Emergency! Baby chick bloody head with matted eyes. *Graphic*

[TheJadeChicken]

I put a warning just in case.

But we have got 2 chicks that have winded up blood with sores on either side of it's head and their eyes matted shut with blood. I thought maybe the 1st chick that happened was a fluke and someone stepped on it. We lost it.

Well, we have another chick like that. Now I am really worried. Mom is a Black Australorp. She has 4 healthy babies so far, she had 14 eggs. She is very aggressive with protecting the babies. I found the baby near her, with the wounds. The first one I am not sure, since my mother found it. But the second one has his eyes cracked open and is very noisy. Could she be the cause of the problem? Or could one of the others in the coop be the culprit?


I can get pictures if needed.


Here is what is in the coop:

2 White Broilers/Cornish Rocks *Rooster and Hen*
1 Black Australorp *Mom*
2 Star Sex Links *Red and Black* *Hens*
1 New Hampshire Red *Hen*
1 Brown Leghorn *Hen*
1 White Leghorn *Hen*

1 Pekin *Drake*
2 Cayugas *Hens*
2 Mallards *Drake and Hen*

 

[sourland]

Going on experience, I would be real suspicious of the two drakes although it could be any of the flock. Unless the mother has blood on her beak, it doubt that she is the problem. Is there any way that you can separate the mother and chicks from the rest of the flock?

 

[TheJadeChicken]

Going on experience, I would be real suspicious of the two drakes although it could be any of the flock. Unless the mother has blood on her beak, it doubt that she is the problem. Is there any way that you can separate the mother and chicks from the rest of the flock?

Okay. I will check about the blood on beaks. And I can try to separate her. She still has about 4 eggs that need to hatch.

I also put him in a tub with a light over him. Plus food and water. And I put some antibiotic on his wounds.

 

[TheJadeChicken]

I just moved her, 4 babies, and 2 eggs to a smaller pen. She instantly sat on the eggs and called for the babies.

But we found another baby with wounds. I think he is to far gone.

 

[sourland]

Good luck with saving the rest.

 

[MollyAngel]

That is so sad. If I come home and one of my birds is bleeding, I get very upset. Good luck saving them, my advice is to use blu-kote, and make sure that you watch the mama around her babies. Also, make sure that the chicks aren't hurting each other.

 

[TheJadeChicken]

I just gave her a bigger nest. And she is happy! She is up by the house. I will keep a watch on her. My turkeys are on the back porch so I go out there all the time. I did the Red Star Sex Link peck at the babies once. I should have done something. But this is my first time having a broody mom.

The second baby that I posted about is doing so good. He walking around a bit. The third one not so much. I also didn't see any blood on anyone's beak.


Also, correction about the 4 eggs, 2 were new and 2 were hatching out..

 

[TheJadeChicken]

Well, one that was cold and found later is laying under the light asleep. But the other one is doing great he is moving around, making noise, and sometimes he gets so tired of walking he is falling asleep. He is doing real good about walking. I hope he survives, he is doing so good!

 

[SilkiesForEver]

I hope they make it!

 

[TheJadeChicken]

I hope they make it!

I hope so too. They just figured out that they are not alone. And now they are curled up together.

I also to pictures. If anyone want to see the wound like spot.