Aggressive week-old chick?

[WriterRiderChick]

Hi, Everyone. I have chicks due to hatch in the bator tomorrow, but I don't have a very good feeling about this hatch. It's my first, and I tried to do everything right, but...

Anyway, to hedge my bets a bit, I bought four Silkie chicks today. They can't be more than a week old, if that. One of them is super aggressive, though. He keeps beating up on the others and has even drawn a little blood above the beak of one of them. I've put him in a "time out," LOL, but I don't want to stress him out too much by keeping him away from the others. Notice how I keep calling him "him?" Anyway, I've only had these babes a few hours, and I'm wondering if this is a traveling stress thing, or what. Is it normal, and what's the best remedy?

Thanks in advance!

~Neurotic Chick Magnet

 

[silkiechicken]

He could be working out the pecking order, in which you should let them "fight it out". However they should calm down in a week or so once they figure out who is who and who's boss. Best of luck with the chicks and you hatch!

 

[WriterRiderChick]

Thanks, Silkie! They seem to have calmed down a bit already, though I think I'm going to name this one Ivan the Terrible (even it he ends up being a she).

 

[S0rcy]

My girls pecked unmercifully hard at first, until I began giving them toys to play with, then they quit bugging each other except for the occasional squabble.

 

[catfish]

Quote:
What did you give them for toys?

 

[NYREDS]

Quote:
Someone in another thread asked how early they start to establish the peck order-here's the answer!

 

[WriterRiderChick]

LOL, NY. That's for sure. Yes, I'm interested to get some good ideas for chicken toys, too.

 

[S0rcy]

I used rubber cat toys that didn't have much of a chance of falling apart. Nothing with feathery bits or brittle pieces. They enjoyed the plastic ball with the bell inside too.

 

[Cetawin]

neat idea...I do not have cats but I can still have a cat toy for the girls. I am going to try that one. Thanks!

 

[pasofinofarm]

We had one really mean agressive chick once. I think it was the first thing I ever posted about on BYC. He never did straighten up and was later proven an agressive roo... seemed to come out of the shell that way. We gave him to someone to be "processed".