Big chickens killing little chicks

[ramblingrose]

Is it normal for a big chicken to killed and shred a small chicken and why here's my pictures the first one is my little chickens and the 2nd picture is my big chickens

 

[Lauren Kim]

Yes. It is very possible for big chickens to kill little chickens. I strongly advise that you DO NOT keep them together, because the bigger ones will bully the little ones.

 

[ramblingrose]

Ok I was going to keep big chickens out and little ones up thank you i never encounter that before with the other chickens I had

 

[azygous]

No. It's not normal. But it can happen when the conditions are right - crowded pen, ages of older birds just barely past maturity, and no places for the tiny ones to seek safety.

All it takes is for a chick to find itself trapped with no avenues of escape, some vicious pecks that open sores and make a baby chick crippled and unable to runaway, and the older birds will take advantage of the injured chick and it becomes a snack.

 

[SeaPolka]

Well I keep my Pekins and other bantams in with large fowl hens and don't have problems, as long as the area is not too crowded and they're free ranging, they don't argue. In fact, my Bantam NN rules the roost. I don't know why your hens have issues with each other but I hope it clears up. Good luck and sorry about any chickens you've lost ):

 

[ramblingrose]

Thanks it's a big chicken house with plenty of room but I am going to leave big chickens out and little ones pin up

 

[sourland]

When raised together from chicks it is generally not a problem as long as diet and space are adequate. Cannibalism can be difficult if not impossible to correct.

 

[azygous]

Chicks and adult chickens can safely co-exist as long as the smalls have a safe refuge. I and many others use a "panic room" system. This can be a simple enclosure within the coop or run where the chickens spend most of their awake time. The safe enclosure is centrally located and has several chick-size openings so they can scoot inside very quickly and easily when pursued.

Another drawback of putting smalls with bigs is that the bigs will often prevent the smalls from getting to the food and water. So food and water are inside the panic room so chicks are always able to get plenty. 5 x 7 inch openings serve a chick up to ten weeks of age.

Another alternative is to get a small dog kennel with no floor, raise it up about three inches off the ground, and the smalls can then scoot under and inside to safety.

 

[junebuggena]

Is it normal for a big chicken to killed and shred a small chicken and why here's my pictures the first one is my little chickens and the 2nd picture is my big chickens

I seriously doubt your older chicks killed the younger chicks. There isn't a significant size difference between your birds. They are maybe a month or two apart in age. While it is possible for adult birds to kill very young chicks, it's not typical behavior. Much more likely that you have a predator around.

 

[lazy gardener]

I seriously doubt your older chicks killed the younger chicks. There isn't a significant size difference between your birds. They are maybe a month or two apart in age. While it is possible for adult birds to kill very young chicks, it's not typical behavior. Much more likely that you have a predator around.

JB, this was also my first thought. To OP: can you tell us the exact measurements of your coop: L x W x H? and the dimensions of your run. Pics would be helpful. What kind of wire/hdw. cloth closes in the run? And are they penned up every night?

Further questions: age of each group of birds, and # of birds in each group? When did you find the dead bird? Any injuries noted prior to finding it dead? What did the injuries look like? How exactly do you know that your birds killed it and not a predator? What are you feeding (include all snacks)? Protein content? Mill date on feed bag?