Help! I make a rookie mistake and now I have an injured chick!

[Feath3rDust3r]

Last night our temps dropped to 1 degrees and I had a 1 day old batch of chicks in my incubator in the garage. I was super worried that the incubator wouldn't keep up with the temperature so I brought my old incubator into the house and heated it up and then I moved all the babies into the old incubator. It does have a mesh floor but I had forgotten that I used to line it with paper towel because it's slippery. When I checked the little peeps this morning I had 2 with spraddle leg and one had worn the skin on it's knees to blood!

I made band aid splints for them both and one is up and hopping around now but the one who was bleeding is just lying down with it's eyes closed. It has moved a bit but I'm worried about the open cuts getting dirty. Is there anything else I should do? I feel so terrible but I was so worried about the cold I completely forgot the paper towel!

 

[azygous]

Brain failure happens to the best of us. Give the chick some warm sugar water to revive it, and use Vetericyn to spray on the wounds. Keep the poop picked up to reduce bacteria. You have the rest covered. The chicks will be fine.

 

[Cecisflock]

Brain failure happens to the best of us. Give the chick some warm sugar water to revive it, and use Vetericyn to spray on the wounds. Keep the poop picked up to reduce bacteria. You have the rest covered. The chicks will be fine.

listen to them and HEY! its ok, you were just trying to be a good mama!

 

[Feath3rDust3r]

Thank you for your kind reply. I don't have Vetericyn but I do have blue kote. Will that work the same?

 

[ackie]

HEY! its ok, you were just trying to be a good mama!

plus leg issues are going to be easier to fix than them having been too cold the entire night. you (OP) probably made the right choice, even if there's some injury now that you have to deal with. very good mama!

 

[ackie]

Thank you for your kind reply. I don't have Vetericyn but I do have blue kote. Will that work the same?

I don't know anything about bluekote... do you have betadine? or another antiseptic spray or liquid?

 

[Ebony Rose]

Blu-kote will be just fine. Use a paper towel to block the overspray from getting onto their face and reduce the chance of inhalation, and wear disposable gloves as that stuff stains.

 

[azygous]

Blu-kote will work splendidly. Use a Q-tip to apply the messy staining stuff to the precise spots that need it. This way you avoid ending up with blue chicks and purple hands.

 

[Feath3rDust3r]

Blu-kote will work splendidly. Use a Q-tip to apply the messy staining stuff to the precise spots that need it. This way you avoid ending up with blue chicks and purple hands.

Good advise... thanks

 

[ackie]

unless of course you want purple hands...