Beak-pecking chick

[lsomers]

Hi all,

I have nine chicks of mixed varieties, ranging in age from 2 days to about 1.5 weeks old. Everyone has been pretty calm, except the Ancona chick (probably a ~4-day-old). She pecks beaks. Everyone's beaks. Constantly. She just runs from chick to chick, pecking at their nostrils until they chirp and jerk away.
(OK, OK, it isn't constantly. She does eat, drink, and sleep...but about 90% of her recreation time is pecking beaks.)

So... Is this normal "pecking order"-type behavior? Is she just making everyone her b*tch? Is she trying to eat those tasty-looking nostrils ? Should I keep her separate from the others, so they can get a little rest (that's what I did last night)?
Also, do you think this behavior will persist into adulthood?

I'm using a red heat lamp already, and I'd love to put Blue Kote or vaseline on the pecked sites...but I doubt the little chicklings would appreciate trying to breathe through vaseline! I guess the next thing to try is to add a Distraction to peck at, like a halved apple or a ribbon ?

Thanks for any advice!

-Laura

Chick list: 2 red stars, 1 golden sex link, 2 speckled sussex, 1 silver-laced wyandotte, 1 ancona, 1 araucana, 1 barred rock

 

[canada-goose]

That doesn't sound good. I think you'd better separate her from the others and keep a close eye on them for a few days. Hopefully it's just stress from shipping and she'll grow up to be a normal and nice bird!