(Injury picture warning) New born baby chicked pecked all skin off head

[Zayame]

So a little background, we had a mother hen sitting on some eggs, her sister who becomes broody when she does, tries to fight to sit on her eggs. We had secluded the sister in another pen so they wouldn't fight over the babies, but we let her free roam some and she somehow got back into the main coop and tried to share the eggs again. As we go out there to check, a baby has hatched and the moms are sitting on top of the egg pile and there's the newly hatched baby on the ground with her head pecked raw. And I mean no skin on the head it's sliding down the back of the neck not holding on.

We figure the moms must have stepped on it or one pecked and caused injury and then they both pecked it horribly. Either way we took the baby and the rest the eggs away and incubated them.

We attempted to clean the wound and put some nesporrin on but I felt it was making the skin fall off the head even more, so we stopped and just put some neosporrin on. It's eyes were kind of open in the beginning but have swelled shut. It survived the first night and it's really strong and trying to live but it's head just looks so bad and it can't see.

So we're wondering if chicks with that severe of an injury can make a full recovery (like can grow feathers again on its head, be able to see ok since it's eyes are swelled shut probably from blood getting in them some too)
Otherwise we're wondering if it's better it doesn't make it if it won't be able to see and make a full recovery. Has anyone else had one this severe live and recover fully?

 

[Theorrin]

i can survive. ive had 2 that did but it also depends on internal damage as well. if the hens was leaving it to die and pecking it to death it could be that there is something wrong with the chick and the hens were offing it. nature does do that

 

[Zayame]

i can survive. ive had 2 that did but it also depends on internal damage as well. if the hens was leaving it to die and pecking it to death it could be that there is something wrong with the chick and the hens were offing it. nature does do that

I think it was pretty healthy otherwise, very strong but had an unfortunate beginning. Did yours fully recover feathers and sight? It's eyes are closed

 

[Theorrin]

with mine it had some pretty deep scar and not all the feathers came back. regain sight in 1 eye but the other mustve had some damage as it couldnt see too well out of the other

 

[WoDia]

I can ONLY advise you from personal experience. I dealt with a similar head injury with a young quail hen. She fully recovered but had no feathers grow back. It could survive, if it’s strong (as you stated). You’ll need to help it eat and drink until the swelling goes down, and eyes are able to open. Just be careful not to force water. Hold the food and water up to the beak several times a day and allow it to figure it out in its own. Keep the head coated with the antibiotic, keep it in a brooder (with warm and cool sides, so it can decide where it’s most comfortable). I really hope that your teeny one improves.

 

[WoDia]

What happened with your little one?