Baby chick pecking others eyes

[sarahfred101]

Hello, I’ve raised baby chicks a few times and I’ve seen them pecking before but this is on another level.

I brought home 4 chicks this morning and set them up in the brooder. One chick immediately started aggressively pecking and grabbing the other chicks around their eyes. Once they settled it seemed to calm down and I let them be for a while, but the pecking issue worsened and the other chicks weren’t able to eat/drink/sleep because this chick was being so aggressive.

As shown in photo, I separated the one chick out and now it seems even more distressed and has been peeping very loudly while the other 3 enjoy their peace. How is this normally handled? when should I try to introduce them back together?

 

[Iluveggers]

Hello, I’ve raised baby chicks a few times and I’ve seen them pecking before but this is on another level.

I brought home 4 chicks this morning and set them up in the brooder. One chick immediately started aggressively pecking and grabbing the other chicks around their eyes. Once they settled it seemed to calm down and I let them be for a while, but the pecking issue worsened and the other chicks weren’t able to eat/drink/sleep because this chick was being so aggressive.

As shown in photo, I separated the one chick out and now it seems even more distressed and has been peeping very loudly while the other 3 enjoy their peace. How is this normally handled? when should I try to introduce them back together?

I put some dots on the brooder wall when I had one chick that likes to peck…one dot was a sticker. The other just a red sharpie dot. She went crazy trying to peck the spots instead. Sometimes they get attracted to shiny things. I also hung up a mirror, and put a little branch in for them to climb on. Tried to make sure that one didn’t get bored.

 

[Sunshinechickies]

Hi, I’m no expert but I have had some aggressive chicks, I find that putting something like a “toy” to peck at helps. Such as a tennis ball or as Iluveggers said a few dots on the wall. Here is an article that might help too.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aggressive-baby-chicks-and-how-to-stop-the-behavior.72029/

 

[sarahfred101]

I put some dots on the brooder wall when I had one chick that likes to peck…one dot was a sticker. The other just a red sharpie dot. She went crazy trying to peck the spots instead. Sometimes they get attracted to shiny things. I also hung up a mirror, and put a little branch in for them to climb on. Tried to make sure that one didn’t get bored.

You can kind of see in that photo, I had my kid draw some little dots and shapes to see if that would help before I separated them, it didn’t. I also tried just sitting there for a while gently pushing the chick away from the others any time it would peck, but as soon as my hand was gone she would go for their eyes again. I’ll definitely try a mirror though!

 

[Sunshinechickies]

You can kind of see in that photo, I had my kid draw some little dots and shapes to see if that would help before I separated them, it didn’t. I also tried just sitting there for a while gently pushing the chick away from the others any time it would peck, but as soon as my hand was gone she would go for their eyes again. I’ll definitely try a mirror though!

Try making the dots red.. that might work better. If that doesn’t work I have heard that gently tapping them on their back everytime they peck a chick can help to replicate a peck and teach them not too. There’s more information on that in the link I added. I hope all goes well with your chicks!

 

[sarahfred101]

Hi, I’m no expert but I have had some aggressive chicks, I find that putting something like a “toy” to peck at helps. Such as a tennis ball or as Iluveggers said a few dots on the wall. Here is an article that might help too.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aggressive-baby-chicks-and-how-to-stop-the-behavior.72029/

Thanks for the article link! I’ll definitely try a few of these things tomorrow. Like that said, the poor thing is probably stressed out since I just brought them home so I’m afraid that I’m making it worse by bothering her.

 

[Farmgirl283420]

Ugh that’s too bad how’s she doing?

 

[sarahfred101]

Thank you everyone for your suggestions! I had the chicks separated for a 3-4 days, and the “lonely” chick who had been pecking the others got over my makeshift brooder divider overnight. I let them interact and watched them and there were no issues all day, so I took the divider out. Everyone is getting along now!! So thankful for that.

Ugh that’s too bad how’s she doing?

 

[Farmgirl283420]

So glad