Bleeding chicks

[Iowamom]

Well, I have had to pull two of my 3 week old chicks out of the brooder because they have been picked on their wings until they were bleeding. I have a red heat lamp for them, so maybe my brooder isn't big enough. Can anyone tell me how much floor space you need for 24 chicks? I may just have to go ahead and move them out to the chicken coop if my brooder is too small.

Thanks for the help!
Amy

 

[midget_farms]

I have 26 2.5 weeks old. I have a brooder 3ft by 5ft. They are fine right now but I worry that may not be big enough in maybe 3 weeks. That is still too young to move into the coop with the others, but if they get too crowded I'll have to build yet another brooder.

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

are they to hot, that causes more problems than a to small space

 

[Revelle]

For that many chicks, I think 24 sq ft in total, growing a bit in another month. :O

 

[Iowamom]

I'm keeping an eye on the temp - currently 80. But it sounds like my brooder is just too small for all those birds. I have them in a container that is 42 3/4" x 22". I guess that once we get past this cold weekend, they will go out in the coop where they will have plenty of room to spread out. I have 3 heat lamps so hopefully they will keep enough space warm enough for the little guys.

 

[ranchhand]

Take out one off the heat lamps, so they have a choice about the temps. Use that lamp to set another brooder, between the crowding and the heat you have some problems. Even a box will do for now.


Sorry, did a reread, you don't have all the lamps on the one brooder. Try splitting them up into 2 brooders, meanwhile separate the pecked one to heal a little. I have an old oven rack I put edgewise in the brooder to separate any I need to, that way they can be together, but not peck.

 

[Iowamom]

Ranchhand - that is a good idea on how to separate the pecked on ones. I was able to get a great second brooder container today so I am going to split them up tomorrow, but putting in an oven rack will keep the two injured ones separate so they can heal.

I actually put them back in today because they were mostly healed, and definitely not red anymore. I watched for awhile and nobody was going after them. But then we went out and ran errands - I felt so bad - they were even worse off than the first time, of course, because I wasn't there to rescue them.

I'm wondering if these two are just low man on the pecking order and will always get pecked on?? Seems like it right now...