Please help need advice! Baby chick badly hurt

[Farmgirl283420]

Enola my broody hen has a little chick and the baby must have gotten caught on the wire as the skin all around her neck looks like it was ripped off. I put mommy and baby in a brooder but Enola won’t settle. Unfortunately I found her just before I had to leave to go somewhere and won’t be back for a hour or two. I’m really worried and I really need advice on how to best care for this little chick. The little one seems to be in pain and shock so put a little sav a chick in their waterer. Do I need to put anything on it? I didn’t see the the wound very well as I was holding her while a family member carefully looked at it. The little chick’s name is Miracle as her hatching was such a miracle. If you can’t help please keep Miracle in your prayers.

 

[Farmgirl283420]

@HollowOfWisps @azygous @Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock @anyone

 

[SmiYa0126]

Hello! Clean the wound with saline and then slather with plain antibiotic ointment. Repeat twice a day until the wound heals. Give baby sweetened water with electrolytes for shock and keep her in a warm cozy place, if mama hen isn't aggressive I think it would be ok to have her in with her with supervision.

Also, clean up the wire that caused the issue if you can.

 

[Farmgirl283420]

Hello! Clean the wound with saline and then slather with plain antibiotic ointment. Repeat twice a day until the wound heals. Give baby sweetened water with electrolytes for shock and keep her in a warm cozy place, if mama hen isn't aggressive I think it would be ok to have her in with her with supervision.

Also, clean up the wire that caused the issue if you can.

Thank you so much!!! As soon as I get home I will try to do all you said! I will have to find the spot where she got hurt. Should I separate her from Enola if she won’t settle down?

 

[Susan Skylark]

Don't keep a freaked out hen with an injured bird (especially a newly hatched one), she might accidentally hurt the baby or the anxiety might spread. If she's calm and gentle that's helpful, but not if she's freaking out!

 

[Susan Skylark]

How big is the wound? If it is tiny (less than a quarter inch across) a little super glue should seal it (clean and dry first then apply glue to skin and squeeze together for 30 seconds). If it is really big (quarter size or larger) I'd actually throw in a few stitches or it may take forever to close and is at a high risk of infection (and in a bird that small that's a lot of open surface area!).

 

[Farmgirl283420]

How big is the wound? If it is tiny (less than a quarter inch across) a little super glue should seal it (clean and dry first then apply glue to skin and squeeze together for 30 seconds). If it is really big (quarter size or larger) I'd actually throw in a few stitches or it may take forever to close and is at a high risk of infection (and in a bird that small that's a lot of open surface area!).

It think that most of the skin around her neck got ripped off although I didn’t see it very well. I’ll have to check and get some pictures when I get home!

 

[Farmgirl283420]

Do you guys think that Miracle will survive?

 

[tlcmurphy]

I’m not doubting your observations at all, but is there any chance baby is a Naked Neck?

 

[azygous]

Do what @SmiYa0126 said to do. All wounds, whether on a human, a dog, or a chicken or a cow, need cleaning to remove bacteria that can cause infection. Then they need an anti bacterial wound ointment to keep bacteria away. Do this every single day until the wound heals.