Bully 4 week old chick

[ReiK]

Hi,

i have 3 chicks from the hatchery last May 17. 2 were male and 1 was female. One male last week had a bloody diarrhea and i treated them all with Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole. They are on day 4 of treatment, tomorrow will be their last day. For the first two days of treatment, the male is quite lethargic. On the third day (yesterday), gladly he recovered fully and was active. i noticed yesterday he started picking on the feathers of his other two companions. On the leg feather, on the chest crop portion, etc. some feathers were pulled off and comes with it little bleed from the shafts of the feathers. I started separating him putting a plywood division at night time. At daytime, i allow him to mingle fully again with the other two under full supervision. He still does that once in a while, so i again repeat the night separation. I am wondering if i can just completely separate him from the other two in a different cage? I want him to be with another but he pecks both of the two. I don’t want to keep stressing them on the nighttime catch for them to be separated. Please help. I don’t want it to reach a serious injury.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Not sure if you can get red colored heat bulbs, but the red color is supposed to help mask the color of blood which might help in this case.

Otherwise if the bully persists in picking on the others, I would separate it (but keep it in eyesight of the others, so another cage next to the first or a wire divider) for longer periods of time to hopefully break the behavior.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Do you know what breeds these are, or are they just "backyard mixes" with no specific breed?

I think maybe crowding are a factor here too, though it's hard to tell just how big each cage is and how many birds are in each one specifically by looking, but if they don't have space and things to do, plus a good diet (I'm not familiar with your chicken feeds nor labeling requirements in the Philippines, but it sounds like you're buying proper chicken feed), they can turn on each other due to stress from lack of space and boredom.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Do you know what breeds these are, or are they just "backyard mixes" with no specific breed?

I think maybe crowding are a factor here too, though it's hard to tell just how big each cage is and how many birds are in each one specifically by looking, but if they don't have space and things to do, plus a good diet (I'm not familiar with your chicken feeds nor labeling requirements in the Philippines, but it sounds like you're buying proper chicken feed), they can turn on each other due to stress from lack of space and boredom.

It does sound like they may be overcrowded.

 

[ReiK]

Do you know what breeds these are, or are they just "backyard mixes" with no specific breed?

I think maybe crowding are a factor here too, though it's hard to tell just how big each cage is and how many birds are in each one specifically by looking, but if they don't have space and things to do, plus a good diet (I'm not familiar with your chicken feeds nor labeling requirements in the Philippines, but it sounds like you're buying proper chicken feed), they can turn on each other due to stress from lack of space and boredom.

I moved the chicks with mother hen to outdoor fence cage. Separated into dog crate are the 4 injured chicks also inside the fence cage where their mother and other 3 siblings are. Hope this will help as they have large space already. Will create more cages for the 4 chicks which are already weaned by their mother.

These are mixes of our Philippine native chicken and also Texas breed.

 

[ReiK]

Impossible to say.

You asked if they would die if they snuck into the enclosure with their siblings overnight, that's what I was answering.

Okay. Got it. This morning i am just observing them, a little peck happened but seems because of the space they were able to run away and play in other spot. They are busy perching, scratching soil, dirt bathing, running around. So it seems they will be just fine. I already have at hand the Quickheal just in case there is really bleeding/wound. As i am afraid to spray it then they'll be more curious at it. (Spray will color it violet)

I just tied short their mother as she seems to have chased some chicks and peck them hard. But the chicks can have free will if they'll go near her or run away.

 

[Cazook]

Are they under heat lamp? Red ones?

 

[ReiK]

Are they under heat lamp? Red ones?

They are under heat lamp yellow light emitted. only at night where it can get cold. during day time, powered off. I tried using the ceramic heat no light but it is scary as it smells like burning and you can see smoke coming out, so removed and never did used it again.

 

[ReiK]

Not sure if you can get red colored heat bulbs, but the red color is supposed to help mask the color of blood which might help in this case.

Otherwise if the bully persists in picking on the others, I would separate it (but keep it in eyesight of the others, so another cage next to the first or a wire divider) for longer periods of time to hopefully break the behavior.

Will try to separate them. As it is hard or idk where to look for red bulb. Haven't seen here in any store.

 

[ReiK]

I don't know what the issue is. But all of a sudden every youngster chick are having pecking and bullying problem now.
The 3 chicks (dob: May 17) inside the brooder cage.
The 7 chicks (dob: May 23-27) inside a cage with mother.
The 4 chicks (dob: April 20-26) weaned already outdoor.

The only group of chicks not yet observed with fighting is the 4chicks with a mother hen (dob: May 20-23)

I am so much in lack of cages to separate them