2 1/2 week old chick picking on new young chick... what do I do?

[simpleliving]

Hi everyone-

I am new to all this and just got my first 2 chicks last Saturday and then 2 new ones today (I was waiting on certain breeds). Many people told me it would work out fine introducing different age chicks, but it isn't going so well with my 2 1/2 week old Welsummer - she is picking on my new 5 day old Sussex baby. It is so strange because I picked up a Sussex and a Light Brahma and she doesn't even touch the Brahma at all but is relentless with the Sussex - if the Sussex tries to eat or drink, she runs at it and pecks it on the head until it leaves. So far she has not drawn blood or anything but the Sussex is really getting withdrawn and I don't know what to do. I really don't want to separate them because then it will be harder to reintroduce them. I figured there would be some issues at first with trying to establish pecking order and it has only been a couple of hours. Should I give it longer or what? If the Sussex stays with the Brahma in their little area underneath the heat lamp (I put up a small cardboard wall that they can go behind to be in the light and the older ones can stay away from the heat, the Welsummer doesn't bother her, but if she even comes near her or tries to eat or drink anywhere in the brooder, the Welsummer attacks. Any ideas? I also have a Buff Orpington that is 2 weeks old and she is sweet as can be - doesn't bother the young ones at all, in fact she seems to be protecting the Brahma from the Welsummer and will chase the Welsummer and peck her if she even looks sideways at the Brahma, but not the Sussex - she doesn't protect her at all. Could it be because the Brahma looks similar to the Buff O in color that the Welsummer leaves her alone and the Buff O protects her and the Sussex just looks different? I am afraid to leave them alone but will have to some this weekend for a few hours at a time. I am almost tempted to get rid of the Welsummer because she is such a bully, but I looked high and low for that breed! Any suggestions would be really helpful. I have a red light, toys (piece of wood from outside, a wooden hanging parrrot toy and a mirror) in there so they shouldn't be too bored.

Thanks!

Holli

 

[gmzamz]

me thinks you should put her and a couple chicks who don't peck her in a cage until she's healed then reintroduce all of them....

might not work but not quite sure

Edit: introducing in the evening while there sleeping might work to

 

[enola]

The only thing that you can do is take the younger chick out. The older chick can/will kill the younger chick.

Sometimes mixing different ages of chickens doesn't always work out, sometimes it does.....

 

[gmzamz]

he he... same time

 

[debakadeb]

I'm with the group of putting the younger chicks together. After they get a bit older, you might try reintroducing them. The little one will hopefully learn to peck back

 

[Zahboo]

My sebright hated my silkie. I had to remove him and I left him in a dark brooder for about 3 days. When I put him back, he was fine.

 

[debilorrah]

the pecking won't stop, you need to remove the injured chick with another that won't picked on her and let her heal. Then PM me and I send you the information about reintroducing them - it's always worked for me.

 

[silkiechicken]

A day old and two week old probably will have some issues till the day olds get their feet and know how to eat/drink well. A one week old and a three week old are more likly to get along better. But as with mixing any age groups, it is a gamble.

 

[wyndski]

I had a lone bantam chick from a crappy hatch for a week before I got another chick to keep it company. I ended up with a silkie who is two weeks older and twice the size. I didn't think too much of it because silkies are good tempered. I didn't think about the one I hatched having not been socialized yet with any other chicks. Not long after I put the silkie in, the younger chick started pecking at it. Its toes the white spot on its beak. I figured it would stop in a few mins, nope got worse. The small one started jumping on the silkie and grabbing its top knot and pulling until I separated them. I put a screen down the middle to separate them, but they could still see each other. After a few hours they seemed cool so I took it out. Bam the little one jumped on the silkie again (the silkie is twice the size of the other)

I put the screem back in and left them about 24 hours. They when I put them in together they were fine. Now the little chick is best buds with the silkie.

If there was a way to separate them so they could see each other and get use to them without being able to touch them.

 

[damselfish]

I know I'm late on responding to this but I had the precise same situation this last month...search for "mean chick".

It was a Welsummer picking relentlessly on the Sussexes.

After trying everything else, we kept the Welsummer pullet in the house brooder for a week, alone, while all the other chicks got to go out to the coop. When we reintroduced her, she was definitely low girl on the totem pole, caught plenty of pecks herself. She is now the lowest ranking chicken and pecks no one.

It's better than dead, which was her other alternative. Hope you're doing OK with yours & that this and my previous threads will be of some help.