AARRGGGG!!!!!!!! You won't believe this!!! 4 IN A HOME HOSPITAL

[Acre of Blessings]

I checked on all the chicks this morning and fed them around 6:45 and then at 8:15. I left around 8:30 to take my daily 4 mile walk and when I came back I went to check on the chicks again..............I noticed blood on one of the chicks face and thought it might have gotton hung on some wire but I looked in the corner and found one of my Golden Reds with a bloody hiney. AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH I am so frustrated with these little boogers. Why????? I feed them twice a day they have fresh water twice a day, what more can I do to get this to stop. Now I have 2 chicks in the house. If it keeps up I might as well bring them all back in.

Is there something I can put in there water to calm them? Is there something I can put in food to calm them? Need advice before I have a bunch of house chicks.

 

[MissPrissy]

The chicks need food at all times. Completely full feeders and lots of fresh water. They must have it. You cannot give them little offerings through the day and expect healthy chicks.

I think you are starving them and they are turning to cannabilizing to get what they need.

I have 12 chicks 3 weeks old and eating 2 - 3 quarts of feed every day and a half gallon of water.

If you have as many chicks chicks they need a gallon of water and at least a gallon of feed accessable at all times.

You will have many more deaths if you continue to feed them as you are indicating. They are looking all day for something to peck and scratch at and to eat. If they can't find food they find another weaker chick and will kill it by eating at it.

 

[Acre of Blessings]

But each time I give them more food there is some left in the pan.

 

[Jades Chickens]

Sorry to hear about your problem.

If you are still using a heat lamp on them you might want to try a red bulb. That is what they used to tell us to do with meat birds if we had that problem. I guess it is suposed to hide the blood, or something like that. The problem is if chickens see blood they will continue to peck at it. Did you remove the chick that was pecking or the one that got pecked. Hope your problem gets better.

 

[peruvian_princess]

I concure with miss prissy they need food available 24/7 at this age.

 

[mmajw]

How big is their coop? Can they go outside to a run? Do they have grit as well?

I would have constant food and water for them. Make sure you seperate the bloody one or they will keep pecking.

 

[MissPrissy]

They eat all day long. They are not like a dog or a cat that will eat and be finished and walk away. They eat scratch drink water come back eat wash rinse repeat all day long. They don't have a feeding time. They will not over eat but they have a very high motabilism and need a lot of feed crumbles.

Please, if you don't have them, try to get 2 chick feeders and 2 waterers. At TSC and other places the plastic ones will cost you under $10 for 4.

Fill the feeders up. They hold about a quart and a half each of feed. You may have to fill them twice a day or more. The same with the waterers.

Chicks grow fast and they need alot of feed at all times.

 

[Acre of Blessings]

My daughter and I just got back from the coop. I took some more food out there and filled the pan (its a big pan and I have 2 waterers. We got some water in a dish and got some paper towels and washed the blood off of the faces of the others. We done this so the others would not start pecking at them.

They now have about 1 1/2 pounds of food available until I check later.

 

[dlhunicorn]

Do not become disheartened if they continue to peck at each other because once started , it is a difficult habit to break. You need to separate the ones with wounds from those with no wounds as they will be attacked if you do not.

 

[Acre of Blessings]

The food that I have for the chicks has 19% crude protein. Is this enough for them? if not what can I give as a supplement.

They are 3 weeks old. Can they have ground up lettuce, carrots or bread? Just a pondering some thoughts here

I am trying really hard not to get