chicks pecking at each other

[marielfacunla]

This past easter my hen had hatched out 2 chicks so they're currently about 7-8 weeks old. This evening when i got home from work i had noticed one of the chicks (we'll call this one chick A) hiding under the small space we have under our nesting boxes, and quickly realized that it was severely pecked at on the top of its head and come.

Worriedly i had thought it was our roosters doing, but i couldn't believe it because our rooster has more of a mellow attitude and is a real sweetheart. But i quickly found out the perpetrator was the chicks sibling as once i was able to push the chick A out the other chick (chick B) immediately started pecking at the other chick.

Mother hen started stepping in and separating the two and chick a returned to its hiding spot under the nesting box. I quickly got the chick out to instead clean its wound and for now i have it separated in a small cage outside of my chickens coop/pen. After wards i did notice mama hen slightly pecking at chick B(maybe as a way to get him to stop?)

We suspect that both chicks are cockerels due to their well developed combs. we were planning to cull them when they got bigger or just giving them away. This is also the first time we've hatched chicks

Anyways anyone have any advice as to what my next steps should be? should i keep the chicks separate? are there ways to stop this behavior?

 

[rosemarythyme]

My guess is the injury more likely came from an adult (do you have other hens?) or an accident, or perhaps mama is starting to wean them and got overzealous? And the other chick was picking on it more out of curiosity/because it was attracted by blood, but hard to say.

Unfortunately you may need to keep the injured chick separate like you currently have it, in order to let the wound heal, as it's likely going to keep getting pecked especially if there's blood involved. At 7+ weeks old it doesn't need the hen for warmth any more.

 

[Mutchi]

Do you have pics of the wound? Poor guy, being bullied by its own sibling

 

[marielfacunla]

My guess is the injury more likely came from an adult (do you have other hens?) or an accident, or perhaps mama is starting to wean them and got overzealous? And the other chick was picking on it more out of curiosity/because it was attracted by blood, but hard to say.

Unfortunately you may need to keep the injured chick separate like you currently have it, in order to let the wound heal, as it's likely going to keep getting pecked especially if there's blood involved. At 7+ weeks old it doesn't need the hen for warmth any more.

i do have another adult hen, a little younger then the mama hen, but i haven't noticed any hostile behavior from her to the chicks. It's probably the latter than because i did notice mama hen pecking at the other chick when it got too close/when it was trying to get her to brood over it

 

[marielfacunla]

Do you have pics of the wound? Poor guy, being bullied by its own sibling

here's some pics poor little guy, we cleaned the wound and put a little anti septic spray on it. I'm picking up some vitamins to put in his water, what other things should i do?

 

[marielfacunla]

i do have another adult hen, a little younger then the mama hen, but i haven't noticed any hostile behavior from her to the chicks. It's probably the latter than because i did notice mama hen pecking at the other chick when it got too close/when it was trying to get her to brood over it

shes also starting to lay eggs once again so definitely a sign that it's time to starting weaning them out, i think i might also have to seperate the other chick from the hen

 

[Mutchi]

oh my! way worse than i thought!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Ouch that does look painful. I would keep it separate (but ideally in view of at least it's sibling) until it heals up.