Injured chick - Please advise

[YardBirdMom]

This morning my little rescue chick, Nip Nip, was fine, but this evening when I went to tend them the other chicks had pecked her above her tail feathers until she was bloody and raw

-- I separated her and checked every other chick, but she was the only one they were picking on.

I had nowhere else to put her, so I brought her in the house and turned a small pet taxi into her own brooder. I used a warm, moist cloth to slowly clean up the dried blood and put a diluted betadine wash on the area with a cotton ball. She seems fine and has no other injuries, but I need to know should I keep doctoring it or just leave it be?

 

[Eggcessive]

How old is she, and were they together very long as a group? You can get some BluKote to spray on her red areas, Nustock cream from a feed store, or some bad tasting Bag Balm to put on the wounds. I would place her cage back in the coop or brooder where she will still be a part of the flock. The longer she is gone the harder it will be to re-integrate her.

 

[YardBirdMom]

I'm not sure how old they are exactly, but I am guessing somewhere in the age range of 4-5 weeks.. They are almost completely feathered out except around their necks and some of their underbelly.
She is a bit smaller than the rest, but has held her own quite well up to this point and I'm not sure why they did this now.

I can't put her pet taxi in the brooder, there isn't room, and she needed heat for tonight (the low will be in the 20's), so I had no choice but to bring her inside for the night. I'll go tomorrow morning and pick up the supplies you mentioned and if the weather warms up enough I can place her taxi on top of the brooder where they can hear each other.
The only other option would be to put another brooder in the coop and divide them up and place some in one and the rest in the other with two heat lamps hanging. At least this way she'd have more room to get away and there would be less to pick on her.

Until we finish our coop I do not have many choices, but we should be done by Saturday and they'll have run of the entire coop!!

Thank you for your reply.

 

[Eggcessive]

Around this age they are starting to establish the pecking order, so it may be that she is lower, and that is why they picked on her. Watch for any real bullies, and switch places with her.

 

[YardBirdMom]

Will do and if the bullies are too mean I'll put a colored band on them and perhaps reserve a special occasion supper for them with them as the guests of honor

I know chickens are fairly cruel animals and do what they do because it's natural, but I will weed out ones who are overly aggressive if I can.

Thanks for your advice ... I think lil Ms. Nip Nip will make a full recovery and I'll see if I can get hubby to finish painting tomorrow evening so we can get them in the coop SOON!!!