Chicks eye pecking each other

[Gray Ghost]

Just took delivery today of 25 Americauna brand new chicks. Placed them in a spacious brooder with plenty of food and water and correct heat. They have been eating and drinking and appeared to adjust well. But by this evening some of the chicks were aggressively pecking other chicks eyes and four or five of the chicks had slightly bloody upper eyelids where they had been grabbed and held by other chicks. I have identified the two most obvious perpetrators and segregated them in a cardboard box in the brooder (to their very vocal dismay) with their own food and water. This appears to have stopped the eye pecking for the moment. However I do not view segregation as a long term solution. Any advice? Thanks.

 

[PunkinPeep]

I have not seen this in chicks who are quite so young.

However, sometimes the short-time removal will help anyway. While the pecking order is not highly developed at this age, the chicks who are in time out will come in at the bottom of whatever order IS in place.

I would watch them very closely when you put them back in after 12 hours or so.

Also, just a thought, i have read and heard that warm temps in the brooder can encourage aggression. The chicks don't read the textbooks, so even though the temps are technically correct, if you continue to have this kind of aggression, consider raising the lamp a bit and see if that helps.

 

[Gray Ghost]

Well, as an update, I was able to re-integrate one chick into the flock yesterday. However the other chick, whenever placed with the other chicks, starts pecking their eyes within minutes. Right now she is segregated alone and does not like it at all. Any other advice from anyone else about what to do with a 4-day old chick who won't stop pecking the other chicks' eyes?

Thanks

GG