Cannibal chick! What to do!!!!

[larsonll]

SteveBaz, you are much more strong willed (and practical) than I could be. I'd stick it out awhile, especially if I had more chicks.

Maybe I'm just too new to this!

 

[SteveBaz]

Quote:
Sorry for the direct comment, no harm intended just being pragmatic as usual.

I have been around birds my entire life. Never chickens but in general birds. Sometime it needs to be done. Give it away to a flock that is older and that may be what it takes to stop picking on others in the group.

Steve

 

[carolsmith7878]

I tried it with my 3 week old chicks. If the stuffed animal doesn't work, I may try it with my 2 month old birds (under very strict supervision, and once it is at least a week or two old). A couple of good sharp pecks for eyeball pecking may do the trick (you never know 'til you try).

Too late to give it away now, my son is already very attached (has made videos with said chick and sent out to family).

I will try all necessary. If all else fails I may free range it with the rest of the birds, or pen it separately if necessary, and keep it in a separate cage in the coop.

Ahhh... the things you do for your kids.

 

[larsonll]

Quote:
Sorry for the direct comment, no harm intended just being pragmatic as usual.

I have been around birds my entire life. Never chickens but in general birds. Sometime it needs to be done. Give it away to a flock that is older and that may be what it takes to stop picking on others in the group.

Steve

Nope, we new chicken owners really need some reality that you provide! Your experience helps.

 

[larsonll]

Quote:
Ditto.

 

[bigchickenlittle]

i would cull it..trty seperating it but sometimes habits cant be changed

 

[carolsmith7878]

UPDATE ON CANNIBAL CHICK:

Hi! I wanted to share this information with everyone so that another person may read this and gain from it.

I called Ideal, and they did refund me the price for the dead chick and the eyeball picker, but were rather poopy about the fact that the other chicks were severely dehydrated. When I explained that there should have been more Oasis gel in the the box for them to provide fluids, they told me that the chicks should have been okay with out it anyway (um... no.. they weren't). It seemed like they were less interested in fixing the problem, and didn't seem to care much, other than that they were happy that they only had to refund me for two chicks, rather than 7 or 8. If ordering from Ideal, and you are some distance away, I would request extra Oasis gel in your chick shipment.

So... the GOOD NEWS!!!

Hannibal can now officially be called Hannah! It took a lot of work, but she is cured of trying to eat her siblings. This is what I did:

First off... the stuffed animal did not work. She did like it for company, and would sleep with it, but otherwise pretty much ignored the eyes on it, though they were very shiny and approximately the same size as her siblings. I tried the stuffed animal and isolation for several days. When I put her back in, she went straight for the eyes and face of the other chicks again.

I had tried her once with the 3 week-olds and she tried to peck their eyes also. So under supervision, I put her in with my 2 1/2 months olds. I let them chase her and peck her for about 10 minutes. I was there the whole time and made sure she could escape any real damage. I then picked her up and put her in isolation for a half day. Then, I put her back in with the 3 week-olds. She was scared and ran from them this time, so they also picked on her. I left her in there for about a half an hour under supervision. I then took her out and put her back in isolation overnight.

Then... I put her in with her original siblings the next day. She is a bit timid still, as I think she is still a bit frightened of any bird, but she is getting over the fear and starting to socialize with them normally... NO EYE PECKING.... YAY!!!!!!!!!

It took a lot of work, and I know it seems cruel to let her get picked on, but it worked! She just needed to get it through her head that other chickens are not for picking on and eating. She will now, hopefully, continue to be a normal bird so that she can live happily with her flock.

 

[drumstick diva]

Hope she stays that way but, maybe your kids should wear safety glasses around her (you too) till you are absolutely certain she is cured. Even innocent chicks get attracted to eyes and have injured some of the BYCers who have written about it. Safety glasses couldn't hurt. Ideal really bites doesn't it??

 

[OvertheHenHouse]

Wow - what an awful story with such a hopeful outcome! Way to peck her down to size, and I really hope she stays off eyes - and really glad to know what you did for the behavior.
Good luck - and thanks for the update!

 

[carolsmith7878]

My son and I are both very careful around the chickens. We never allow any of them to get near our faces.

Pointy, sharp beaks and soft, squishy, shiny eyeballs do not mix well together.