One baby chick who hatched today seems to have been troden on and scratched by her mother. The skin (and fluff) has been torn away from the skull in two places on the back of her head.
If there is any flesh, the skin will probably re-grow. Keep it treated with antibiotic ointment and watch for signs of the other birds picking on its head. Often a skinned head is from some kind if aggressive behavior.
My dog got a hold of my chicken and did a similar thing to the scalp. The scalp was exposed and part of the neck. I almost put the poor thing out of its misery but decided to try to give it a chance. I used contact lens saline solution to clean the scalp. Then found cotton thread and a needle and proceeded to stitch it back together needles to say it is a thriving healthy chicken now. I used antibiotic chick starter to prevent infection for about three weeks.Ive also used plastic childrens hair clips as a clamp for skin closure.
Concerned re:4.5 weeks old and the Dark Brahmas are nuts.....
Wingdo, Almost any little birds can have a bruhaha for no reason we can understand. I raise Dutch Bantams, usually very easy to get along. But once in a while, a cockerel will just start liting into one other, and soon all are after the one poor little bird! They would probably kill it, if allowed to continue. What do I do? If it is just one agressor, he get a "time out"--alone in a wire pen, everything he needs (light over top of the pen for heat, except friends or combattants! Believe me he is lonesome!! Sometimes he can never go back and may be joined by a second "bad boy"--and occasionally, even a third. But sometimes after 2 or 3 days alone, a trial run may let him go back to the flock and behave himself. Age is 4-6 weeks when this seems to happen. I usually only have 8-10 chicks together, so they are not crowded, as yours are--that leads to boredom and fighting seems to be fun and games! Separation of the conspirators may be your only solution to avoid bloodshed and possible loss. Take charge--you will have to figure out a truce. CJR
I have disinfected the wound but I'm not sure if the skin will regrow?
She is happy and eating still but there doesn't seem to be anything covering the skull in these two areas.
Any advise welcomed
By John deSaavedra (Johnde) on Saturday, April 10, 1999 - 09:31 pm:
By Coryschicks on Tuesday, November 2, 1999 - 12:03 am:
By Wingdo on Wednesday, March 28, 2001 - 09:02 pm:
All of a sudden the harmony is gone. Looks like a full blown fist fight at the local knife and gun club. I have 6 Dark Brahmas, 4 Buff Orpingtons and 10 Lt Brahmas Living in a 48" square brooder with everything a bird could want except apparently a speed bag and boxing gloves.
They are all happy except for the Dark Brahmas who seem to think a fight is better than a discussion. The rest seem to be tickled to watch but the Dark Brahmas are really getting out of control with one another (only they are fighting).
Will they mellow out or should I step in before someone gets thrown out of the ring or killed? I understand the order of the peck and the reasons there of but with the amount of energy the fighters seem to have it looks to me like something bad is going to happen....soon.
I am planning to move them in the next few days to a larger arena (coop) that should give them more fighting room but I am not sure this is the answer.
Does anyone know if Dark Brahmas are normally so bent on beating up one another? I chose Brahmas because of the docile behavior and large size but at the rate the Dark Brahmas are going they might not make it to larger size.
By Cjeanr on Thursday, March 29, 2001 - 12:03 am: