Help injured chick

[Donalato]

I have a 3 week old chick which I found this morning with blood covered head, seems all feathers and skin are missing off the back of its head and even a little skin off one bottom eyelid I've wrapped it in a towel and bathed with warm salty water. I can only assume it's mum did it? The other 4 chicks seem fine with her. This one in particular was doing a lot of sparring type behaviour with other chicks? Not sure if that means it's a boy? What can I do to help this baby? Poor thing must be in so much pain it was walking around the pen but keeping back from the group a bit. Absolutely heart broken...

 

[Eggcessive]

It could be the other hens got to it and injured it. I would put some antiseptic cream on the wound. Flush the eye with saline and if you can get antibiotic ointment over the counter apply that twice a day. Saline is made with 2 tsp of table salt in 1 liter/quart of water. Then try putting the chick under the broody hen in the morning, and watch the behavior. Remove it again if the broody attacks it. Do you see any problems with walking or the legs/feet?

 

[Donalato]

It could be the other hens got to it and injured it. I would put some antiseptic cream on the wound. Flush the eye with saline and if you can get antibiotic ointment over the counter apply that twice a day. Saline is made with 2 tsp of table salt in 1 liter/quart of water. Then try putting the chick under the broody hen in the morning, and watch the behavior. Remove it again if the broody attacks it. Do you see any problems with walking or the legs/feet?

Thank you. There is no other hens in the same pen. I have them separated. I didn't notice anything wrong with its feet or legs and scared to disturb it again. It's asleep in my arms in a towel. I assume it would need a special antiseptic ointment from a vet? I'm thinking I may need to take it to the vet. I'm in Australia too.

 

[Eggcessive]

Do you have any pictures? In the US, we can buy plain Neosporin ointment, and there are a few others. In other countries where antibiotics are not available without a vet, usually have Chlorhexidene 1% in cream or solution. Savlon cream is one brand. If you have Betadine or povidone iodine, that can also be used. The skin should be treated twice a day until healing. It would be very good to have the broody raise the chick, but if she still seems to be attacking it, you may need to raise it in a brooder with a heat source.

 

[Donalato]

Thank you f

Do you have any pictures? In the US, we can buy plain Neosporin ointment, and there are a few others. In other countries where antibiotics are not available without a vet, usually have Chlorhexidene 1% in cream or solution. Savlon cream is one brand. If you have Betadine or povidone iodine, that can also be used. The skin should be treated twice a day until healing. It would be very good to have the broody raise the chick, but if she still seems to be attacking it, you may need to raise it in a brooder with a heat source.

Or the advice... Sadly, I ended up having baby "Specks" put to sleep by a vet. We think it was a Rooster, his skin had been torn off his head and a bad wound- 1/3 of his eyelid missing and past that. Vet agreed it was best thing as surgery would be expensive, may have complications around that eye and could be a boy which we would end up rehoming later. Didnt want him suffering any more chickens can be so cruel... Praying mum doesn't do it to anymore

 

[Donalato]

I have a 3 week old chick which I found this morning with blood covered head, seems all feathers and skin are missing off the back of its head and even a little skin off one bottom eyelid I've wrapped it in a towel and bathed with warm salty water. I can only assume it's mum did it? The other 4 chicks seem fine with her. This one in particular was doing a lot of sparring type behaviour with other chicks? Not sure if that means it's a boy? What can I do to help this baby? Poor thing must be in so much pain it was walking around the pen but keeping back from the group a bit. Absolutely heart broken...

Update! Thought maybe a bit of wire sticking out may have caused the injury but I just found a huge dead rat next to the nesting box! It looked to have been killed by the mother hen! So good if she was actually defending them not harming them now to try black pepper, cayenne pepper and peppermint oil around the outside of pen as it apparently deters them.