Can baby chicks kill other baby chicks??

[Lacrystol]

Is it possible for a lot of baby chicks to have the capablity of killing each other? I had 22 baby chicks outside, they are silkies and cochines, each night I do a head count and each morning I do a head count. This morning my head count was at 22 this evening, I found two of them dead but very warm. I have made them a spot to sleep at each night but they all choose to sleep inside a plastic container that I put there food in. 2 or 3 will sleep outside the container but the others will sqeeze themselves inside this container to sleep in it.. I'm wondering if they cause the other two to die? The two that were dead were on the bottom of the plastic container and everyone was on top of them. Understand there is NO reason for these guys to be even in the container for bedtime and I have gotten rid of the container but now I'm wondering if it sounds more logic that one of the older chickens did it. I have some roosters and I'm wondering if they caused the death... by pecking at them or something. They dont have a mommy because I had hatched them myself.. They are about 2 months old.. It definitely doesn't look like anything (raccoon) got to them.. They have been outside for a couple of weeks now with no issues until tonight..

 

[silkie_sue]

Quote:
Silkies tend to sleep in pile, it's just a silkie thing. And if they are all piling into that container....yes some of the smaller ones probably got smashed.
Remove the container and replace with something too small for them to sleep in. I never add chicks that are alot smallerand younger to a large amount of juvies because of this reason. Sorry for your loss.

 

[BrattishTaz]

Yes. I have had chicks severely injured (one died) because the were pecked to death by other chicks. The problems started at about 4 weeks. You need to make sure they have a lot of space. Some say a lack of protein can also cause them to do this.

 

[Lacrystol]

Quote:
Silkies tend to sleep in pile, it's just a silkie thing. And if they are all piling into that container....yes some of the smaller ones probably got smashed.
Remove the container and replace with something too small for them to sleep in. I never add chicks that are alot smallerand younger to a large amount of juvies because of this reason. Sorry for your loss.

Here's the crazy thing the two that died were the biggest ones out of all of them.. Go figure..... but you are saying for sure they could have done this. Well I got rid of the container, I will go to the store tomorrow and get a normal chicken container, one with the holes so they have to peck at it in order to get food. No more open containers for them since they don't know how to properly use it. Out of all the places to sleep, they have to sqeeze into this container. They have a huge dog crate and a cat crate that I have set up for them but NOOOOO they can't use the more suitable things..... They are all the same age but these two were the biggest out of the group... Thank you I was quite sad about it all because I had 5 cochines now I'm down to 4 and I had 17 silkies now I'm down to 16, still a lot of silkies but I'm not up for losing them. after all they are all my kids....

 

[Lacrystol]

Quote:
I dont think they are pecking at each other, I was more looking at it as if they squash each other. They all hang out with each other every day with no problems, they were all raised with each other and hatched with each other, so they are familiar with one another. The pecking I would say would have to be with the older chickens, like a rooster or a hen... I have one silkie paint hen man is she a brat. She pecks at everyone...and she is the smallest silkie hen I have. Kind of funny when she does it because she just thinks she is the leader of all leaders...

 

[BrattishTaz]

Quote:
I dont think they are pecking at each other, I was more looking at it as if they squash each other. They all hang out with each other every day with no problems, they were all raised with each other and hatched with each other, so they are familiar with one another. The pecking I would say would have to be with the older chickens, like a rooster or a hen... I have one silkie paint hen man is she a brat. She pecks at everyone...and she is the smallest silkie hen I have. Kind of funny when she does it because she just thinks she is the leader of all leaders...

You would definately be able to see the damage if they were pecking. They always seem to peck the head and face.

Just be aware that it can happen at a young age. Mine were 4 weeks and also hatched together.

Putting little roosts in the brooder stopped mine from piling as much at night.