HELP! Something ate off the toes of my babies..I'm sick....

[mylulusmom]

PLease someone help me . I went outside to the Rabbit hutch where I had put the 15 , 6 week old chicks a few days ago. 3 of them have had their toes torn off! What could do this??? Will they live?? I knew once I named one something would happen. How can I treat these stumps??? One (my" Little Jo") has a huge lump in the foot area . Can I give any medication to her? What???
I am going to get some more hay to better line the hutch with. This is not them pecking each other.. I have fox and coons here. could a coon grab thru 1/2 inch hardware cloth. I thought they were safe.. Im am in tears!!!

 

[rhs7111]

Could be a rat. Apply non-pain relief formula neosporin (or betadine) and bandage the feet to keep them clean. Separate the injured chicks and bring them indoors, under a heat lamp, in a brooder until they heal. Also get some antibiotics to put in their water.

 

[Moe Biscuits]

Are they on a wire/hardware cloth floor? Not sure how it works with chickens, but I know after years of raising rats that they can get bumblefoot from being on a wire mesh floor.

 

[mylulusmom]

OMG! I never thought of a rat! I live in a very wooded area and have seen mice, but no rats in years. Never saw any in the chicken coop. But the bottom of the rabbit hutch is open wire. Im so sick to think I put them outside and into danger when they are so small. Now without toes. Chewed or bit off up to the foot. Every other toe..I first thought one had somehow gotten itself stuck in a square of the wire... nope.
Thanks, doing as you suggested. HAve alrady washed off the stumps. Going now to get hay to pad the bottom of the hutch. The wire is tight and the doors are solid with no entry for mouse or rat.. Just need to protect their feet. Who'd a thunk? ....sigh....

 

[mylulusmom]

Yes Moe on Rabbit wire. Only been on the wire 3 days.

 

[sadies chicks]

Poor babies!!

Wishing you the best!!

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

It's either the wire itself (most breeds shouldn't be house on wire anyway) or the other chicks are doing it.

 

[mylulusmom]

Whoosh...I need to take a minute...sit down with a cup of coffeee. I'm thinking too hard!!!I am feeling so foolish and angry at myself if I did this to my own birds. I raised 2 small (very small ) flocks in the same coop/hutch over the past 7 yrs and never had a problem. Though they did go into the cage and onto the wire at an older age. I moved them out when they got a bit larger, into the actual Chicken coop.
I got some cardboard and lines the floor of the rabbit hutch with it and covered that with shavings. (bottom is more solid than hay)I have 3 babies in the house undrr the heat lamp. They are sleeping/very still.
I have a bag of Duramycin-10 I bought and threw in the drawer and never used. It doesnt expire until 2014.I hope this will do the trick.Have to reread the past post.
I examined the other babies feet and 2 other ones have slight problems as well, but not like the 3 I have in here. After I get these 3 taken care of and unscramble my brains, I need to go back out and batten down the hatches against these thunder storms expected here soon. I am going to cover the hutch completely with a tarp. That will keep them ok. Poor babies., what a start to life this crews has had.

I have another question I will repost in Emergency section too. :

Can I /should I continue to put the Quick Chic in the water WITH the antibiotics? I am going to put antibiotics in the water for all of them, cause maybe they have damage going on I cant yet see.
I never had foot problems with any of my little flocks, but these guys do not have scabs like I saw on the bumble foot photos. They are just de-toed!
Oh this farmer stuff... I should know better to NOT NAME any of these guys till they are older...even then shey should just be "a chicken". But I had to go and name my favorite baby buff Orp...little jo.

She is the worst...Hope she is tougher than she looks.
Thanks everyone for your posts. Sue

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

My first thought was the wire as well. But I haven't decided if I think its the wire itself or rats chomping dangling toes. I also use a wire bottom hutch when I put babies outside, but I cover the bottom with a bit of rubber shelf liner until their feet aren't small enough to hang through. Don't beat yourself up, these things happen. Chickens are tuff, they will more than likely heal if you take the.suggestions of the previous posters. Good luck!

 

[carrlr]

Just a couple thoughts....my initial thought was rats, but I've heard of little one's getting them caught on wire floors. I think they'll be fine. Keep an eye out for infection and such. If they can walk now, they should have no problems as they get older. Also, don't completely enclose them in a tarp, make sure they have some good ventilation.