Baby chicken got hurt

Tonight I am just tired and it is  mainly from an emotional toll. So this may or may not make sense.

She is in there - my attempt to keep her in the coop as well as somewhat warm

I had to go with someone to bring a dog to the vet this afternoon, and I got to the chickens late, not till 4 pm., which really isn't a big deal. Except today when i got into the run, I heard baby chirps from the rooster side of the baby run area wall. There really isn't a way from the pullet babies to get there and I thought one of the baby roos, (and they are all 9 weeks old now) had strayed ...I opened the door to the orchard run and a buff was trying to get through the barrier, then hid. I got it from there, the 4 orchard roos looking on. The baby buff seemed ok, UNTIL she bent her neck .OMG ...all open to the muscles ...the entire neck exposed. So I isolate it in a dog crate inside the coop. I feed it some mesh, eggs and chicken. And it eats with good appetite. She gets chirpy when all her siblings go to roost and she has to stay there. I heat up water, put it in a bottle and that into an old sock ...and put it next to her ...but she wasn't fooled. Later on I decide to dig out the heat lamp thinking it might help  to not be so cold ....despite the light, but it is the red kind. At that time, she eats crumble but I also see that there is some issue with breathing.
I have some antibiotics, but she refuses the overcooked veggie it it on ...
After reading up on things ...if i had the means, suturing and antibiotics might be of benefit, but then, chickens have amazing self healing abilities from physical injury. So here I am, hoping for the best.

But it is taking a toll - as I see myself unable to focus on work I have to do. It won't get done. I don't know which rooster is so rough on the babies, or how she even got out. I got  straight runs with a total of 54 chickens and have 34 be male - that posed a lot of management issues on the time and space.
But getting a sexed run would have meant the baby males had to be killed ...never a chance for a life worth calling it.

I recall: 27 chicks the first run, 1 died at 3 days. (post pasting). Of the 26, 9 are hens, the rest roosters. Of the 8 living in the orchard, 4 got gotten by predators (they were out there early, having roosted in the trees, which they since stopped doing). Of the mixed group, I had to go through deciding who needed to go and then the process of culling them. This was November 20. They were just 6 months old.. HORRIBLE to take the life of such a beautiful creature, but the orchard roos were all chasing the Golden Polish and those 2 in turn were making live difficult for the hens and their brothers. ...all the while just being roosters. My only consolation at this point is: they had a good rooster life, having done what a rooster does, they were seen and loved, served as food for folks who could never afford such a chicken and taught me big lessons. Then One of the baby buff males died ....I think neck injury too, this was about 2 weeks ago - but I don't know who did it. And today this one ...a pullet. She might still make it ...but it is taking a toll.....

It is difficult have so many roosters for the space and for the females. I am by now convinced that given enough space ...and more equitable rooster to hen ratio, that they will all arrange themselves one way or the other.

I don't know how it happened. There were some grey feathers there too ...and non of the orchard roos is grey. If i knew who did it - he'd have to go, but i can't get myself to cull them all ....but maybe that would be better ....?

I just want them to get out in the morning to forage and all get long. Let them out in the morning - feed them. Let them in at roost time - collect some eggs in between. Let them  walk around with me -...I love observing them. I know they don't like to be alone - which is why I put the dog crate inside the coop ...and I will be feeding the young ones right around the dog crate. The plan is to keep them inside the coop for a day....

I don't know why but it affects me so much when they are sick or distressed or seeing them dead - not compatible with being a farmer for sure, but then, I'm a chicken gardener and vegetarian and....


...  it is so hard for me. I LOVE these chickens. I adore them, the way they move and talk and look and I am amazed at their social structure, curiosity, ability to learn. There is a lesson here about the preciousness and uniqueness, about the purpose for each life - 2 or 4 legged, winged or swimming companions. About care and respect for each and every life entrusted to your care.

Because: once you create (as in ordered eggs to be hatched) or take in any animal into your care - you carry the responsibility for its life and owe it a  life that is in accordance with its beingness. Not everyone will agree or understand, for others this is not far enough.

I don't want to force my views on anyone. There is such a wide span between the meat-eaters (and there is a range there too) and the  vegans (with their own range). What I hope all animals get is this:  respectful treatment in life and death - that they are being allowed to live  a good and artengerechtes animal life.

In the meantime - there is a 2 month old Buff Catalana girl in the coop with a bad injury.  Her name is Harriet. It hurts. ...and she does not understand why she can't be up on the roost .... Whether she stays or goes on - I don't want her to suffer. Sending love to you, baby chick.

read the next post for what happens next - I named it: should you isolate chickens with injuries