So I don't post a huge amount, but I read pretty obsessively over here, and have learned a huge amount, and I hadn't realized exactly how much until we noticed that a couple of The Collective had pecked spots on their wings yesterday morning (let me tell it's tons of fun to be rushing around setting up a hospital brooder when you're already running late for dropping off your daughter at day care and going into the hospital for an endoscopy, wheeeee), and it wasn't until this morning that I realized none of the other reading I'd done had really gone into detail about cleaning up hurt birds and how to work to prevent more picking etc..
I knew what to do (gently cleaned the wounded birds wings with some warm water, slathered them with antibacterial ointment, separated them out from the rest of the flock in a quiet, dark space, and promptly ordered some blu-kote spray and a red light to replace the white one in the main brooder to cut the pecking down, also started plans on a second brooder in case they're just feeling too cramped in their current brooder).
You guys are an amazing source of knowledge, and those of you who have been doing this for years are so generous with that knowledge, and it makes it so much easier for those of us who are just getting started on this.
So thank you all, so very much.
I knew what to do (gently cleaned the wounded birds wings with some warm water, slathered them with antibacterial ointment, separated them out from the rest of the flock in a quiet, dark space, and promptly ordered some blu-kote spray and a red light to replace the white one in the main brooder to cut the pecking down, also started plans on a second brooder in case they're just feeling too cramped in their current brooder).
You guys are an amazing source of knowledge, and those of you who have been doing this for years are so generous with that knowledge, and it makes it so much easier for those of us who are just getting started on this.
So thank you all, so very much.