I just replied to someone saying how I’m considering putting her down because I don’t know what her future looks like, and then I came out to the shed and she’s unfortunately passed. She’s in a position that makes me think she was sitting under the heat lamp and just kind of… died.
She was doing a lot better a few hours ago, and I kind of had hope, but I think maybe it was too much on her.
She was in a shed (in a separate pen) with her sisters, and they’ve been peeping and playing, so I hope they made her feel not alone.
Her name was Princess Dieggna and I feel like her name was probably a bit of a curse lol!! But she had the most personality and was the first to interact with me when she was younger.
Hoping this thread helps someone else out if they’re in a similar situation. I have had dogs, cats, geckos, fish, rabbits & guinea pigs, and chickens are by far the most stressful and complicated animal lol!! Gotta love them though

 

[ospiee]

If you have electrolytes, warm electrolyte water, or Gatorade will help cure shock.

I’ve been giving her “Rooster Booster” which I stand by. We had a chick a few years ago who was super lethargic and sleepy when she was younger. We put rooster booster in the water and in a few days she was just as active as the other chicks.

 

[ospiee]

Can you get a view from the side of her head, for another angle?

Scalpings are very common, & aren't hard to treat, & heal fairly quickly.

I hope this is a bit better- I’m trying not to bother her so much by turning her head

 

[AidKD]

No, she’s just a normal barred rock.
I’m not sure if it’s the brain or just muscle and stuff? I should’ve gotten a better picture, but i didn’t want to mess with her to much. The picture is more the back of her head, on the top you can very obviously see the skull.
She’s drinking water from a syringe and will move around (not walking just kinda… trying to move? I guess?) and she seems to be alert to sounds and stuff but I’m just not sure what to do. I want her to pull through, and maybe she can, but if she can’t I don’t want her to go through this. I don’t think I can physically do the culling if we needed to, I’d have to have my dad do it but I’m not sure he wants to because she was his favorite. I know it’s selfish to think like that but it is really hard, she’s just a baby

I personally would give it some time. As @MysteryChicken said, scalping aren't hard to treat and heal fairly quickly. If she's trying to move and peeping then that's a good sign.

 

[ospiee]

That's best for deficiencies, or just nutritional supplementation, & or stress reliever, or Energy Booster.

Shock is different.

Ah, ok! Then I’ll do what you suggested originally.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Ah, ok! Then I’ll do what you suggested originally.

Shock is a killer if isn't treated first.

Save A Chick Electrolytes work nice.

 

[ospiee]

Well, if she's moving her beak then that means no muscles have been destroyed. Just make sure it stays covered up and once the skin heals over it should be fine.

Okay! Thank you all for replying so quickly, it was very stressful but you all have helped chill me out about this a little bit :,) I think we’re gonna see if she makes it through the night. She was in the cold before we found her and it’s been hours since we brought her in the warm and she’s really perked up a *little* since then. I think she wants to fight for it.

 

[ospiee]

I would need detailed pictures of that away from the heat lamp. But I'd give her sometime too settle first.

This is the best photo I can get of her away from the lamp. When I pick her up she kind of tucks her head in.

 

[ospiee]

While these animals are capable of miraculous recovery, its important to consider their quality of life during and after the process. There will be plenty of pain and risk of infection along the way. Some of the underlying damages (brain for instance) that will compromise her quality of life may not be aparent for some time.

If you are squimish, it may be important to point out that there are some very peaceful and humane methods of euthinizing chickens that do not require brutal force. Searching CO2 and other "ethical euthanasia techniques" will provide more insight for you.

Ultimately the choice is yours, and I wish the best for you all in this unfortunate circumstance

Yeah, that’s what I’ve been thinking about.
Because she is drinking, peeping, looking around and reacting when I come into the shed to see her. But at the same time, she keeps leaning and then falling backwards, and google has said that that’s a symptom of brain damage. And I’m not sure what that means for her in the long run, because will she even return to being a chicken again?
I feel so terrible for her, and I hate that we’re fighting to keep her alive when maybe we should just put her down, but she also does seem a lot calmer and overall like she feels better than yesterday. I would rather her pass feeling warm, hydrated, and a bit better than cold, thirsty and in what I can imagine as immense amounts of pain. I’m going to talk this over with my dad and figure something out!