chickens killing one another

[kstavert]

We purchased 25 red and black star sex link
chickens from one hatchery early last year.

They all peck at one another and nothing serious.

Purchased a second batch of 25 from a different
hatchery end of September...

These new chicks have been pecking one another
until they draw blood. They even killed two.

Why would the same breed from different hatcheries
have such different behaviours? Is it possible that
the behaviour of the second batch has anything to
do with the birds at the hatchery?

Have we done something wrong?

Your assistance will be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Karen

 

[welasharon]

How big a space do you have them in? What feed do they get?
sharon

 

[al6517]

You mentioned the key word and that is HATCHERY !!!! birds. Hatchery stock is like a box of choclates, you never know what your going to get, and that is a fact my friend. Your second batch of birds were more likely crossed with a breed that tends to be more aggresive. Plain and simple that's what you got !!.

AL

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Have you looked at pinless peepers?
Make sure you are giving good amounts of protein in your feed. You might want to stop giving all treats and up your protein to 20%.

http://www.randallburkey.com/Pin-Less-Peepers-10-Pkg/productinfo/10096/

http://www.eggcartons.com/product-e..._Pliers_For_Installing_Pinless_Peepers_SNAP_P
and the pliers

 

[chick4chix]

I don't think this had anything to do with the hatchery you received them from. I agree with the questions welasharon asked- where are they housed, and what are they fed?

Chickens will be aggressive with each other if they are:
1.) Overcrowded
2.) Not getting adequate protein in their diet
3.) Not getting adequate outside space to be in the sun, scratch etc without interference of another.
4.) In any kind of stressful conditions where different ages are together, or there is a bully hen or roo, or their coop and run are cold/wet/ or - lots of reasons , but you need to look at all of those things and then decide how best to remedy it. It may be they need to be separated into smaller groups- or given different runs- fed a different diet. If you can answer the question we can advise you better. Good luck- that is hard.

 

[kstavert]

My husband built two coops - each 4 x 8 - two stories

Originally, the first 25 were supposed to inhabit both
coops... but, they all went into one and wouldn't use
the second... which is kind of why we got the second
batch of chicks.

Their run is about 12' wide by 35' - 40' long - there's
lots of space for them.

They are eating laying pellets - don't know the protein
content off the top of my head.

I was afraid to put the younger chicks in with the adults
... did so when they were eating and the adults didn't
seem to even notice them. I kept coming out and
watching and there didn't seem to be any problem.

It's the new chicks that are attacking one another -
not the adults. They were doing so in the separate
coop - even before they went into the larger coop
with the adults. We have to separate them - bring
the injured girls in until their neck feathers grow
back.

The adults were laying after the the younger chicks
were added but stopped when it got cold.

We have two bantum buffs that are laying just
fine in the same weather conditions.

Why would the red/black star sex links not be laying?

Someone said to add apple cider vinegar to their
water to get the to stop attacking one another???

I really, really, really appreciate your help. It was
from reading the posts on this site that I decided
to try raising chickens. I absolutely LOVE them..
Even if they never laid another egg, I'd still want
to have them, they are so funny and so much fun.

I remember reading posts where people would
write that they'd go and just hang out with their
girls and I thought that was funny. I now understand.

Again, thank you so much Karen

 

[terrilhb]

from Ga. I am sorry for what is happening. Good luck.

 

[welasharon]

I would look at the protein amount and consider boredom also. There has to be a reason they are doing this....it just may take a few tries to figure it out. I am not sure what the run space ratio is but 25 chickens in a 4x8 coop is way too many if they have to be shut up in there I would think. I am in Florida so I don't have a coop but that does seem tight.

My mom put waaaay too many chicks in a pen and they started eating each other....she would throw packs of hamburger meat in to try to get them to stop. UGHHH! Thankfully I learned a lot on here before getting mine!

Good luck! Don't give up.
sharon

 

[Pequena Bandada]

Karen, how old are your second set of chicks? If they're still "babies" they shouldn't be eating layer pellets. They need chick starter, which has a higher amount of protein. Chickens that don't have enough protein in their diet sometimes do pick at one another. The first thing I'd suggest is switching to chick starter (or grower if they're a bit bigger than babies).

Also, it's possible they don't have enough space. You mentioned that you have two 4x8 coops, and that they're two stories. I don't quite know what two stories means, but 4x8 is only 32 sq feet. That would give your chickens only a little over 1 sq foot of space inside. They should really have about four times that much if you want to avoid the more aggressive behaviors.

 

[kstavert]

we built two 4 x 8 coops for 25 girls..
they chose to all go into one coop...

in warm weather, they all sit on top
of the coop/

The new chicks are 4 3/4 months old

The feed store told us that they were
old enough to go to laying pellets.

Do you think they need to be back
on grower?

What else can I add to increase
protein?

how do you deal with boredom?