Worried about my baby roo... please help!

[brittshep]

Hello! I'm a first timer, and although I've read and researched until my eyes go blurry, but of course I've had more surprises than I can count.

I have six chicks, all from the same hatch and 2 1/2 weeks old. They have been doing great, are growing incrediblely fast, and I've not had any problems... until this morning. The kids woke me up and said that one of the chicks was bleeding, so I rushed in and found that my little roo had a small spot on his back that was bleeding just a bit. It looked as if he'd had a new pinfeather pulled out. The other chicks, of course, were pecking at the spot (despite the red lamp I have glowing o er the brooder), so I immediately scooped him up, cleaned the spot, and placed him in a separate container with fresh bedding, food, water, red heat lamp, and a plush chicken for company/extra warmth. After crying for a while, he finally settled down and has basically done nothing but sleep all day. He was sleeping as far away from the lamp as he could get, so I keep moving it up to lower the temp. Now it is barely providing any extra heat at all (It's at 77° right now) and he still doesn't seem to want to be under it. He is still eating and drinking and his poop is normal, but he's not really been up walking around the box, scratching, or doing the normal "chick stuff". Is this behavior normal for a chick in isolation or is there probably something else going on? Lonely, bored, depressed, recovering from the wound maybe? I also worry that he's going to get too cold, even though he is voluntarily not sleeping under the lamp ...I know things happen, and I'm prepared for the worst, but I'd feel much better knowing if I'm just being " new parent" paranoid.

Thanks!

 

[Handyhens]

looking at how mine get terrified without another chicks,i'd say yes, maybe cover the spot up and keep a close eye on him, and put him in the brooder?

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Chickens are flock or herd animal. He likely misses his flock.

 

[brittshep]

I'm not sure how to cover the spot without him tearing it off, but I think I'm going to put him back in for a bit and see how he fares... The wound is scabbed over and no longer red, so maybe the others will leave it alone. I hate that he's all alone... I've been getting him out and holding him to try and keep him company, but I'm no match for his feathery friends.

Thank you for the speedy replies!

 

[donrae]

Something like Blue-Kote is wonderful to have on hand for things like this. It masks the red wound with a blue-purple color the other birds don't notice and peck at. Birds with superficial injuries do best staying in the flock....a quick spray of this allows them to do that without getting injured further.

At 2 1/2 weeks, it's quite normal for a chick to spend several hours out from under the heat lamp. If there were raised by momma hen, at this age they'd be spending hours at a time running around at whatever temp it happened to be outside.

 

[3riverschick]

Go to the Tractor Supply or feed store and buy 2 things. Blu-Kote and either Poultry Nutri-Drench or Pet Nutri-Drops. The Blue Kote is to put on the wound to disguise it so the other birds won't pick at it. The Drench or Drops can be used interchangeably per the science techs at Bovidr Lab's which makes both formulas. Here is the URL on the Drench and Drops.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/746509/how-to-deal-with-travel-stress-in-baby-chicks
http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/nutri-drench-poultry-nutri-drench-4-oz?cm_vc=-10005

Here is the URL on the Blu-Kote. http://www.drugs.com/vet/dr-naylor-blu-kote.html
http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/dr-naylorreg;-blu-kotereg;-aerosol-5-oz
He should be up and around and ready to put back with his siblings later on today.
Best,
Karen

 

[brittshep]

Thank you both! He is now back in the brooder with his flock and is acting completely normal. His wound is healing quickly and he is noticeably happier now. So glad it was a temporary case of the blues and not something more serious.

 

[3riverschick]

Thank you both! He is now back in the brooder with his flock and is acting completely normal. His wound is healing quickly and he is noticeably happier now.

So glad it was a temporary case of the blues and not something more serious.

Wonderful news! I am so glad everything worked out ok!
Best,
Karen