First question, of many, I assume.

[Treehouse1]

So, my wife, son, and I just started. 12 chicks assorted types, currently in a tote with 2"of pine chips in the bottom. Food and water in feeders.
the bin is about 50 gallons.

so far things have been going well, until this morning, when my wife noticed one of the black chicks getting picked on. He had some goop collected around his/her vent, and the area was raw and bloody. She cleaned it off, and and he/she pooped immediately. the other chicks immediately started pecking at the injured area. I went back to the place where I got the chicks to ask one of the employees, an older guy who seems to be knowledgeable. He told me that they might be overcrowded, and that could be causing problems. When I got home, another chick was getting the same treatment, and now his/her butt is red and irritated. I've separated the two that are getting picked on, but am running out of totes. I have seen both chicks poop, just now, and things seem to processing like their supposed to.

Note: I have been using a heat lamp, although, now I'm reading that it may not be necessary. The chicks were new arrivals at the store on Wednesday (five days ago.) Also, one of the more aggressive peckers (did that sound inappropriate?) is also the one that taps on the side of the tote.

So does this sound like an illness? Are they establishing a "pecking order"? Do I have some roosters in my henhouse? Are some of my chickens racist? Or am I just at a point where I'm likely to lose a few?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Included is a picture of his/her behind.

 

[saysfaa]

It is not pecking order behavior - per se at least. It is more babies exploring their environment. They will peck at anything vaguely the shape and size of a worm or a bug. Especially if it is red. Getting a bit of flesh or blood is a highly valued reward. They see food when they do this, not a fellow chick.

If you can tell which chick is doing the pecking, it can help to separate that one. They learn about food from each other, usually that is a very good thing. Not so much in this case. It isn't hopeless, though, don't be discouraged

Yes, that space is much too small for that many chicks except the first few days. The rule of thumb is about a square foot per chick of floor space not counting where the feeders and waterers are - as a minimum for lightweight or mediumweight breeds. With the pecking problems, double that or more would be better. It doesn't have to be a tote type pen. I build walls out of several pieces of cardboard with an old sheet across the walls so the chicks didn't try to get through the cracks.

I know there are things like a blue? colored medicine to both help the wound heal and to make it not be the red the other chicks find so attractive. But I don't know the details though.

 

[Treehouse1]

Thank you. I separated the 4 that were getting hassled, and everyone seems to be calmer today. I may break out one more tote, to give them a little more space.

 

[Iluveggers]

Other ideas to give them more space are a watermelon bin from the grocery store (if you can find one this time of year), or the pet exercise tents on Amazon, or a XL dog crate. Last year I put two huge boxes together, cut a hole between them, and attached. Heat on one side, and feeder & waterer in both sides. Added a little branch and wood to climb on. They would run around back & forth.

The more space they have, and things to keep them busy (wood/perch to climb on, mirror to look at), the less they will bothet each other!

 

[SBChickenLady]

You noted a question about your heat lamp. Yes baby chicks need a heat source (there are several options for this) from newborn to about 4-5 weeks old. Roughly they need about 95 degrees to start, and then each week of life you can decrease that about 5 degrees. If you live in a cold environment they will need heat until they are fully feathered. Make sure the brooder has enough space to offer heat in one zone and area for the chicks to move away from the heat so they can adjust to the temp they need.

If they are picking at each others vent areas I would suggest checking them all for pasty butt. Perhaps well meaning pecking to help get off stuck poop led to the bleeding and bad pecking. Pasty butt is when sticky poops accumulate on the feathers around the vent and create a blockage. This can be deadly if not cleared. A warm wet paper towel can be used to gentle massage off the mess, or running their bottom under gentle water can work too. Just a thought when it comes to common issues with the little bums.