Nose injuries first day in the run.

[calee5]

5 week old chicks. After their first day outside in the run most of them have similar nose wounds. I don’t know if it’s from pecking at the ground for the first time or trying to get through the hardware cloth. Hardware cloth is not a new concept to them though. What should I do? Should I put them back in the house until they heal up (to keep dirt out of the wounds)? or should I put some sort of disinfectant on them? I’m worried.

 

[My Three Chicks]

Hi there. The wounds look pretty superficial so I wouldn't worry about it too much. But you can get a spray like Vetericyn Antimicrobial Poultry Care (or something similar) and spray it on the wound to clean it and help it heal.
You don't need to put them back in the house. Little scraps, cuts, wounds are a part of life!
But it would be good to figure out what may be causing the injury so you can fix the situation. What does your feeder and waterer look like? Could they be scraping their beak/comb on it?

 

[calee5]

Hi there. The wounds look pretty superficial so I wouldn't worry about it too much. But you can get a spray like Vetericyn Antimicrobial Poultry Care (or something similar) and spray it on the wound to clean it and help it heal.
You don't need to put them back in the house. Little scraps, cuts, wounds are a part of life!
But it would be good to figure out what may be causing the injury so you can fix the situation. What does your feeder and waterer look like? Could they be scraping their beak/comb on it?

Oh yeah! I bet that's it. I put a new metal feeder out for chick grit. That's probably what it is. I'm gonna throw that thing away! Thanks for your help!

 

[21hens-incharge]

Are they trying to reach through fencing to get whatever's on the other side?

 

[calee5]

Are they trying to reach through fencing to get whatever's on the other side?

That's what I thought at first. It's a possibility because they see a new environment outside of the run but they have been inside a hardware cloth-covered cage all along so you'd think they'd be used to the concept. If that's it then hopefully their beaks grow too big to peck in the wire so it's not an ongoing problem.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Are they trying to reach through fencing to get whatever's on the other side?

That was my first thought as well. If there's grass or bugs outside of the fencing, they might be trying to grab bites and scraping it that way.

Or if the grit dispenser you mentioned has sharp edges, it could be that.

Overall small scrapes like this aren't a big deal and I don't see a need to treat them. Would be best to figure out what's causing it so you can minimize damage. but they should all heal up quickly as long as they don't continue to scrape up the area.

 

[PumpkinSunnyandButtercup]

View attachment 3622812View attachment 3622813
5 week old chicks. After their first day outside in the run most of them have similar nose wounds. I don’t know if it’s from pecking at the ground for the first time or trying to get through the hardware cloth. Hardware cloth is not a new concept to them though. What should I do? Should I put them back in the house until they heal up (to keep dirt out of the wounds)? or should I put some sort of disinfectant on them? I’m worried.

Hi! Did you ever figure this out? My six week old chicks spent their first full day in the run and all of this same exact cut. Thank you!

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. Check the feeders first for any sharp edges. Then look to see if they are poking through chicken wire or other metal fencing. This can sometimes result in a cracked or broken beak.

 

[PumpkinSunnyandButtercup]

Welcome to BYC. Check the feeders first for any sharp edges. Then look to see if they are poking through chicken wire or other metal fencing. This can sometimes result in a cracked or broken beak.

Thank you!

 

[Altairsky]

My chicks got the same injury from a loose piece of hardware cloth that I missed. I addressed the issue. It healed by itself with no treatment.