Injury to 4 wk old Chick

Amy

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Hi
I have recently had Lavender Pekin Frizzle bantam/Silkie chicks hatch and one of my 4wk old chicks has been pecked (im guessing) overnight. It has had all its back feather stripped and parts of its skin. I have bathed it all through the day with salt water and applied loads of Savlon. The blood has now gone and left a yellowy mass...Im not sure if this is infection of the fatty part of the skin?!?
The chick is in good spirits...eating, scratching the ground and drinking.
On saturday I put the chicks and mum back with the dad and another bantam and everything was fine until I let them out this morning and this little one was covered in blood. Non of the other hens had blood on it and they have not bothered it all day so all a little confusing. Have seperated chicks and mum tonight putting them back in the broody hut.
Should I only apply Savlon in morning and let the wound dry out or just keep plying it with savlon all day? Do you think the yellow stuff (not oozing) is the fatty skin or signs of infection?!?
My husband has also suggested Stockholm Tar???? Is this recommended and if so how?
Thanks so much for any help/advice!
x
 
I really don't know about if its infection. I would never put a chick in with the others at such a young age its far too young. I would keep her separated and moniter the wounds. Im sure someone else will come along with advise.
 
Thanks so much. First time with chicks and someone told me after 3 weeks it was fine...I guess I have learnt a valuable lesson. They just all seemed to get along on Saturday and the chicks seemed to have so much fun playing in the long grass.
They are all back in the broody pen. Do you know when the right age is to put them back with the other 2 hens?? I already keep my big hens and bantams seperate so they will never be with the big hens just their dad and another chick which is their mums sister.
 
I have never mixed mine until the chicks are getting towards the same size as the adults, usually around 10 to 12 weeks. I do mix my large birds with my bantams but they have a very large run. I do, however, separate them at night the big girls have a house and the bantams have a house. It just worrys me that on a morning especially with the the light mornings the big girls might start on the bantams. One big girl sneaked in one night and with trepidation I left her all was well in the morning but I worried that much I have never done it again. Hope all goes well with your little chick and she gets better.
 
Now that blood has been drawn, and twice you will have to keep the chick separated. Savlon is fine, clean once with warm salty water apply the cream then leave well alone and allow the area to heal. The area will be delicate and the epithelial cells will need to granulate in order for new skin to grow and protect the area.

Don't use stockholm tar or anything else at the moment. It is amazing how quickly chicks heal. It might be advisable to separate into a separate brooder either with the other chicks, but under very, very close observation as chicks can be just as bad as adult hens when there is an obvious wound.
 
Thanks everyone. This morning they all came hurtling out the broody hut into their little run and its back looked as though it had dried nicely over night. I did buy some dry Savlon Spray this morning and did give it a quick spray before reading this but I shall leave well alone now. Still on good form eating, drinking and scratching...although when it sees me it dives for cover bless it!
I wont put them together again until they are a lot bigger. I have another clutch to hatch soon and I think Im worse than a mother hen with worry!!! This time though my turkey has pinched all the hens fertile eggs (they weren't sitting) and has been sat now for a couple of weeks! Lord only knows what I will do with that little family when they hatch as there is no way the turkey will fit in the broody pen!!!! Think I will sweetly ask the hubby to construct something!!!!
 
I don't put our chicks in until they lay, so 21 weeks upwards. Young chicks, aside from injury, may eat layers pellets which are too high in Calcium for them and can be fatal.

The yellow stuff is something they appear to create to counter infection -an injury area gets flooded with it. I've seen it on bumble foot and a laceration to the side where it built up around eath that had got into the wound. It looks like fat but is much firmer and has no smell.
 
Thanks Chris. So the yellow is nothing to worry about...phew! Was worried for infection.
I only have 3 chicks and knowing my luck they will all be cockerals!
 

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