Chick is incredibly sweet and friendly to me, but a terrible bully to the smaller chicks!

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ChickenHermit

ChickenHermit

Songster
6 Years
Mar 12, 2015
278
189
186
Astoria, OR
I have just under 20 3-week-old bantams, including Japanese, D'Uccles, Cochins, Silkies and one little blue probably OEGB (came as an 'assorted bantam'). The OEGB has recently been named JB- for Jail Bird, as we've had to separate him for bullying the smaller chicks! He mostly leaves the D'uccles and cochins alone, but he bullies the silkies and sometimes the Japanese terribly! This isn't just minor pecking-order pushiness- I've seen him full on holding a chick down and head pecking- hard.
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Has anyone else run into issues like this? Did the bully calm down after a while or...? Could use some advice.



Edited because of my obsession with fixing typos.
 
Last edited:
I have pretty limited experience with OEGBs. I used to have a small flock of spangleds. The little hens were so sweet and friendly. My little roo was very high strung and would lash out at the other birds that weren't a part of his harem (but like your little one, he was my buddy). You might try separating him into a different brooder for a couple of days. During the time he's gone, hopefully the other chicks will bond and he'll get knocked down a few pegs in the pecking order. Silkies are very docile though, so you might have to eventually come to terms with the fact that he'll never be able to place nice with them.

Good luck.
 
I had a little silkie in my bunch that was a terrible bully as a chick, we joked that she was a tiny feathered monster. Eventually she calmed down on her own as everyone got a little older, now she's a very nice hen (to people and other chickens)!
 
After a few more days, I tried putting him back with the others. He was good for a bit but then tried to go after one of the silkies again- I 'finger pecked' him (lightly) and that seems to have helped. He hasn't done it since. He's still pushy with them and the others, but not so violent, I've been keeping a close eye on him.

Still totally sweet to people.
 

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