- May 13, 2011
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This is my first post here, and my first flock of chicks as well. We have had animals on this farm for over a decade and they are all very well taken care of, and now with these 8, 5 day-old chicks we now have 27 animals in total. Here is the problem, one of those chicks is a speckeled sussex and she is insane! from day one she was pecking at all the other chicks eyes non-stop, although she pecks at all of them, she would target the lighter colored chicks (no doubt because the eyes were easy to see). I have a red bulb, plenty of room in the brooder, but she continues to peck at eyes, to the point that 2 of the chicks now have red around the eyes and now have their eyes stuck closed. I used warm water and gently opened their eyes again and they stay open now but this is the 3rd time I have had to do this. This bully chick is now in confinement inside the brooder and has been for 3 days now, but if I let it out with the rest of them, chaos insues within seconds and eyes are pecked. Is there any advice? Can a chick lose an eye or will they just learn to run from the bully? Will how long should I give the bully before she is a lost cause? Please help, of all the goats, ducks, rabbits, dogs, and cats....these chicks are proving to be the most difficult animal group ever!