Ugly Wound + ChICU

[Stacykins]

Has this happened to anyone else? How did you treat? Did the chick recover, or not?

This happened when a hen decided to move off the nest with the rest of the chicks, while a late hatching chick was ALMOST done. The chick's navel was all closed up, and it was 95% hatched. Well, I think another chicken came along to eat the shell of this chick. I don't think it was that Mom hen who did this damage.



Yep, that is the chick's skull. I had two options: cull, or treat. For the moment, I chose treat. A thread and needle (sewing needle, as the needles in the suture kits I have are too large for such a tiny patient), time, and chlorhexidine later, and the chick looks less grisly. I had to muster all the hand steadiness I had, since the chick is so small, and the eye was very close to the edges of the wound. Time will tell if the chick's eye was damaged or not.




I was planning on setting eggs at the end of today in this, but for a day or two, the incubator is a ChICU (Chick Intensive Care Unit). The incubator is newly bleached, with a freshly washed dishcloth on the base. I also smeared some triple antibiotic ointment (non painkiller kind, since I know that is bad for chickens) on the chick's wound. I tried to flush out the debris from the wound as best I can, but it was very dirty with shavings.


All things considered, the chick is doing well.

 

[1Teacherchick]

Wow, I admire your willingness to treat this poor baby! I hope the little one gets stronger and pulls through.

 

[Stacykins]

Thanks! I don't want to push the envelope, but I do want to give the chick a chance. I've set up a brooder, cleaned with scrubbed and disinfected with bleach, for when the chick leaves the ChICU. I mean, I clean the brooder after each set of chicks, but I made this as clean as it could possibly be.

The chick has been gaining a lot of strength in the last few hours. I think unless an infection sets in, then it will be OK.

 

[chkn]

Put some polysporin or neosporin on it. Don't use the kind with pain reliever. Can you dropper a little water on top of the beak?

 

[Stacykins]

Put some polysporin or neosporin on it. Don't use the kind with pain reliever. Can you dropper a little water on top of the beak?

I am definitely keeping some antibiotic ointment (bacitracin) on the wound area, making sure none gets in the eye. Since the chick juuuust hatched this morning, I haven't made it drink yet. I am thinking tomorrow it will be strong enough to be moved to the brooder and introduced to food and water.

 

[Stacykins]

The chick passed in the night. Perhaps I should have culled, so it did not suffer. It just seemed strong despite the wound, so I gave it a chance.

 

[Sylvestor12]

It may have been internal issues. I once rescued a cardinal that may have had a broken wing. When we got it off to a real bird vet to take the cardinal away it died during the trip. Yet before hand, it was talking, drinking, and even eating! It acted fine, and it may not have been in pain considering it had that appiteitte. Perhaps since it wasn't fully developed on the head, maybe an organ didn't completely form. It's sad but you did your best and had a kind reason behind it.

 

[Sylvestor12]

"Perhaps since the chick wasn't fully developed in the head" sorry if you thought I was talking about the cardinal right then.

 

[1Teacherchick]

Sorry your chick didn't make it!