Bone exposed on chick's wing

[howellpartyofsix]

I have a baby chick with an exposed bone on its wing. It was with it's mother but the other hens had to have gotten to it and pecked it. I seperated the chick and now have it in a crate alone. However, I have a bantam hen with 10 chicks that the crate is next to and I believe she thinks that this is her baby. I put some black tar looking stuff on it (I forget the name) to prevent pecking - after a couple of days I put the chick in with the others and they all, including the hen, wanted to peck on that area. So I removed the chick and it's back in the crate.

The chick desperately wants out of that crate and to be with the others but it'll get pecked to death if I do that. Any ideas on what I should do?

Thanks in advance!

Shelly in VA

 

[justusnak]

Thats a tought one....there are a few things to try...
you can put it in with the bantam hen, see if she will accept it, or take another chick from the same hatch and put it in with the little one and raise them yourself. Either way, you will have to keep an eye on it...that it doesnt get pecked more. Good luck, let us know what happens!

 

[Motherhenandflock]

Did you reapply the pine tar goo? There is another product that folks use on their picked on birds. It's call Blu Kote. You spray it on. You maybe can find it at a farm store. People use it on horses and dogs too.
Hope the chickie can get with a group!

 

[howellpartyofsix]

This little chick is the only one the survived from the batch of eggs that one of my broodies was one. I think that the bantam hen will accept it - she acts as though it's hers when we go to check on it and replenish food/water, she's very protective. But when we put the chick in with her and her chicks it continued to get pecked in that area, even with the tar stuff on it. I figured I will try it again in a couple of days - but with that bone exposed I'm thinking that it won't do any good. We'll see and I'll keep you posted.

Thanks for the suggestions!!!

Shelly in VA

 

[Motherhenandflock]

Right, I should have mentioned: when you try to "add" the chick back in with the others, keep watch! They can be merciless and things can go very badly for the one being pecked at. You may need to keep is separated until it's healed, or they leave it alone with the pine tar goo. That's supposed to make it yucky so they don't pick at the injured birdie. It is gross stuff huh?
I sure hope everything will be ok for the baby!:aww