Help! Two chicks with wounds

[wildgreen]

Two of my four 2-week old chicks have fresh wounds. They did not have these yesterday! The other two have no wounds. What could this be from?? Are they hurting each other? There was none of this with the other seven older chicks who were in the same brooder when they were little. I don’t think it’s an issue of space… What should I do? I feel awful

I let them out for at least one hour per day supervised. They have fresh water and food and I clean the brooder every two days.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Where are they being kept? Do you have photos?

It does look like possible picking injuries unless something like a rat was able to get into the pen/brooder.

Sometimes chicks pick at one another even if there's plenty of space. Clean the wounds with saline or chlorhexidine, apply some triple antibiotic ointment. I'd keep these 2 separated by a barrier, but next to the others. Fresh wounds/blood is enticing to chickens and the other may pick further.

 

[wildgreen]

Where are they being kept? Do you have photos?

It does look like possible picking injuries unless something like a rat was able to get into the pen/brooder.

Sometimes chicks pick at one another even if there's plenty of space. Clean the wounds with saline or chlorhexidine, apply some triple antibiotic ointment. I'd keep these 2 separated by a barrier, but next to the others. Fresh wounds/blood is enticing to chickens and the other may pick further.

Thank you! I’m unable to get a photo right now but maybe it was a mouse or rat…? It just happened out of nowhere and overnight.

The brooder is in a small shed. It’s a large gerbil type cage. A rat or mouse would be able to reach through but I’m not sure they’d be able to actually get into the cage…my poor little Brabanter’s tail does look like something just ripped those feathers out. The chicks sleep in that cage at night and I transfer them to an outdoor 7sqft. coop/run in the morning so they have access to more space, sunshine, and fresh air, and so that they and the bigger free ranging chickens can get used to each other. This had to have happened while they were in their brooder. I didn’t transfer them until later in the morning than usual though so maybe they got antsy and picked at each other. Who knows. I’ll take care of the injuries.

I will separate them as well. Today there are no new wounded spots and they are already healing nicely.

I appreciate the input!