Cannibalism

[Fairview01]

I have researched this and found one reference that stated cannibalism can be a heritable condition. So I've had several sets of eggs this year and in about 3 or 4 of those hatches there was one that from day 1 went around pecking and picking all the others. In one hatch 2 chicks were lamed on the foot missing the toenail before I even moved them out of the incubator I had to destroy them and the perpetrator. I separated him from the hatch for 3 days and when I added him to the brooder it went right at it again. I always thought it was low protein, boredom or overcrowded conditions but on day 1 after hatch I start seeing this behavior when I'm feeding 28% protein it can't be the feed.

I'm starting to believe it can be inherited. Any opinions.

 

[Kiki]

What are you feeding 28% protein to?
Chicks?

Are you hatching these from your own eggs?
You might want to read through ALL of this:
http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1957/17469/pnw477.pdf

 

[Fairview01]

What are you feeding 28% protein too?
Chicks?

Are you hatching these from your own eggs?
You might want to read through ALL of this:
http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1957/17469/pnw477.pdf

Hatching Cornish from eggs but I feed 28% protein to my marans chicks also until they are more or less fully feathered. Feathers are 100% protein. Between that requirement plus just the natural growth, I figure chicks can use every bit of protein they can get. Once they are nearly feathered out they get layer pellets like everyone else.

Commercially manufactured rations are created based on intensive research to provide minimum and adequate growth rates at every stage. It's all about price point and pennies. The feeds we buy, not including premium or organic feeds, are formulated for commercial poultry operations so anything beyond minimum and adequate will price the manufacture out of competition. I don't mind spending a bit more for more than the minimum.

I have had more hatches without a problem than with. When a particular chick in a hatch group takes to eating on the other chicks on H+1, I don't see where it can be a nutritional deficiency or for that matter an excess when their is still yolk sac remaining to be absorbed.

I made the mistake of not destroying one of these chicks and I'm paying the price now. I've left for work in the morning and everyone is healthy, happy and active. I come home at night and I have one toes up dead with the backbone exposed at the tail. Every chick mortality has been identical.

I'm not for sure which one is responsible for this but I'm naturally inclined to think its the one with the perfect feathers. Everyone is missing feathers to some degree except one. I'm gonna move that one in with adult Cornish which will put him/her on the bottom of the pecking order. Either that or I'm gonna have a Cornish game hen in the freezer.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I think some are just too vigorous, and want to fulfill the survival of the fittest. Generally in my experiences they calm down after a few days. The excessive pecking at eyes and goes seems to be a search for food. I have put aggressive chicks in a wire jail for a few days while others learn to get away. If the behavior continues past the first week the chick would be removed permanently.

What does your brooder look like? How big? Temperature? Too much heat can bring on aggressive behaviors too.

Being more aggressive can be inherited like every other trait, so don't breed those birds anymore.

 

[chickens really]

I had a Chick hatched under my Broody that from the time it was dry and moving around it was a pecker too...Momma Hen killed that Chick...Even she knew it had problems....

 

[Fairview01]

I had a Chick hatched under my Broody that from the time it was dry and moving around it was a pecker too...Momma Hen killed that Chick...Even she knew it had problems....

Yup, my hens rarely go broody - Marans and Cornish so it's the incubator for me. Despite having water and chick starter in the incubator this one was so viscious that he severed a toe on 2 different chicks. Only the ligament was holding the nail to the foot. Separated that sucker for a few days and when I put him back in with the clutch, Bang he went right back chasing those 2 again. None of the other chicks had any interest in going after those chicks despite the bright red stub. Destroyed that SOB and ultimately the other 2.

No more from no on. Any chick that shows this behavior in the future hatches I'd dead right then and there. I had 100% hatch on the clutch and went to 70% because of that one chick.

 

[aart]

Hatching Cornish from eggs but I feed 28% protein to my marans chicks also until they are more or less fully feathered. Feathers are 100% protein. Between that requirement plus just the natural growth, I figure chicks can use every bit of protein they can get. Once they are nearly feathered out they get layer pellets like everyone else.

Commercially manufactured rations are created based on intensive research to provide minimum and adequate growth rates at every stage. It's all about price point and pennies. The feeds we buy, not including premium or organic feeds, are formulated for commercial poultry operations so anything beyond minimum and adequate will price the manufacture out of competition. I don't mind spending a bit more for more than the minimum.

Cornish Cross?
28% is way more than the minimum....too little and too much protein can cause problems.

 

[Fairview01]

Cornish Cross?
28% is way more than the minimum....too little and too much protein can cause problems.

Nah. Pure heritage white large Cornish. Until they are mostly feathered out I feed the 28% then they're big enough to choke down pellets, usually. On day 20 I set a small water fount with electrolyte water and the feed on a paper towel. This behavior is already being displayed on day 1 after hatch. Not enough time for any outside factors to create this behavior. The best description I can give is that occasionally in a clutch of eggs I hatch there is one chick and only one chick that acts like a starved piranha just chasing the others. Once it finds a slightly weaker one, particularly one that hatched a few hours later, all bets are off. That one becomes the target. None of the other chicks display this behavior even after blood is visible.

Strange, huh.

 

[aart]

This behavior is already being displayed on day 1 after hatch.

I wasn't suggesting that the 28% feed was causing the aggressive behavior,
only that that high of a protein feed might cause other problems, if only in your wallet.
Just not necessary for chickens.

Also found this odd:

Once they are nearly feathered out they get layer pellets like everyone else.

What protein percentage is your layer feed....and why feed that much calcium(assuming 3-4%) to non-laying birds. Seems a drastic change for growing birds.

 

[lazy gardener]

Wow. Simply, Wow. Yep, I'd be culling such behavior. Wonder if changing out your roo might help. That would remove 50% of the gene pool. How many hens do you have playing in the gene pool? If not problematic, you might mark eggs, and see if there is a correlation between piranha chick and his dam?