Are there certain breeds that are more cannibalistic then others & if so, what are they?

[hemmerleking]

Barred Rocks?
Americaunas?
Silver Laced Wyandottes?
Golden Sexlinks?

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Barred Rocks?
Americaunas?
Silver Laced Wyandottes?
Golden Sexlinks?

Gallus gallus domesticus is the one chicken breed that is the most interested in consuming its fellow fowl.

Cannibalism is usually (I think) the result of husbandry practices. Provide your chickens with a good environment and an appropriate (for a chicken) diet and you will have few issues with cannibalism.

 

[Folly's place]

Especially adequate space! Some birds are more likely to feather peck and generally be more aggressive with flockmates, but individual personalities can be more important than breed type. Mary

 

[gootziecat]

I've raised quite a few chicks of different breeds, hatchery and from breeders. I have run across this problem once by one particular breed. They were hatched and raised with space and good food but were cannibalizing their flock mates while still with chick down. It was one particular pair from one breeder, not all the chicks, and they were rumpless Araucanas. I've discussed this with other Araucana breeders and they tell me they didn't have that problem.

 

[cmak]

I am having issues with my Silver Laced Wyandottes. I have 6 in a flock of 28 and if someone is getting pecked, it's one of them doing it. I'm going to band their legs so I can tell them apart (5 are pretty much identical) and try to pick out the worst offenders. The others will peck if the see blood, but from what I see it's the Wyandottes starting it. At first I thought it was bordom and then outgrowing their brooder. They're in their big girl coop now and they have plenty of space. It has been hot lately, so maybe they are more stressed, but I woke up today (I've been working nights) to my white giant Winnie with pecked and bleeding tail feathers. So she has to be in chickie hospital while her tormentors run free. It's a little frustrating. Do you think this is a breed thing or a stress issue? I should mention these pullets are 9 weeks old, all from McMurray and raised together from day one. The Wyandottes spent the last week of brooderdom in jail because of this same issue. I thought moving into the coop would shake things up and make them stop. I haven't noticed any feather eating either. But I might not always catch them at it. (12x16 coop, 12x16 covered run, 16x24 uncovered run, 30+ ft roosting space).