Quick! immediate help - hatched chick is wounded

[chickenannie]

it pipped and hatched today and I think the mother must have pecked at it when it was pipping because it has lots of maggots crawling in a small deep wound next to the wing. It is strong and kicking so I thought i'd try to save it. I can't get the maggots out with water, but can I put rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide to kill them all? I don't want to pull them each out -- it will hurt the chick too much, but i want to try if I can rather than just kill a strong chick. Help needed asap!! what should i do?

 

[MissPrissy]

Alcohol will set that chick on fire. Peroxide damages the skin. You need to pick the maggots out of the wound, cleanse it with soap and water, rinse with and iodine solution, then apply antibiotic cream. Keep a very close watch on it.

 

[chickenannie]

As I'm picking off the maggots, I'm realizing there may be hundreds of them deep in the wound -- they are all over the place and the wound is about a nickel wide. I can't seem to get them all out -- wondering if i'm just putting the chick through misery and should just help it pass. It's still wet from the hatch even. Darn that mother hen

 

[Freebie]

I guess it depends on what you want to do, I spent nearly an hour picking maggots out of an injured hen. My husband kept saying, "Lets just put her down." As he held her in the kitchen sink for me. I kept saying no. Just a few more. She is fine today. It is just gross and time consuming. But if you think the chick is suffering. That is a decision that is for you to decide. The wounds sounds huge on a just hatched chick, and I know how fast those maggots can move in.

I just wish you well in whatever you decide.

 

[chickenannie]

I can't get them all and I see now how far in the maggots are and the wound is more serious. there may be hundreds of them in there. There's no way I can fix this wound i'm gonna have to put it down even though it feels terrible, i'm think it's the best thing to do.

 

[chickenannie]

I'm so sad. I euthanized the chick. It seemed strong but it was probably kicking from feeling pain. It was missing so much skin around the wound which was showing the bone and I could tell it was very deep. I think it would have suffered for possibly another day before succumbing. Why would a mother hen peck at a chick like that!!!? It makes me angry.

 

[SpottedCrow]

Some birds aren't cut out to be moms...I'm sorry for your loss.

 

[chickenannie]

Thanks SC, and MP an Freeb for your very quick responses. It was really nice to know I could rely on the forum for such help. I'm really thankful for all the info and advice I've gotten on this site.

By the way SC, the hen has 3 other healthy chicks that hatched about 2 days ago. She's still sitting on the nest of 4 more eggs.

I am really unclear about what to do with those unhatched eggs. Maybe she thought she "was done hatching" since she already had 3 live chicks? This injured one pipped much later -- do they think a new chick hatching late is an imposter? or is it just poor judgement. I had found a dead chick earlier in her nest too -- a day ago. I don't know whether to intervene or not by taking the eggs away.

 

[Freebie]

Yes, some hens are just like that. I am sorry for your loss. Does she have more eggs under her? Oops, posted to soon. So, She has 3 chicks she hatched and are taking care of nicely? There may have been something wrong with those two. Or she may have been trying to help and got a little carried away. I have a hen that took off the entire hardshell on the outside but left the membrane. The chick was not strong enough to break the membrane and died.
I have a broody sitting on 6 eggs right now and has had 3 chicks I got from the feedstore for a week. She is still sitting and has proven to be a very nice mama. I don't know what to tell you. If she is nice to the three she already has, I would try and leave the others with her and just monitor and see what she does with the rest.