Scalped Chick

[bathtubs]

I have my first major injury on my hands with a brand new chick. They were hatched by a new mama and she pecked them good in the head, leaving a flap of skin and feathers loose on the scalp.
I have cleaned it with Vetericyn and have the chick in a brooder box now but I am concerned that with such large/moving injury they will not heal The skin slides into place but then slides back down after a bit. Otherwise the chick is lively and seems OK.



https://vetericyn.com/

 

[SmiYa0126]

argh! Clean the wound with saline, let dry a little and then slather with plain antibiotic ointment. Repeat twice a day until the wound has a good scab on it. Keep baby inside to prevent maggots. She'll heal up very well!

 

[AGstudy]

Gruesome. First I would try using neosporin to stick the skin back in place. (Worst case, you could try a spot of superglue. But I hate that idea!!! It would have to be on the edge of the skin flap and it can't touch the eye. Odds are any piece of skin that it touches will dry up and die. Just a bad option.) Does the skin look healthy enough to heal? I keep trying to think of a way to bandage it so that it will be covered and stay moist, but I can't think of one...

 

[bathtubs]

argh! Clean the wound with saline, let dry a little and then slather with plain antibiotic ointment. Repeat twice a day until the wound has a good scab on it. Keep baby inside to prevent maggots. She'll heal up very well!

The skin does look healthy thankfully. I caught it right after it happened. The chick had just hatched and was not under the hen so I put her back under thinking nothing of it, then a few minutes later I heard peeping like crazy and opened the box to find the injury. Guess my hen just did not want this chick

 

[EastonsMommy]

I have my first major injury on my hands with a brand new chick. They were hatched by a new mama and she pecked them good in the head, leaving a flap of skin and feathers loose on the scalp.
I have cleaned it with Vetericyn and have the chick in a brooder box now but I am concerned that with such large/moving injury they will not heal The skin slides into place but then slides back down after a bit. Otherwise the chick is lively and seems OK.



https://vetericyn.com/

It will heal much easier than you'd think ! My Lil girl had the same exact thing happen if you'd like check my profile for photos I also use hen healer to help keep it moist now that we are past the protective bonnet stage

 

[EastonsMommy]

Gruesome. First I would try using neosporin to stick the skin back in place. (Worst case, you could try a spot of superglue. But I hate that idea!!! It would have to be on the edge of the skin flap and it can't touch the eye. Odds are any piece of skin that it touches will dry up and die. Just a bad option.) Does the skin look healthy enough to heal? I keep trying to think of a way to bandage it so that it will be covered and stay moist, but I can't think of one...

Please note neosporin with pain reliever is toxic to chickens

 

[EastonsMommy]

I have my first major injury on my hands with a brand new chick. They were hatched by a new mama and she pecked them good in the head, leaving a flap of skin and feathers loose on the scalp.
I have cleaned it with Vetericyn and have the chick in a brooder box now but I am concerned that with such large/moving injury they will not heal The skin slides into place but then slides back down after a bit. Otherwise the chick is lively and seems OK.



https://vetericyn.com/

 

[EastonsMommy]

These two things along with the Vetericyn work wonders also if you can create a bonnet using nonstick gauze and the tape / wrap that only sticks to itself will help alot for the first few days