Help!!! Bloody chick

[junior67]

My chicks are 4 weeks old. Went in to clean brooder and see them and noticed blood on a couple beaks. Then notices ones tail bloody. Looks like bleeding has stopped but I have nothing to cover the red blood. Can I wash her off in a bowl of warm water and see if that clears it all up? Our local feed store is closed so I can't get anything to put on it. Anything I can use that I may have here? I have her separated right now but she is very stressed and they still use the MHP at night and I can't get that on both sides that they all can use it while she is separated.

 

[MysteryChicken]

My chicks are 4 weeks old. Went in to clean brooder and see them and noticed blood on a couple beaks. Then notices ones tail bloody. Looks like bleeding has stopped but I have nothing to cover the red blood. Can I wash her off in a bowl of warm water and see if that clears it all up? Our local feed store is closed so I can't get anything to put on it. Anything I can use that I may have here? I have her separated right now but she is very stressed and they still use the MHP at night and I can't get that on both sides that they all can use it while she is separated.

Blue food dye works to cover up blood. Had to do it for a hen that had been being pecked on her vent.

 

[junior67]

Blue food dye works to cover up blood. Had to do it for a hen that had been being pecked on her vent.

Should I rinse the blood with warm water first? It is pretty dry tried a damp paper towel and it was taking forever and not a lot coming off

 

[MysteryChicken]

Should I rinse the blood with warm water first? It is pretty dry tried a damp paper towel and it was taking forever and not a lot coming off

You can wash it gently, or it may start bleeding again. Make sure you dry the chick off.

 

[junior67]

You can wash it gently, or it may start bleeding again. Make sure you dry the chick off.

ok thanks. Maybe I will leave it and see if the blue food dye just covers it. Of course I have NO blue food dye (have every other color!) but my daughters just went to buy some. At least it is almost dusk here so they will be going to bed soon.

Is there anything I can do to prevent them from picking on each other now? they have 2 waterers in there, 1 food dish, a MHP and a small roost to sit on. I have 10 in an XL dog crate and still seems like lots of room for them.

 

[MysteryChicken]

ok thanks. Maybe I will leave it and see if the blue food dye just covers it. Of course I have NO blue food dye (have every other color!) but my daughters just went to buy some. At least it is almost dusk here so they will be going to bed soon.

Is there anything I can do to prevent them from picking on each other now? they have 2 waterers in there, 1 food dish, a MHP and a small roost to sit on. I have 10 in an XL dog crate and still seems like lots of room for them.

The blue food dye should discourage the picking. But you can add a boredom buster, such as treats every once in awhile. A boiled egg is a good one for chicks.

 

[junior67]

The blue food dye should discourage the picking. But you can add a boredom buster, such as treats every once in awhile. A boiled egg is a good one for chicks.

I just started giving chick grit yesterday. should that be enough to give them something else? I do put some food on top of their MHP as a "treat" which they love. Any other boredom busters that aren't food that I can try? We are still working on the coop so I can't move them out there yet for more space. hopefully in 1-2 weeks it will be done enough that I can.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I just started giving chick grit yesterday. should that be enough to give them something else? I do put some food on top of their MHP as a "treat" which they love. Any other boredom busters that aren't food that I can try? We are still working on the coop so I can't move them out there yet for more space. hopefully in 1-2 weeks it will be done enough that I can.

Yes, chick grit is enough to give them something else.

Here's a few that are not food: Mirrors, Laser Pointer, & cat toys.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Can you expand the brooder at all? Maybe bring in a clump of dirt from outside, or some branches, for them to play around with?

Once the feed store is open (or if you have Amazon prime) maybe look into getting Pick-no-more lotion which you rub onto areas you don't want birds pecking at.

 

[junior67]

Can you expand the brooder at all? Maybe bring in a clump of dirt from outside, or some branches, for them to play around with?

Once the feed store is open (or if you have Amazon prime) maybe look into getting Pick-no-more lotion which you rub onto areas you don't want birds pecking at.

I can't expand the brooder since it is an xl dog crate. I had my daughters pick up some cat toys yesterday for them, which scared the crap out of them when we put them in but think that helped distract them from pecking at each other right before bed at least. But when they woke up this morning one was daring enough to try it out so they are now pecking at them and using them. I can put in some branches from outside since we had a couple of massive branches fall this year that we are in the process of cutting up so have tons of smaller ones from those as well. I was thinking of dirt since I read that so do I just dig up a clump of grass with dirt attached and put that in?

I do have prime so will get some pick no more and think some vetericyn to have on hand. didn't think I was going to need it so soon so didn't have that in the kit I started. Lesson learned!

Proud to say it didn't look like there was any more pecking this morning though! so that is good. I put in another feed dish as well when I separated them so think I will leave that in to give them more feed spaces.