Help injured 8 week old chick!

[Shaunassy]

Hello, i went outside to to feed my chicks this morning and realized only 5 of the 6 chicks ran to get food i put out on the ground for them. I found the 6th on under their elevated broody house and the skin off his neck/head is gone! They are in an enclosed 11X11 pen and its predetor proof so they only thing that could have done it are the other chicks. I isolated him in a tote with water and food and put synbiont on the wound but i dont know what else to do. This is my first expiernce with this and all he seems to be wanting to do is lay down and sleep. Thank you in advance

 

[Poultry parent]

it looks like some predator got him, but it also looks like a drained abscess. does it stink? clean the wound with some peroxide (don't get it in his eyes!) you can wrap him in a towel because the peroxide stings. if he struggles too much then start by washing it out with warm water and then use some peroxide.
it is good that you isolated him because the others would have picked at it making it worse.

 

[Shaunassy]

Thank you so much. It doent stink at all and yesterday he was fine when i did everything to care for them and my other hens around 7:30 pm. I have the broody pen inside my larger pen(fenced in area 40x40) where my larger chicken coop and hens are. There was no sign of anything getting in either pen so i dont know what it could of been? And it didnt take it? Do you think it will recover and it wont eat or drink at the moment so when and how would i have to help it eat or drink?

 

[Poultry parent]

you can try to use a dropper to get some food into it. it might recover. if it gets really bad though cull it. you can hard-boil an egg and mush the yolk with a but of water if needed and try to feed it to it.

 

[Shaunassy]

Ok thanks ill try that

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Poor thing. It does look like it's from pecking.

Keep her separated in a warm, quiet place.

Apply a little plain neosporin or vetericyn to the wound.

Since the pecking is to the head, she may be in shock or depending on how hard she was pecked it could have caused some brain damage, time will tell.

Keeping her hydrated is important, you can offer some poultry vitamins/electrolytes or infant poly vi sol (no iron). If she won't drink you can use an eye dropper or syringe to drop water beside her beak, it will be slow going, but most of the time they will start to take a few drops in.

Wet chick starter is sometimes favored over dry, so wet a small amount of feed to give to her, scrambled/hard boiled egg, tuna or mackerel are good additions as well.

Watch for signs of infection - pus, odors, etc.

 

[Shaunassy]

Thanks so much for all the info. I have to fig out where to move the others now just in case the pred. Comes back

 

[Poultry parent]

i'd start by looking for where the predator got in as that can tell you a lot about what did it

 

[Shaunassy]

Thats the thing though there are no holes or tracks or damage to the screening. Maybe a cat could have climbed up but there is no damage and the enclosure is 11 ft tall. We have string up to keep flying preds out. But if it was a cat why dint it take the chick or get another? We are otw to buy wire to cover top though. Ive raised 3 flocks in the broody pen and never had a prob till now.

 

[Poultry parent]

a cat wouldn't have just eaten part of the neck