HELP! PLEASE RESPOND!

[love2grinchicke]

I was taking care of a lethargic chick, and noticed the chicks pecking at this damp red spot on one of their necks. I cleaned the food off of it, and it looks like a hole. Is this caused by picking? can I still save this guy's life? I have him in a seperate box right now, to prevent even more damage. The chicks do not have a red bulb, though I can change to that, if I need to.

 

[CMV]

Yes, that is from picking. Separation is key. They need to be under a heat lamp at this young age, especially the injured baby.

 

[love2grinchicke]

They have heat, just not from a red bulb. I'll switch to that now, since I don't want more picking. Should I put something on it?

 

[CMV]

Clean it up with some soap and water, and then apply plain Neosporin (no -caine ingredients) sparingly. A little bit of Neosporin goes a long way on such a tiny bird. Keep it under the heat lamp, separate from the others with its own food and water.

I have always used red bulbs because I had heard that white lights can cause some undesirable behaviors. I don't know for certain if this is a fact, or just an old wive's tale. Do the babies have enough space to move around in?

 

[love2grinchicke]

they have about 12 square feet, and the picked chicken is in box, under the same light. I stopped using the red bulb becasue it was really hot.

 

[CMV]

I keep my heat lamp on a pulley system, so I can move it up and down as needed. I also keep it shining on one corner of their brooder so they can park themselves right underneath it, or move out away from it as needed. Make sure the picked baby can move out from under the lamp as needed too. You don't want to cook him. Another thing that might be helpful with the baby is to put a soft, plush stuffed animal in with him. Young chicks like to crawl into and under stuffed animals like they would with their mother. In the absence of his friends this little guy might want some "company" in his box.

 

[love2grinchicke]

okay. After I cleaned it, it looked like there was some pus, which I cleaned off. I put Neosporin on it, and then put some food and water in his box. I also gave him a dip into my sugar water 'medicine', after his trying doctors visit. I have a thermometer in the box, so that I can tell what the heat is.

 

[CMV]

There shouldn't be pus in the wound. Are you seeing serosanguineous fluid, which is just yellow-tinged and red-tinged, thin fluid that happens after the bleeding in a wound has basically stopped, but before the scab forms. This fluid would be normal, but pus is not.

 

[love2grinchicke]

okay, that is what I saw. I just thought it was pus. He is trying to get to the other chicks now, I think, just squeaking and squeaking.

 

[CMV]

Try the stuffed animal thing. It really does work.