Hen pecking chick vents until bloody. Wound care help please.

[SJFougere]

Hi everyone. Looking for some advice. One of my Duccle hens hatched out her first chicks. She's 6 or 7 months old. The chicks are 10 days old today. Everything was going well until tonight I hear what sounds like distress from the chicks. Mama hen has pecked two of the chicks around the vent area until they were bloody. I removed the hen and added a brooder plate. I wasn't sure if I should remove just the two chicks she is pecking or if I should remove her. I don't have supplies for two brooders tonight so I removed her to the coop. Now I need some advice with wound care. Should I be applying anything to the vent wounds? Should I be washing them or soaking them? Or just leaving them be to heal?

 

[sourland]

I think you did the right thing by separating the hen from the chicks. I would apply antibiotic ointment to their vents.

 

[SJFougere]

I think you did the right thing by separating the hen from the chicks. I would apply antibiotic ointment to their vents.

sorry if this is a dumb question, I'm new to chickens. Is Vetericyn what I should be using for this?

 

[sourland]

Vetericin would be fine as would Neosporin or any other ointment you might have on hand. Even Vaseline would help keep the wounds 'moistened'.

 

[SJFougere]

Vetericin would be fine as would Neosporin or any other ointment you might have on hand. Even Vaseline would help keep the wounds 'moistened'.

I have polysporin on hand I just wasn't sure it it was ok for chicks.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Did the chicks have pasty butt, do you think this might be why she started pecking them?

 

[SJFougere]

Did the chicks have pasty butt, do you think this might be why she started pecking them?

On my inspection last night they were all looking good, no pasty butt. All the other ones are clean at the moment.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Okay good.

 

[SJFougere]

Thank you everyone for your replies! Both chicks are doing well. One is all good and the other one is healed but has a bald butt and is growing feathers there really slowly