Father attacks chicks. 1 dead,1 survived.Help in healing that 1 please.

[Terri E]

I have a pen with Roo and 3 hens. 2 chicks hatched close to a week now. Today, looked onto them and saw the rooser, Andre, attacking the chicks. When I got there, 1 dead, 1 still chirping but barely. Not even moving. So, as I was getting the dead one, both hens started to attack me. I grabbed both chicks. Then saw 2 newly hatched chicks, probably between 2-3 days old. I decided to get them too, after leaving the ones I grabbed inside. I had to fight my way to get them. Both rooster and 2 hens, was preventing me to get them. Now, that the new ones are safe, I cleaned up the sand and dirt from the injured one. I also put iodine on the opening, hopefully I did right, to prevent infection. Hopefully.

Is there anything I can do for the little one? Any advice is helpful.

I'm trying to attach pictures of the injury. Just to let you know,. Both eyes are open, chirping loudly too.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Jesus,this is why people Seperate their birds,it is not safe to keep chicks that young with adults.I have a chick aggressive rooster as well,it sucks but he never takes it this far,just gives them a quick hum rush and they run.Seperate the chicks till their bigger.Maybe some coconut oil will help.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Oh my, that's a terrible beating that chick took, I hope it pulls through.

I'm thinking stress/shock is what you need to worry about also. Hope you've got the hurt one separate from the newly hatched ... Keep it warm and give it a fluffy stuff animal to cozy & company with. Get some Sav A Chick or Nutri Drench (electrolytes & vitamins). Is it eating/drinking/pooping?

As for the other hatched chicks, do you know which hen is their Mom? If so I'd separate them into another cage or section off your coop so they have their own space. Either that or remove the Roos.

Hope your chick pulls through

 

[Terri E]

Thanks, I've separated the chicks from parents. Isolated injured chick from others. Thanks for the electroliyte suggestion, will give it. Haven't seen him poop or eat yet. Can't tel who's the mom, all three hens would be in same nest at the same time. They are still sitting on eggs.
Next time I know to remove mama and chick to place them in thier own place, if I know which mom goes to which chick.
Thanks a lot. Very helpful.

 

[centrarchid]

Damage more consistent with a hen having imprinting problems.

 

[Jman45]

Thanks, I've separated the chicks from parents. Isolated injured chick from others. Thanks for the electroliyte suggestion, will give it. Haven't seen him poop or eat yet. Can't tel who's the mom, all three hens would be in same nest at the same time. They are still sitting on eggs.
Next time I know to remove mama and chick to place them in thier own place, if I know which mom goes to which chick.
Thanks a lot. Very helpful.

What breed of chicken do you have?

 

[emmyn74]

ALWAYS separate the hens and chicks from the rest of the adults....it is always very risky if u leave them all together...much higher chance of them being killed....I'm not sure now that the chick is injured whether the hen will not peck it as well..I would watch carefully to make sure...but if it was me..i would just isolate the injured chick and put .it somewhere with some heat...food and water so it can rest and heal...the other two I would put w the mother and separate from the other adults...

 

[emmyn74]

Also..if more than one hen is sitting at the same time..they WILL fight over chicks/eggs and they could be injured this way...I had to separate two hens of mine bc of this...they were destroying each other's eggs...

 

[Wyorp Rock]

How is the little one doing?
Do you have a way to keep it warm? A heating pad system works well MHP or you can use a heat lamp if you have one.
Keep the wound clean, you can use the Iodine if that is all you have. Triple antibiotic ointment is also good. Watch that the other chicks don't pick at the wounds - I do like Blu Kote but it makes it hard to access a wound for infection, but you can use that if you wish or add a drop of blue food coloring to your ointment to see if that deters pecking.

Getting the chick hydrated would be your next step, if they are just hatched, you may need to dip the beak in the chick waterer or tap the edge of the waterer to entice them.

1-2 drops direct dose of Poultry Nutri-Drench daily would also be good for a few days.

You mention that you have not observed the injured chick pooping, you will want to watch to see that it does. Using puppy pads for a few days in your brooder is a good way to look at poop

Keep us posted.

 

[Terri E]

How is the little one doing?
Do you have a way to keep it warm? A heating pad system works well MHP or you can use a heat lamp if you have one.
Keep the wound clean, you can use the Iodine if that is all you have. Triple antibiotic ointment is also good. Watch that the other chicks don't pick at the wounds - I do like Blu Kote but it makes it hard to access a wound for infection, but you can use that if you wish or add a drop of blue food coloring to your ointment to see if that deters pecking.

Getting the chick hydrated would be your next step, if they are just hatched, you may need to dip the beak in the chick waterer or tap the edge of the waterer to entice them.

1-2 drops direct dose of Poultry Nutri-Drench daily would also be good for a few days.

You mention that you have not observed the injured chick pooping, you will want to watch to see that it does. Using puppy pads for a few days in your brooder is a good way to look at poop

Keep us posted.

Well, after looking at all. The chick is actually one of the newly hatched. The I retrieved is older. Based on the wings feathering out.
Baby chick is still alive. Not eating or drinking. I placed a mirror in the brooder under heat lamp. It's isolated so others don't pick at it.
The breed? It's grey game. Planing to raise for show. I've been watching it and trying to clean around its eyes. Don't think it can see well.
However, not knowing if it started to eat before this happened, I've been dipping its beak in water. Like I says, don't think the chick can see well.
I have way too many baby chicks to juveniles to adult chickens. All different breeds from Ameracauna, to game, to Wyndotts. Including Frisien, which is rare.