We came home today and found one of our 5-weeks-old-tomorrow chicks with a wound on her face, under her eye (the eye is fine). They are in a coop/run, and have not been let out yet. We have no idea what happened (pecking? scratch through the run from the cat we saw hanging out? random accident?). They have only been out in the coop for 4 nights (with heat lamp). We have done our best to apply hydrogen peroxide, and then after a bit watered-down iodine. We are planning to do this again tonight, probably adding some neosporin as well. She does not like this one bit The others are not pecking at her or picking at her. She clearly does not feel 100%. We have seen her eat, and drink, and poop. She does hang out with the other 5 a bit. But then she goes off to the side, and tucks her head under her wing. The wound is still bleeding a bit, but when she tucks her head under her wing, she is stretching it, which I think is the problem. I don't have Blu-Kote (and, of course, it is Sunday afternoon), but I have read it is not to be applied to the face. Any advice?
I'd bring her in and separate her from the others until the wound closes up. They'll eventually start pecking her if they see blood and they could even kill her if given a chance. Sounds like you're already dealing with the wound pretty well...definitely put neosporin on the wound to help it heal though...just make sure its not the kind with painkiller in it.
Thank you, I have brought her in, in the guinea pig cage I had them all in til last Wed. She is not happy being alone lol, and is much more active--I wonder if the breeze/chillier air (67°) outside was bothering her? Depending on how she looks tomorrow, I may put the whole cage out in the middle of the run during the day, so she can be with the other 5, but still be safe from any pecking. I am going to have to turn the heater on tonight, the heat lamp is out in the coop!
Blu-kote has alcohol and gentian violet in it, so the alcohol could be bad near an eye. But you could take a drop of blue food coloring and apply it to the wound with a Q-tip, then coat it in neosporin when it dries. I have used this technique successfully before I bought blu-kote. It keeps the other chickens from pecking the reddened wound.
