2 week-old being pecked

[LibertyRunMom]

I have 25 2-week old chicks... just a little bit ago, I heard a bunch of peeping and when I checked, one was being pecked on by the others... i grabbed her out and she has a small bleeding wound next to her beak... I've placed her in a box w/some feed & water (I dipped her beak, but am not sure that she will drink from the little bowl - it's all I had)... she's in there peeping away - should I put 1 of the others in there to keep her company, or would that one just start pecking at her again? Will the others accept her back when she's healed? They are in a brooder in a room just off of our kitchen - we're hoping to have the coop ready soon & can have a bigger brooder out there.

They seem to have plenty of space - they all stay together in one corner (regardless of whether or not the heat lamp is on or off).

Thanks for any advice - this is the worst day for something like this to happen, I have 2 sick kids, a baby, all our critters, & dh out of town - UGH! When it rains it pours, I guess.

 

[SimplyForties]

When I had to separate one of my chicks I screened off a corner of my brooder with an old window screen and stuck her in there (mine was the perp and was in jail). She could see and be seen by the other chicks. She ended up being in there for about 3 days and had no trouble reintegrating with the group.

As an aside, looking at these reminds me how tiny the little peeps were just a short while ago!

Good luck!

 

[fiberart57]

I'm no expert here, but when I was raising our chicks we had three that weren't growing at the same rate as the others despite multiple feeders and waterers. What was happening was that some of the others would practice flying and body slam the little ones. I separated them into another area in the same brooder. I worried about it because they were Very Unhappy about it at first, piping and pacing back and forth. But they got over it and it then turned out to be the best thing I ever did because they started growing and maturing at a faster rate. The rest of them would still sleep next to the babies with the fence between them; it was really cute. I left them separate for two weeks and when they reintegrated they were able to hold their own.

They are amazingly resilient little creatures.
Mary

 

[LibertyRunMom]

THank you both - I will go looking for a screen or something along those lines... how did you give her water while screened off? Mine doesn't seem to want to drink from the little cup I've given her.

I wish I could just separate the meanie, but they were all going after her & I don't know which instigated it -- not to mention that now that she has a wound, I don't think they'd leave her alone.

 

[SimplyForties]

I actually used two very shallow oval ramikins for food and water. You can see the feed one in the picture. Mine had no trouble drinking from it. It's about 1/2" deep. Hope that helps.