Hurt chick....help please!

[G8love4finches]

I was feeding my handfed Linnies, and looked over into my large flight and saw one of my Society chicks being pecked by my Button Quail....He had been dragged across to the far side from his nest....He must of fell out, he has his wing feathers and short tail feathers, but otherwise no feathers on his body.... I have held him and warmed him up while my brooder is warming to put him in...He has bruising on his head and was bleeding from his back from the pecking....I will keep him warm, try to feed him later and am watching him closely....The nest is in an awkward high spot in the flight cage, and there is no way to put him back, and I am afraid he will be hurt by his siblings and likely pecked by his parents....Who knows maybe they tossed him because he may have something wrong with him?.....Is there anything like Thrive or Vitalize I could mix with the formula to help him?....I cleaned the blood off his back and am not sure how serious he is hurt, because I needed to warm him up and didn't want to move him too much....Any help would be appreciated!....I will take a picture when I bring him out to feed later tonight

[cindy]

You are doing great, keeping him warm and safe is the biggest need he has right now. If the wounds are not deep or have gone into his skull he might stand a good chance of surviving. Since you plan to handfeed him he is sure to get strong in no time. Hopefully he has no internal injuries from the fall out of the nest. Did he land on soft substrate?

[G8love4finches]

The bottom of the cage is covered with non-slip shelf liner, and is quite soft....The damage was done by the Button quail pecking, I think......I got him comfy in my brooder and feed him some formula....He was quite eager to eat....After I fed him I was able to snap a picture.....I think now it will be a waiting game to see if he has any injuries I can't help him with....Fingers crossed!

[lovemyfinch]

Awww poor little guy what a rough start to life
You could always add a little vitalise to your formula just to give him a little extra electrolytes.
Looks like it is a little crested one

[cindy]

It looks as if the majority of the damage is to his back area. Badly feather plucked. Hopefully the skin heals and the feather grow back. Keep him warm and hydrated, looks like he wants to eat, a lot...that is a good sign.

[Ursula]

OMG! I am so sorry for you!!! I hope the little guy recovers.

I have heard about buttons attacking chicks, but mine have never attacked anybody. Well, I never had chicks fall out of a nest though... Right now, I have a handicapped gouldian who lives on the floor with them and they just ignore her. Maybe chicks look too much like bugs, which they like? I've seen them attack roaches that I had for a while in the aviary before I managed to get rid of them. And they were about 1.5 inches or so long!

I'm just curious: How big is your aviary and how many buttons do you have in there? Maybe buttons and finches is ok only if you're not planning on breeding them?

[G8love4finches]

My aviary is 37 X 27 and I have 6 Buttons....I planned on 3 but when Tracy showed up at the Edmonton show offering a hen and 5 chicks PLUS everything including the large brooder, how could I say no?.....I never thought about the Buttons being a problem with finch breeding in that flight....This is the flight where only my Societies were supposed to be breeding, but I also have a clutch of hybrid RH Pied/BH Parrots that have fledged....I think is was just an accident that this little one fell, or was pushed out....I am hoping the parents didn't kick him out because there is something wrong with him?....We'll see how he does...This morning he did eat a little, and he isn't comfortable with me feeding him yet....Slow and steady, I will just keep offering him food and keep my fingers crossed!

[L in Ontario]

I can't say for sure but I don't think the BQ's pecked him. If they did - he would be dead for sure. BQ's peck HARD. Best wishes for him to recover fully and quickly!!

[CandoAviary]

Great save. Societies are tough.... I am sure he will make it with your care... They are difficult to start handfeeding at this age because thay have a bit of that "human fear thing" I'm sure he will figure it out soon..
Have you thought about putting him back in the best? Most societies will accept a fallen chick back...unless it was them that did this. Best wishes

[G8love4finches]

The nest is in a spot I cannot reach to put him back....I will just have to add him to my Linnie hand feeding schedule.....Not a problem.....This morning, he has eaten twice and I think he is figuring out that I am the food source.....His last feed went well!.....Notice how the wound by his tail is still weeping a bit.....His head looks better and he is opening his eyes.....The camera makes him look albino, I will have to look at his eyes closer next feed?

[L in Ontario]

You can apply a tiny bit of antibiotic ointment to his tail wound until it scabs over. Neosporin or Polysporin

[G8love4finches]

Thanks Liz....I wondered if there was anything I should put on it

[CandoAviary]

I have had chicks pretty severly plucked and they healed up well. I don't like using an oil base ointment because it is just plain messy.... I tend to get it on the good feathers Also says on the tube not to be ingested, actually states...if swallowed contact the poison control center. I always worry about the birds preening and ingesting too much. I usually let them heal naturally or if I think they will become infected I use collodial silver, That usually is enough. If the sores become infected then you start them on an oral antibiotic.
I am glad he has lost his fears of the feeding monster Inos, some creaminos have red eyes

[Ursula]

My aviary is 37 X 27 and I have 6 Buttons....I planned on 3 but when Tracy showed up at the Edmonton show offering a hen and 5 chicks PLUS everything including the large brooder, how could I say no?.....I never thought about the Buttons being a problem with finch breeding in that flight....This is the flight where only my Societies were supposed to be breeding, but I also have a clutch of hybrid RH Pied/BH Parrots that have fledged....I think is was just an accident that this little one fell, or was pushed out....I am hoping the parents didn't kick him out because there is something wrong with him?....We'll see how he does...This morning he did eat a little, and he isn't comfortable with me feeding him yet....Slow and steady, I will just keep offering him food and keep my fingers crossed!

IMHO this aviary is much too small for 6 buttons, let alone being together with other birds. I would only keep 1 pair in there. Your male chicks will soon enough fight each other. Buttons are not social birds like chickens at all, in the wild they live in pairs. And as soon as chicks grow up they are chased away, especially by the male. If I were you I'd keep the parents and find nice homes for the kids. Unless you want to keep them separated in several enclosures.

Your little finch is SO cute!! I hope he will recover soon. I'm sure he'll be always a special one for you.

[G8love4finches]

OMG!...I just found another chick with the same injuries on the bottom of the cage....I am holding him to warm him up!...He is in worse shape than the first one...I don't think he is going to make it.....He just died in my hand

So sad....I took my little mirror and checked the nest, and there are 2 more chicks in the nest....I hope they stay there?