PLEASE HELP! Holes in Meat Chickens!

[SJM]

I don't know what happened!! I have 25 CornishX Chick in a hutch type enclosure and when I went to feed and water them today I found two chicks had bloody holes.

They are next to the anus and are oozing blood. I don't think it's from pecking because I've never seen any of these chick peck for some reason. The holes are about the size of a dime! What do I do?

 

[BirdBrain]

They pecked.

 

[SJM]

Wow! I didn't know it could do that much damage. Should I do anything to treat it? Would Peroxide work?

 

[BirdBrain]

Separate them from the others and clean the sores with a warm wash cloth. Don't get the rest of the chick wet or it may get chilled. You can try putting BluKote spray on the spots and then reintroduce them when they are doing better. Also a bit of triple antibiotic ointment wouldn't hurt. Peroxide probably wouldn't either but wouldn't be my first choice. A warm wash cloth aught to do. It is shocking to see what a little "innocent" chicks can do to each other. I had 5 2-week olds gang up on an injured sibling and kill it while my back was turned--it was awful.

I hope yours get well soon!!

 

[BirdBrain]

BluKote spray will taste BAD to the others and color the area blue so they don't see the red and peck at it again. I think it also has some antiseptic qualities. Maybe someone can correct me if I am wrong.

 

[silkiechicken]

Yeah, go with the blue kote. Then after that, you might want to try to give them more room. Pecking is usually a sign of crowding.

 

[FamilyOfChickens]

I had one 7 or 8 week old pullet who had her whole hind-quarter/rear end torn to a bloody mess, to the bone in parts- our's have never been overcrowded, but they obviously pecked her pretty badly. I'm sure she was much worse than your hen, as she died that night, a few hours later.

I've always kept wounded chickens seperated until the wound at least begins to close- never used Blue Kote or Wound Kote, but I have tried pine tar, and it works well.