I haven't posted an introduction to this forum yet so I'll give a brief background. I used to have chickens when I was younger, but we were always amateur chicken parents. Fast forward to March, we got our first new batch of chicks, all bantams, and not sexed. Those are doing great and we put them in their coop and they are free ranging around our yard. Very happy chickens!
Then two weeks ago, on the first, we got another batch of 14 chicks, several different breeds, all hens. They've been doing fine, they are in my house, in a big plastic brood box that seems to be working just fine, was probably going to move them into a bigger one next week. The problem is, that the cage lid I've been putting on the brood box isn't long enough, so I've been placing a plastic bin lid just to extend it and keep the cats out, who love knocking the lid off. The problem is because they love knocking the lid off, I've been putting a Brent pottery wheel pedal on top of it to secure the lid. It hasn't been an issue but I must have placed it differently because the cat jumped up and shoved the lid off and the Brent pedal crushed one of the chicks. I picked it up absolutely horrified and she didn't move for a few seconds, then skittered off.
She is now limping and possibly with a slightly skewed wing, still moving and eating but resting a lot. I am freaking out and kicking myself for being such an idiot and I don't know what to do or how to help her and I feel so, so bad for her. Has anyone ever seen anything similar or have any advice aside from replacing the lid?
Then two weeks ago, on the first, we got another batch of 14 chicks, several different breeds, all hens. They've been doing fine, they are in my house, in a big plastic brood box that seems to be working just fine, was probably going to move them into a bigger one next week. The problem is, that the cage lid I've been putting on the brood box isn't long enough, so I've been placing a plastic bin lid just to extend it and keep the cats out, who love knocking the lid off. The problem is because they love knocking the lid off, I've been putting a Brent pottery wheel pedal on top of it to secure the lid. It hasn't been an issue but I must have placed it differently because the cat jumped up and shoved the lid off and the Brent pedal crushed one of the chicks. I picked it up absolutely horrified and she didn't move for a few seconds, then skittered off.
She is now limping and possibly with a slightly skewed wing, still moving and eating but resting a lot. I am freaking out and kicking myself for being such an idiot and I don't know what to do or how to help her and I feel so, so bad for her. Has anyone ever seen anything similar or have any advice aside from replacing the lid?
