Cannibal Chick Vampires, help!

[BirdsBeesTrees]

I just hatched some Bielefelders and they are sweet birds doing great, however I only got one female. So I ordered females from Cackle Hatchery and they came this morning. Today has been a horrible day. Anyway I heard squabbling and screeching so I went to see what was going on.
Their are 2 possibly 3 chicks that are pecking the eyes, face of the other chicks and...eating it! What the heck?!? The chicks now have bloody faces! I have never seen this on all my life. I've only had them a few hours not even a day. I gave them 22% feed, scrambled eggs, and I just put vitamins in their water. I spent a ton of money on these chicks do I need to cull them?

 

[Uff Da]

How old is everyone? Did you just put everyone in together?

This is freaky but normal chicken behavior. Abruptly mixing flocks can result in a blood bath. Separate the two groups, or at least separate the aggressors. The injured chicks should also probably be separated, because when chickens see red wounds, they want to peck and will continue to do so till the injured ones die.

They need to be introduced gradually. They need to be able to see and hear each other but not touch. For example, in the same brooder but with a hardware cloth divider. After a week or so they can have supervised visits, and if everyone gets along, they can be integrated.

 

[Uff Da]

Also, be sure they aren't heat stressed, and aren't exposed to light 24/7. Those things can provoke cannibalism.

 

[Uff Da]

https://extension.psu.edu/poultry-cannibalism-prevention-and-treatment

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Ok, this is good advice for chickens. These are day old chicks.
I'm not even kidding, this is Bizarre!
I've raised chicks for the last 14+ years.
I seriously put the 2 killer chicks with a broody, and they were still attacking each other and the hen. So I put one chick with that broody and moved the other chick to another building with a different broody.
I'm hoping that the bigger hens will put them in their place.
My husband wants to cull them now, or butcher them when they get bigger.
@casportpony

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

@Wyorp Rock @007Sean @Kiki

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

We also wondered if it was brain damage, or hereditary. Would you cull now?

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

How old is everyone? Did you just put everyone in together?

This is freaky but normal chicken behavior. Abruptly mixing flocks can result in a blood bath. Separate the two groups, or at least separate the aggressors. The injured chicks should also probably be separated, because when chickens see red wounds, they want to peck and will continue to do so till the injured ones die.

They need to be introduced gradually. They need to be able to see and hear each other but not touch. For example, in the same brooder but with a hardware cloth divider. After a week or so they can have supervised visits, and if everyone gets along, they can be integrated.

They all came together in the same box.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I just hatched some Bielefelders and they are sweet birds doing great, however I only got one female. So I ordered females from Cackle Hatchery and they came this morning. Today has been a horrible day. Anyway I heard squabbling and screeching so I went to see what was going on.
Their are 2 possibly 3 chicks that are pecking the eyes, face of the other chicks and...eating it! What the heck?!? The chicks now have bloody faces! I have never seen this on all my life. I've only had them a few hours not even a day. I gave them 22% feed, scrambled eggs, and I just put vitamins in their water. I spent a ton of money on these chicks do I need to cull them?

Ok, this is good advice for chickens. These are day old chicks.
I'm not even kidding, this is Bizarre!
I've raised chicks for the last 14+ years.
I seriously put the 2 killer chicks with a broody, and they were still attacking each other and the hen. So I put one chick with that broody and moved the other chick to another building with a different broody.
I'm hoping that the bigger hens will put them in their place.
My husband wants to cull them now, or butcher them when they get bigger.
@casportpony

How old are the "older" chicks?
Can you get a video of the behavior?

Wait. I'm a bit confused LOL
They all came in the same box and are the same age?

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Don't cull them! I had a peep who was a barred plymouth rock. She was bigger than the other six and she would grab them by their toes and take off running. She was so strong she could drag the poor other peeps all over the place. She'd attack and go for the eyes too. I seriously thought I had a demon chick! After a week though she stopped and she's a year old now and the sweetest hen of my entire flock! She lets me snuggle her and never goes after the other hens. It's my EEs now that cause the trouble.