Cannibal chick

[LaurenRitz]

I think I have a cannibal on my hands. Mixed group of 20 chicks, Rudd Rangers already split out into their own bin.

Remaining chicks are Buckeyes, Speckled Sussex, Marans and possibly two easter eggers.

Whoever is doing it seems only to be attacking the Buckeyes. Their tails are bleeding and missing a lot of feathers. None of the others have blood or visible tail damage, nor blood on their beaks.

Any ideas on finding the culprit? Two Buckeyes haven't been touched yet. I saw one before I left for town and isolated her with a buddy, but another was bloody when I got back.

 

[Barbours]

I think I have a cannibal on my hands. Mixed group of 20 chicks, Rudd Rangers already split out into their own bin.

Remaining chicks are Buckeyes, Speckled Sussex, Marans and possibly two easter eggers.

Whoever is doing it seems only to be attacking the Buckeyes. Their tails are bleeding and missing a lot of feathers. None of the others have blood or visible tail damage, nor blood on their beaks.

Any ideas on finding the culprit? Two Buckeyes haven't been touched yet. I saw one before I left for town and isolated her with a buddy, but another was bloody when I got back.

Separate the Buckeyes from the others. Take time and watch them all. Observe everything they do. You should be able to tell if some or one is more aggressive than others by it's actions.

 

[WaterfowlsPoultry]

I would recommend setting up a camera and recording them, It could be your phone or another

 

[LaurenRitz]

I saw one plucking at tail feathers and marked her. Still watching. I did separate the Buckeyes.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

How warm is your brooder? How big? The only time I had troubles with feather picking is when I didn't move them up to a bigger brooder soon enough. Chicks after 3-4 weeks need more and more room or else they become bored, and start looking for things to do.

 

[LaurenRitz]

They just hit two weeks today. The brooder is rather small for 15 chicks. I'm hoping to have the new adult coop ready today or tomorrow so the teenagers can move in there. Then I can move the babies into the outdoor brooder.

I was hoping it would work for four weeks. Ten RIR's had no problem.

I was thinking about the problem of feather picking yesterday and realized that this has been going on for at least a week.

Last week I thought it so cute when one of the Speckled Sussex slowly crept up on one of the Buckeyes. Poked it in the butt and ran.

Now I realize that tails were showing at that point.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Are you using a heat lamp? What's the temperature?

 

[LaurenRitz]

They have a brooder plate. I have not measured the temperature, but they seem content.