4 week old chicks with bloody spots

[Clevelandohio]

Raising some chicks (white Leghorn pullets, silkies and black austrolorps) and they are in the brooder in our house with heat lamp being gradually moved higher and higher away. I turned it off today because it was quite warm and noticed this evening that 2-3 of the chicks have bloody hot spots . assuming it's from other pecking at them. What is this all about? Time to move outdoors? Most of them are feathered except for their heads and underside. The silkie was the worst right above her tail.

 

[ftfarmer22]

Your exactly right, it's them picking on each other. Whatever you do, do NOT leave it be. You should/need to isolate the chicken for a day or 2, or if its a leg wound wrap adhesive tape around it. I would suggest isolation if its body wound. BUT, it really helps if you take your chick (you should only do this with chicks at least 3 weeks old) over to the sink and fill it up with lukewarm water, add a few pumps of soap, mix it, and slowly dip your chick into the water until it gets used it, and relaxes. Massage the bloody wound while it's soaking in the water, getting most of the blood out. Dry off the chick with a towel or rag, getting any extra blood, really making sure the chick is all the way dry. Then your good to go! I have tried this and it works VERY well, especially if you don't want to isolate the chick. I hope this helps, and good luck with the babies!

-ftfarmer22

 

[azygous]

It sounds like your chicks are ready for the coop. They quickly outgrow their brooder, and you know they've reached that point when you start seeing signs of aggression. They need more room, and to be able to romp outdoors.

See to the wounds. Clean them and apply Blue Lotion or Blu-kote, an antiseptic/anti-fungal with gentian violet that also serves to camouflage the wounds so to discourage further pecking.

Start out with daily field trips to acclimate them to cooler temps. Choose sunny days with no cold breezes and watch for signs of chilling, then whisk them back to their brooder to warm up. Increase the time each day. When they can handle being outdoors without showing signs of chilling, they are then ready to move into the coop.

At the same time, continue to decrease the heat in their brooder so the heat source can be removed by the time they're four weeks old.

 

[ftfarmer22]

It sounds like your chicks are ready for the coop. They quickly outgrow their brooder, and you know they've reached that point when you start seeing signs of aggression. They need more room, and to be able to romp outdoors.

See to the wounds. Clean them and apply Blue Lotion or Blu-kote, an antiseptic/anti-fungal with gentian violet that also serves to camouflage the wounds so to discourage further pecking.

Start out with daily field trips to acclimate them to cooler temps. Choose sunny days with no cold breezes and watch for signs of chilling, then whisk them back to their brooder to warm up. Increase the time each day. When they can handle being outdoors without showing signs of chilling, they are then ready to move into the coop.

At the same time, continue to decrease the heat in their brooder so the heat source can be removed by the time they're four weeks old.

Definitely agree with @azygous they need more space and they are bored, that's why they are pecking on eachother.

 

[Clevelandohio]

Ok thank you. I'll see to it this morning

 

[Clevelandohio]

You can kinda see the dark spots on this ones wings where it was bloody yesterday. But this morning no one has fresh wounds. We are going to isolate the ones who need it today. And coup is being built STAT. All the silkies look like they got the worst of it. And it's hard to tell any damage to the black austrolorps BC of their dark feathers.