Chick with injury from hawk - help

[Berner Mom]

You can get Blu Cote (Kote?) at Tractor Supply or Agway. It is in the livestock feed/medication area. Wear gloves as it stains and takes forever to come of skin.

 

[One Chick Two]

I should have asked, or done my research, about the blue cote. I assumed that it was for cosmetic purposes. I should have known better. I promise to follow your advice to a tee from here on out!

So, suggestions on where I can find the blue cote?

Thanks for the condolences. I know it is part of the chicken game but it's still upsetting.

Google Blue Kote wound dressing for chickens (BYC does not like outside links). You can purchase this product at any farm supply, many pet stores, etc. Murray McMurray sells this online too, around $8 ish.

Just keep your wounded chick in sight with the others, add the one or two chicks after it is well healed (for a few days), then reintroduce them at night, before sleep. Blue cote can hurry up the process and take away red color which induces them to peck at it. You can try putting in a clean, stuffed animal to keep her company. At this point, she just needs to get fully healed so none of the chickens will reopen the wound.

They will if there's anything left, they will peck at it... our chickens notice EVERYTHING! Once, I had a bandaid on a pinkie, and a hen spotted it, tore it off and ran around the yard with the bandaid for about twenty minutes while I tried to catch her so she wouldn't eat the thing. Gross, I know, but they fixate.

If she still has ointment on her back at such time she is better, you can try a little warm water and soap. (Or, does she dust bathe yet?)

 

[SunnyFLChick]

Google Blue Kote wound dressing for chickens (BYC does not like outside links). You can purchase this product at any farm supply, many pet stores, etc. Murray McMurray sells this online too, around $8 ish.

Just keep your wounded chick in sight with the others, add the one or two chicks after it is well healed (for a few days), then reintroduce them at night, before sleep. Blue cote can hurry up the process and take away red color which induces them to peck at it. You can try putting in a clean, stuffed animal to keep her company. At this point, she just needs to get fully healed so none of the chickens will reopen the wound.

They will if there's anything left, they will peck at it... our chickens notice EVERYTHING! Once, I had a bandaid on a pinkie, and a hen spotted it, tore it off and ran around the yard with the bandaid for about twenty minutes while I tried to catch her so she wouldn't eat the thing. Gross, I know, but they fixate.

If she still has ointment on her back at such time she is better, you can try a little warm water and soap. (Or, does she dust bathe yet?)

Got the Blue Kote and things are going well with that. Keeping her always in sight of the rest of the flock.
When it is time to reintroduce...not yet of course...would it be beneficial to isolate the alpha and put her back in? Then add him back after a few days? Or will that just make him meaner as he re asserts himself as head of the flock? I may not be able to keep him at all so I'm trying to figure out what will be easiest.

The band-aid story was great! I can see now how they would be very curious and fixate on that!

I have given them a bin with clean sand previously and they didn't seem to know what to do with it. At what point do they start to dust bathe? Is a dust bath alright as long as the wound is not open?

 

[One Chick Two]

Got the Blue Kote and things are going well with that. Keeping her always in sight of the rest of the flock.
When it is time to reintroduce...not yet of course...would it be beneficial to isolate the alpha and put her back in? Then add him back after a few days? Or will that just make him meaner as he re asserts himself as head of the flock? I may not be able to keep him at all so I'm trying to figure out what will be easiest.

The band-aid story was great! I can see now how they would be very curious and fixate on that!

I have given them a bin with clean sand previously and they didn't seem to know what to do with it. At what point do they start to dust bathe? Is a dust bath alright as long as the wound is not open?

Sounds like things are coming along. If the alpha picks on this little one and the others, sometimes it can be beneficial to remove it for a few days, then let the pecking order sort themselves out. (Remember, when one chicken has been removed, it is best to have them put back in pairs or trios as it spreads out the pecking order punishments among the group newly added chickens.)

Yes, these crazy chickens fixiate- sometimes even on the smallest things. They are very, "line of sight." I have a hat I wear outside, and last summer changed the hat to a hat with a wider brim. They didn't like it. lol They gave the hat a very suspicious look, moaned about it, and went as far as pecking it, pulling it off, or running away screaming when they saw me wearing it. They can be so funny sometimes.

Dust bathing can start when they start getting their itchy juvenile feathers in. Our RIR started around a few weeks old.

 

[SunnyFLChick]

Reintroduction is going well so far. Did it with a pair, the injured one still seems to be the outsider (more that the other one that I isolated and reintroduced with her) but so far no serious protests. Just a few light squawks.

That you again for all your help and support! Now, back to that coop......

 

[One Chick Two]

Good luck!