Chick With Skin Tore Off Head/neck...bluekote?

[Koolduck]

So, Mom and chicks keep getting out with the rest of the population. Everyone has been really good with the chicks so far so I think this one skinned itself on the chicken wire. Anyway I just got home and found it outside the pen with its head skin off. Brothers and sisters immediately peck the spot when she was returned. Triple abx ointment applied and chick seperated for now. Question...should I go out again and get Bluekote and will that disguise it enough so her siblings wont peck?

 

[ADozenGirlz]

Quote:
Cleaning it off well and applying BlueKote should be fine BUT I woudn't put her back with the rest of the gang until she's had a few days to rest and heal. They'll pick at it for sure and you don't want to run the risk of infection or an exascerbated injury.

If you've never used BlueKote before, be forewarned! It's messy and will stain YOU if you're not careful. I never use the sprayer, I always use a Q-tip, dip it in the BlueKote and then dab it on the affected area. I read on here once about a lady who put BlueKote on her bird and then he flapped or shook off and she ended up with purple freckles that she couldn't get off!!

Good luck with your baby!

 

[carriehelene]

No, the blue-kote will not disguise it enough for the chick to return. I would keep her together/but seperate in a cage in the coop. The other chickens will definately pull on it and make it worse, blue-kote or no. Blue-kote isn't a bad thing to use on her, but only as an anticeptic, not as a disguise.

 

[Koolduck]

As an update...I went to my favorite store TSC(dripping with sacrasm!) and after pulling teeth I finally found the bluekote. I read the ingredients...you know what guys...there isn't anything in it worthy of being called a cure except rubbing alcohol and methyl blue stain. I stopped by my vet to get just the stain as I thought it would be cruel to put rubbing alcohol on an open wound and one of the vets said to go get the chick and he would see what he could do. I only live .5mile away so I returned with the chick. He said we could glue it with s type of vet crazy glue or staples. Since I put triple abx ointment and the feathers were matted down we opted for staples. He scrubed the area with surgical scrub and iodine(ouch) then stapled her up with the tiniest staple I have ever seen! we put some mthyl blue stain on just as well and when I got home I got my acryllic paints out and dabbed some gray paint on the staples. Put her in with the crew and she ran under Mom for a nap. Only concern now is pecking of the shiny fethers full of ointment and possible infection. I will keep you posted. We have to come up as a group with a product that will camoflage a wound...the proceeds can keep the BYC community here and well! Just a thought!

 

[Koolduck]

GOOD NEWS! Baby is OK this AM. Before putting them out in their own run< I dabbed on some more grey acryllic paint on the staples.She is out digging and sratchin as I type!

 

[msdoolittle]

Funny how creative you can get to make a chicken look 'normal'...the other day one of my Polish chicks had a little bare area on his rear. Of course all of the others were chasing him down, so I took a little bit of soot (couldn't find a water soluble non-toxic marker) and patted some on there. Problem solved!

 

[Koolduck]

great idea! Can I use that one?!