Bully Chick-Image of Damaged Beak

[Forgotten Orchard]

We got our chicks just this morning, and they all seem very healthy. We have one chick (these are light and dark brahmas) - one of the smallest chicks- is pecking the beaks of the others. At first the interaction just seemed like designating pecking order as she challenged each of them. We would have allowed the establishment of the pecking order- but then we noticed that all of the chicks - all but the bully - have bloodied beaks on top right where it leaves the head.

So we have isolated her to a corner of the brooder with some hardware cloth.

Is this normal behavior- should we let it continue or should we keep her away from the others for a while?

We are pretty new to this- so any help would be appreciated.

Here is one of the chicks she beat up on

 

[meriruka]

I'd keep here separate for a bit. Give her some poultry vitamins in her water. Could be stress from the trip.

 

[mikenandrea]

aww..
I would have thought the same as you though.. "pecking order"

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

My standard chicks or banties never did pick on each other and I still can't tell who is at the top of the pecking order other then some of the hens will leave the feeder when others come up to it.

I used a red heat lamp in both brooders. Heard many comments on this site on how the red light in calming.

I would also put some shiny objects in the brooder such as mirror, parrot toy with bell on the end, shiny red things like cat ball with bell in it. Flat rocks to climb on or clumps of sod.

Once the pecker has other things to peck at, I'm sure it'll leave the other chicks alone.

Good luck with your little ones.

 

[Forgotten Orchard]

We seperated her for the past day. Put her back in tonight. She was a little less aggresive.

When she was seperated we kept her in the same brooder with some fencing seperating them so that they can still see each other. Some of the other chicks seem to be less passive with her this time.

I think we will seperate her again tonight. I don't want to hear the frenzied peeping of an attack all night. I also don't want her to mess the other ones up. They are so calm when she is not in the mix.

Thanks for the pointers.