jaxsteph
In the Brooder
- May 10, 2015
- 37
- 5
- 24
Hey there,
I'm working with my first flock and have been experiencing some issues. I have two silkies, a D'Uncle, two buffs, an Easter Egger, and two Ameraucanas. I had a third Ameraucana who pecked everyone half to death one morning in the brooder box, and managed to get all but two of the chicks bleeding. I treated the injured birds, and when they wouldn't quick pecking at their red backsides and wing areas, I used blu-kote to cover the red. This stopped the birds from pecking at each other and themselves, but the two uninjured birds began to peck them like crazy. So I separated the two healthy birds from the rest using the playpen method.
For two weeks now they have been able to see and hear each other, but not get to one another. The blu-kote NEVER comes off, so my other birds, who healed nicely, are still blue. Yesterday, as I was cleaning the brooder box, one of my original healthy birds jumped over the partition, and the other (previously sick) birds ganged up and attacked her, so I removed her again.
Last night I removed the partition, placed a hard-boiled egg in the box, and everyone got along famously. They ate the egg, ignored one another, and snuggled in to sleep together. I thought all was going well. Then, this morning, I found two re-injured birds. My healthy birds are pecking at the blu-kote on the injured birds, the injured birds are ganging up to attack the healthy birds, everyone is going crazy with each other.
We are close to exiting the brooder box and placing everyone in the coop and I would like for them to be one big happy family before we get there. How do I reintroduce them without them killing each other? I thought I might keep up the night routine--let them out together, with a distraction, in the evening and then to sleep. The problem is that they are up before me, and they hurt each other before I can get to them.
I appreciate any help you can give me.
I'm working with my first flock and have been experiencing some issues. I have two silkies, a D'Uncle, two buffs, an Easter Egger, and two Ameraucanas. I had a third Ameraucana who pecked everyone half to death one morning in the brooder box, and managed to get all but two of the chicks bleeding. I treated the injured birds, and when they wouldn't quick pecking at their red backsides and wing areas, I used blu-kote to cover the red. This stopped the birds from pecking at each other and themselves, but the two uninjured birds began to peck them like crazy. So I separated the two healthy birds from the rest using the playpen method.
For two weeks now they have been able to see and hear each other, but not get to one another. The blu-kote NEVER comes off, so my other birds, who healed nicely, are still blue. Yesterday, as I was cleaning the brooder box, one of my original healthy birds jumped over the partition, and the other (previously sick) birds ganged up and attacked her, so I removed her again.
Last night I removed the partition, placed a hard-boiled egg in the box, and everyone got along famously. They ate the egg, ignored one another, and snuggled in to sleep together. I thought all was going well. Then, this morning, I found two re-injured birds. My healthy birds are pecking at the blu-kote on the injured birds, the injured birds are ganging up to attack the healthy birds, everyone is going crazy with each other.
We are close to exiting the brooder box and placing everyone in the coop and I would like for them to be one big happy family before we get there. How do I reintroduce them without them killing each other? I thought I might keep up the night routine--let them out together, with a distraction, in the evening and then to sleep. The problem is that they are up before me, and they hurt each other before I can get to them.
I appreciate any help you can give me.