2 week old chicks pecking, need info hi

[AprilVon]

Hi everyone, first time chicken owner here. We just got our first flock of chicks a week ago; we got 2 rhode island reds, 2 barred rocks and 1 ameraucana, all female. They started out in a storage bin while we put together a nice wooden brooder where they all have plenty of room, water, food and a roosting bar. Today they started pecking at eachother a lot more than usual and now are pulling out eachothers little backfeathers between their wings, I'll post a pic. Our one red was being the most aggressive towards our ameraucana so we pulled the red and seperated her to see if it would help but now the others have picked up where she left off. Is this normal? They are making eachother "scream out" and I've seen little beads of blood where the feathers are getting plucked. Should I keep the most aggressive one out for now? Should I put them all back together and see what happens? I just dont want any of them to get serious wounds. Any information and advice appreciated!

 

[kamac27]

I drew small circles on pieces of paper with different color marker and put them around the brooder for them to peck at. Kept them busy for hours.

 

[TheYLWFlock]

Give them boredom busters in their brooder. A mirror, pompoms (big enough so that they can’t eat them), a perching bar, slices of apples in a hanging suet bird feeder... By giving them other things to peck at they’ll be less likely to peck each other.

 

[Folly's place]

No, only their chick feed for now. With anything else, they need grit.
If you are using a heat lamp, it should be the red bulb, not white light. They need daylight during the day, but only the red light at night.
More things to do will help.
What are you feeding? Is the mill date on each bag within four weeks?
Pecking order issues normally won't include actual wounds; that's not good. See if things calm down using everyone's suggestions. I hope so.
'Production reds' have been too aggressive, in my experience, and I won't have them.
Mary

 

[featheredplanets]

They’re bored or not getting enough protein. They need at least 18% protein. Try boredom busters, giving them a sod of dirt, greens, a dust bath, scatter their feed.

 

[Matt119911]

They are establishing the "pecking order"

 

[Matt119911]

Put them all back together

 

[abraga]

At 2 weeks...i am feeding minced egg, raisins, bread, spinach leaves, grass clippings and mealworms. I also provide grit and a bit of seed. Do you have them on chick crumbles? Some sparing is normal as the work out a pecking order. I would put the other chick back w them .Also..if they get to hot or overcrowded they get grumpy. Ur brooder size looks fine. Provide plenty of treats and feed to keep them busy..i like to toss a few raisins dried mealworms..sometimes pieces of bread or...yes..pieces if chicken. They love to chase each other around stealing treats from ea other. They like to scratch around..so sprinkle the treats all around for the to dig and find them. A bit of seed and grit sprinkled in the bedding will give them stuff to pick at instead if each other.

 

[TheYLWFlock]

If they have ANYTHING besides chick starter they need grit. For a dust bath, fine dirt in a container will work fine. If you take them outside it doesn’t matter if the dog is out as long as it can’t get to them. It’s fine if they eat worms. Just deworm them once they are 6 months to make sure they have no worms! Good luck with them!

 

[AprilVon]

No, only their chick feed for now. With anything else, they need grit.
If you are using a heat lamp, it should be the red bulb, not white light. They need daylight during the day, but only the red light at night.
More things to do will help.
What are you feeding? Is the mill date on each bag within four weeks?
Pecking order issues normally won't include actual wounds; that's not good. See if things calm down using everyone's suggestions. I hope so.
'Production reds' have been too aggressive, in my experience, and I won't have them.
Mary

This is the food we got from the farm, date is good.