poor pecked chick needs help--what do I do?

[sunnybrookbecca]

Hi, I hope you can help a newbie chicken mama figure out what to do with an injured chick.
I am raising a flock of Delawares (all roos) for meat, they just turned 3 weeks old. Last week, I went out to feed them and one of them had been pecked so badly on his foot that his middle toe was all bloody. I brought him inside the house, made him his own little coop in a large laundry bin, and have been nursing him inside ever since. He is not at all happy being away from the other guys, but he is favoring his foot so much (he keeps pulling it up and holding it against his chest) that I've kept him in so I can make sure he's Ok. His brothers are out in the backyard coop.
Today I bought some blu-kote, he seemed to be doing a lot better (his toe has scabbed over quite well and he wasn't favoring it so much), so I put tried to re-introduce him to 2 of his brothers. Even though his foot was totally blue (I sprayed one of the healthy ones too so that he wouldn't stand out so much) they went right for the injured toe. Of course I brought him back inside and he is alone again. Pooy baby. He keeps cheeping, I know he's lonely, and I just don't know how to help this. The only time he seems calm is when I take him out of his coop and he sits on my lap.

 

[tiffanyh]

I think your doing everything right. I believe you may be able to put him back out with the blue on him. THey are less apt to keep picking on him. I think...see what everyone else says.

 

[peepsnbunnies]

I had some bigger chicks pick on a little silkie and pull half the feathers off his head and his head was bloody. I cleaned him up and did not dare to put him back in. I took another chick, the smallest one and one that would not likely pick on him and I put the two of them in a seperate cage until his head was better. He was much happier once he had a friend.

 

[mom23chicklets]

Hi Sunny,

I'm no expert here, but I'll share what my experience has been and hope it helps. My Buff Orpington got pecked and had a bloody cheek. We isolated her for a couple of days in the house with us, and then put her out with her flock under our watchful eye. Her wound got pecked at and got bloody again.

We brought her back inside, AND my husband built a fenced in area inside the coop for her. This way, she could still see and hear the other birds, but no one could peck at her. It worked for us. She's healing nicely.

Can you separate your roo within the coop? Best of luck.

 

[sunnybrookbecca]

Thanks for the quick replies everybody
I think sectioning off part of the coop for him is a great idea! I am going to get another heat lamp tomorrow, since our nights are chilly, and he can have his own little penthouse suite while his brothers the bullies get stuck sharing the rest of the coop--haha.

How long is normal for a wound like this to heal? And also, is it normal for him to be pulling his foot up to his chest like that if it only has a sore on the middle toe, or is it a sign of a bigger problem with his whole foot? I do keep putting neosporin on it, and he will let me touch it, so it doesn't seem tooooo painful. No sign of pus or anything either.

I was surprised that the blu-kote didn't work, there was no way of seeing that his toe was sore once it was dyed, somehow they homed in on it anyway. Chickens are full of mysteries....

 

[Pine Grove]

he pulls his leg to his chest cause it releases tension on the ligiments, if they are still pecking his toe try some vicks vapour rub on it, may have to apply it twice a day

 

[dlhunicorn]

The only thing that will work is to keep him separated till it heals completely ...keep the area clean and apply some neosporin to prevent infection (he WILL step in his poo and this is how staph can get in ... you can a couple stuffed toys /feather duster for him to snuggle with at night and keep him from feeling alone...sometimes a little mirror will keep him from getting bored during the day.

 

[Pine Grove]

With the vicks on his toe I guarantee the other chicks will only peck at it once, and it helps with swelling also. this way you can add another chick with him. the stress from him being away from the others is probably worse than the injury, I've used this on curassow's down to mountian quail(which are notorious for toe pecking and will not eat if taken away from the others) it has worked where anti pick lotions wouldn't