7 wk old chicks some are pecking others until they bleed.

[Chatychick]

When mine were that young I boiled eggs and gve it too them and also you can get dry cat food or can if you like and let them have that also as its very high in proteirn too...Mine loved the can type and would almost fight over it. The loved the egg yolks too and tomatoes too cut into little pieces. I saw you made a bigger space for them too, if mine got to hot they started in on some of the littler chicks. I didnt put mine out till they were almost 3 mths old too, but gave them grass clippings all the time and checked their feeders too. If you decide to not use the cat food you can get game starter to feed them and check the tag to see the protein content and see if its 24 % or more. Some places call it turkey starter or duck starter/grower. They have to have higher protein. I would just crush the dry food and add to the feed. It dont have to be expensive cat food either. Good luck

 

[MissChessy]

If you go to your local feed store, you can buy some black medication to rub on their backside and this will keep the other chicks from pecking on them. I'm not sure what this medication is called, but it is black and is suppposed to work. I had 15 chicks and kept them in the largest rubbermaid container which my husband cut the top out in the middle and screwed hardware cloth and I kept a light on top of the hardware cloth with a thermometer inside to monitor the temperature and I kept wood shavings in the bottom lined with newspaper. Need to be sure they have the right temperature in their brooder. This may contribute to their pecking. Mine pecked at their beaks and I rubbed mentholatum on their beaks and that stopped the pecking real quick.

 

[TxChiknRanchers]

We have no light in the coup. We do have a security light(street light) in the area behind the house where the chicks are. So there is light ouside the coup. We do have two feeders and I am up at the crack of dawn putting out feed and letting the chicks out way before I eat anything. They eat (all they want all day) until after dark when they go in the coup and roost, then I lock them up so nothing eats them. We have started putting feed in the coup so as to leave no stone unturned so to speak. We are supplementing their now high protien feed with some cat food ( ground and mixed in with regular feed) and canned tuna as a snack twice a week. We have isolated the 2 perpetrators and things are a lot better now.

Thank you for your reponses and tips.

MissChessy- thank you for the tip about the medication, will look into that. We are medicating the bad spots with antiseptic and antibiotic creme(neosporin), and they are healing nicely. These chicks have not been in a brooder for a while now. Wondering how long you recomend they stay in a brooder? The temps here range from the middle 70's(night) to over 90 at this time of year. Their coup, however vented is not drafty. When I look in to see how things are at night they are not huddled together in a wad, they are lined up on the roost. So I do not think they are cold.

Thanks again Everyone

 

[Tuffoldhen]

I agree that they need their feed 24/7..I keep starter grower out all the time .....also blu-kote spray should help with the pecking....

 

[Queen of the Lilliputians]

Here's my thoughts...

They could be bored. Maybe you could find something they especially like, and sprinkle some around for them to "find". That always gives my ladies something new to do. Or I've read that you can hang lettace from the side for them to peck at (which I haven't actually tried).

Maybe they need more space. It doesn't sound like it to me, but perhaps they just aren't comfortable.

Maybe they are too warm.

Some breeds peck more than others. Flighty breeds peck more than the heavier breeds. I can tell you that I never had a problem with my heavy girls, but my new batch of chicks (3 chicks in the brooder that held 10 last time around) are silkie/americauna mixes. They peck and spar all the time.


Sounds from your post that you are covering the basics. I also keep food available 24/7, but my understanding is that that isn't necessary.

Good luck with your chicks.

Meghan

 

[TxChiknRanchers]

Thanks Meghan, I think we got it now

. most are healing up and we segregated two of the little rascals and separated the bunch left in half. Both groups seem much more at ease and comfortable now, not nearly as much screaming and running around. The two miscreants have been moved in with the big girls (4 BO's) and after a little of their attitude adjustment training they seem to be adjusting to being low members on the totem pole.

Everyone is enjoying additional protien and seem more content now

 

[Queen of the Lilliputians]

So glad to hear it! That'll make everyone's life easier.

Nothing like realizing they are little fish in a big pond to straighten out the bad attitudes, huh

?

And my apologies... I see that you had to repeat this for me... if I had been paying attention I would have seen that everyone was doing better...

-Meghan

 

[TxChiknRanchers]

No problem, glad to post good news!

 

[robin416]

Very good to hear. Of course I have to remind you that they need food 24/7 just so I can mimic everyone else. LOL

If you are getting advice from your feed store and unless they actually have chickens that mean as much to them as ours does, I don't recommend you listen to whatever they tell you. There have been a number of instances when feed stores have handed out the wrong advice so owners spent extra money and the birds didn't do better.

 

[TxChiknRanchers]

Quote:
So true, for some reason we thought if we asked for feed for our chiks we would get the best( or at least the most expensive) Duh!!!

Thanks for the response. Gotta go start the "feed orama" now