Help My Chick Has Been Horribly Pecked!

[japonica]

My baby aracauna is in sad shape. oecked on the head and back till raw. Any suggestions?

 

[BantyRooster]

Seperate the chick from the others. You can apply antibiotic ointment(such as Neosporin) if the skin is bleeding. DO NOT use the a.b. ointment with painkiller.

You can set up a seperate area with food and water for this chick. Give it a few days, it should perk up.

There are product you can buy to help prevent chicks from being pecked. I dont know the names off hand. I'm sure there are others who will add comments.

Good luck.

ETA: Make sure the seperate area has adequate heat for the chick. A 60 watt bulb should be more than sufficient. Insure the bulb is secure so it cant fall and pose a fire hazzard.

 

[japonica]

Tahnks for your help! SHe"s resting peacefully now, I hope she's okay in the morning.

 

[Judy]

Usually, chickens heal pretty quickly. But do keep her separate til the blood is gone, as blood causes chickens to peck more. They can peck at a small wound until it kills the chicken with the wound.

If the chick heals, you will then have a new problem, reintroducing her to the others. She will be seen as being at the bottom of the pecking order which, guess what, means she will get pecked again.

Ideal situation is if you can identify one or two who are doing the pecking. Then you isolate them for a few days so that they in turn will be at the bottom of the pecking order upon return.

Good luck!

Chickens will peck. When we have to intervene is when they draw blood.

 

[Ghostchick]

Blu Kote spray will help, it turns the wound, and you, purple. I put on it my Polish's pecked head. Good luck!

 

[plowbouy]

I had the same problem with one of my 5 week old chics getting pecked. They had her tail feathers pecked out and bloody before I caught it. I isolated her for 3 days, and also sprayed "blue kote" on her wound. You can buy it at farm fleet stores.

Once I let her back with the others, they pecked her only a couple times, but once they tasted that bitter blue kote, they all stopped bothering her. I reapplied it daily for the next few days.

10 weeks later, she still has a few purple feathers left over from the spray.. and everyone gets along just fine now.