Babies pecking at eyes

[Fliese]

Hi. My new chicks arrived today (hatched Monday) and they are in a 2x4 brooder with a lamp. Everyone is healthy and generally happy except for one of them (they are 3 colors of Maran, 6 chicks total) keeps trying to peck out everyone else's eyes. She can only go for about 5 min before pecking at (and holding in her beak) another chick's eye. They all shipped together and she's not just picking on one- she tries to get them all. I put of a grate to block of a corner of the brooder and I have her isolated in there right now. The hatchery suggested I get Pick-No-More and put it on all the hens, nut no one around here has heard of it, much less carries it. I can order online, but unless I want to spend $60 in shipping, it won't arrive for a week. Are there any other solutions? Will she grow out of the behavior?

 

[Megan Amber]

Mine like to do that sometimes! Do you have them under a red brooder light? And maybe if you provide an alternate source of entertainment then she would stop.

 

[countrygirl74]

I think most everyone has had at least one crazy little chick like that. Good thing is that she will eventually grow out of it. We had one that would also peck at the others feet relentlessly and drag them clear across the brooder! Little stinker!

First, make sure you are using a red light for their heat lamp... white light tends to bring on more picking problems.

Second, we always gave ours "time-outs". Have another little box you can pull her out and place her in for some isolation where she can't see the other chicks. Every time she gets mean, put her in her time-out box for a few minutes. Sometimes this just breaks it up for a bit. Don't leave her out too long so she doesn't get cold.

And lastly, like Megan Amber said, sometimes it helps to distract them. Stir up the bedding, move their food and water dishes around. Place something in the brooder that they can peck at that is safe and won't come apart, etc.

 

[Fliese]

The light is red and I've put out a chick stick and have mealworms scattered about as well as 2 feeders so the competition is low. Can I let her out with the rest and let them sort out the eye pecking themselves? I'm afraid she'll blind someone at best, kill them at worst.

 

[Megan Amber]

You could let her out for short periods of time and then lock her up again when she proceeds to pick. Chickens can learn, contrary to popular belief. Now I gotta run before Dawg53 shows up and tells me ''chickens aren't humans" like I don't know that! LOL

 

[countrygirl74]

Yes, let her be with them and if she really goes at it, then put her in time-out again. You will probably only have to deal with this for a few days at most. She will get over it by then...

Also, if you have mealworms, etc. out, make sure you give them grit if you aren't already.

 

[Fliese]

I let her be out with everyone else every half hour and let her stay out until she got hold of (and was trying to rip off) an eye/eyelid (as opposed to just pecking a bit), then she'd go into the gated off corner until the next half hour. It seems to have worked, as she has been out without issue for over 3 hours now. Most of the day, she didn't last longer than 3 min. Thanks for all of the advice. It is so wonderful that other chicken keepers are willing to share their wisdom.

 

[Megan Amber]

Oh that is good to hear! So glad it worked out!

 

[countrygirl74]

Yay!!!