Chick pecked to skull

[Ursuline Chick]

Eventually, you will have to put this chick back with the flock. When you do, the chick, whatever age she is at the time, may still be bullied by the hen. If the hen really doesn't like the chick, the hen may eventually kill the chick. I have seen this in my own flock and it can get pretty ugly.
Unless you plan on making her a house chicken. I would put the poor baby out of her pain and suffering, instead of prolonging it, just to see.
Sadly this is part of keeping chickens, that's why they call it animal husbandry, because we are responsible for those animals' care. And sometimes we have to do hard things.
Just my humble opinion, based my experience
Good luck with whatever you decide

 

[nuthatched]

Ugh thats absolutely heartbreaking. My heart goes out to both of you.

It would be nice if the people stating that these injuries heal "fairly quickly" could add some context so you know if this chick is healing above or below average standards.

Everything heals at its on pace, it would be hard to be specific. Level of damage, health, diet and genetic predisposition all play in this.

 

[ospiee]

That would be great! Looking forward to seeing how she's doing!

Update: She’s made it through the night, and then some!
She is still very lethargic but is peeping a bit more and is a lot more resistant to me touching her beak to open it to put water in her with a syringe.
I just can’t really get food in her, but I might have to wait a bit before she feels a bit better to do that?
I think she’s pooped and peed (pooped once peed twice) which is very good. But she kind of just sits there. I’m not sure what I should do, because she is improving, but I don’t know if she has brain damage or not, which is what I’m most concerned about.

 

[nuthatched]

Update: She’s made it through the night, and then some!
She is still very lethargic but is peeping a bit more and is a lot more resistant to me touching her beak to open it to put water in her with a syringe.
I just can’t really get food in her, but I might have to wait a bit before she feels a bit better to do that?
I think she’s pooped and peed (pooped once peed twice) which is very good. But she kind of just sits there. I’m not sure what I should do, because she is improving, but I don’t know if she has brain damage or not, which is what I’m most concerned about.

Chickens don't pee, necessarily, you're seeing watery poops?

 

[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]

Chickens don't pee, necessarily, you're seeing watery poops?

Yeah pretty watery, but it’s more like one poop with the white part, which I know is the “pee”, and then there’s one spot that’s just white.

 

[MysteryChicken]

View attachment 3710199
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.

That's some bone structure used for panting/cooling down. It exists in reptiles, as well as other birds species. I just don't remember the name of it.

 

[twobuckchuckfarm]

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

 

[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!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Ugh thats absolutely heartbreaking. My heart goes out to both of you.

It would be nice if the people stating that these injuries heal "fairly quickly" could add some context so you know if this chick is healing above or below average standards.

Honestly, there isn't much to notice other than no bad smell, and the skin starts to grow back slowly. My last girl (who scalped herself as a baby younger than op's) wore a disposable cloth make up wipe on her head until it just fell off with the remaining scabbing after everything was healed. Never even touched her wound after applying it to the bloody wound when I got her warmed up. She was a bit clumsy the first two days or so after she was placed with a foster mother and chick, but that mama is an awesome mama and was still in 'nest mode' with her own young chick so she didn't move much.

Now granted, I saved her knowing that it was still very possible she didn't make it because of shock, age and trauma. I brought her back from the crumbling brink when I first found her, but now, you wouldn't really know it had happened. She's smaller than I think she should be, but that could easily also be genetics since she's ¼ bantam.

How are her eyes?