Chicks keep killing each other - Why!?

[HuffleClaw]

How big is the watermelon box?
20 chicks should have about 10 square feet of space even from the beginning, and that number goes up as they grow.

They might be bored. You could give them a chunk of sod, a shovelful of dirt or compost, a pile of dry leaves, some hay... anything that they can scratch and pick through and eat tiny bits of. (paper towels are boring, and even wood shavings are not very exciting.)

I’m not exactly sure how big it is. But here’s a picture of it from Tuesday.

After they outgrew this, i’d already had a coop to put them in outside. But I’m just going to get rid of them I think.

 

[alwaystj9]

Ewww, baby cannibals...what breed are these? That looks like more space than I have - I use an ancient, converted playpen.

 

[NatJ]

After they outgrew this, i’d already had a coop to put them in outside.

Can you move them outside now? More space, more things to do, and they might be fine. (Of course, move their heat lamp out with them.)

Where did you get these chicks?

What feathers I see do look white, so I agree probably not Buff Orpingtons.

 

[Aapomp831]

They are not killing each other. They are more than likely picking on a weak one, and pecking at it after it’s dead.

 

[HuffleClaw]

Okay then how are they weak whenever they look perfectly fine... I’m not saying you’re wrong I’m just so confused.

 

[HuffleClaw]

Can you move them outside now? More space, more things to do, and they might be fine. (Of course, move their heat lamp out with them.)

Where did you get these chicks?

What feathers I see do look white, so I agree probably not Buff Orpingtons.

My friend ordered from a hatchery. And I’m going to try to get rid of them ASAP but I suppose for the time being yes I could go ahead and move them outside.

 

[HuffleClaw]

Ewww, baby cannibals...what breed are these? That looks like more space than I have - I use an ancient, converted playpen.

I’m not sure of the breed

 

[HuffleClaw]

They are not killing each other. They are more than likely picking on a weak one, and pecking at it after it’s dead.

Pecking on a weak one until it’s dead seems like killing it... But I have yet to notice any weak ones.

 

[NatJ]

Okay then how are they weak whenever they look perfectly fine... I’m not saying you’re wrong I’m just so confused.

My friend ordered from a hatchery. And I’m going to try to get rid of them ASAP but I suppose for the time being yes I could go ahead and move them outside.

It's pretty common that a chick or two dies in the first few days, when they came through the mail. They can look just fine one day, and be dead the next.

Chickens are very good about looking perfectly fine until they're in really bad shape--they don't want a predator to see them as weak, so they keep pretending.

Also, with that many looking alike, it would be really hard to tell whether one particular one was sleeping more than the rest, as long as it popped up and looked perky each time you looked in.

 

[HuffleClaw]

I know I sound dense I just sincerely doubt anything was “wrong”. I guess I’ll have to pick something to go with otherwise I just won’t know what happened.