Chicks pecking each other

[CUDA]

Yes, red light, and the blue kote will help them heal better. But, if you have these inside, they are feathered up pretty well like they look in your pic, they probably need weened off the heat anyway. Good luck!

 

[SpottedCrow]

If they're Leghorns or other light breeds, then it doesn't surprise me at all...They hate being confined even as babies...they want to be doing things...

That's why Penny's got a bare back, now covered in WoundKote.

 

[mangled]

Well, my 13x17 foot living room in now bin central, lol. I have three of the 49 gallon bins, all with clip lights and red bulbs, and three smaller 5 gallon bins on two separate heating pads with picked bum chicks.
The checking account is gasping. My husband is shaking his head in disbelief. My 5 year old is in chick heaven. I am trying to control the chaos, LOL.

When is spring coming? I want to get these babies outside!!

Em

edited to add - you should have seen the look on the kid's face at K-Mart when I rolled up to him with my cart full of bins, mechanics' lights, and red light bulbs and asked him where I could find duct tape, lol.

 

[raindrop]

Maybe give them some other stuff to peck at? Like cut an apple in half and let them peck at it, or some melon or cabbage. Add a few fresh grass greens, something to keep them busy and more entertained. Good luck!

 

[ruth]

I don't think I saw how many you have in how many bins but it looks like they are getting big and have lots of feathers. I'm not sure where you live and the temps but I'm the odd egg on here who believes they need to be outside running around scratching and pecking things other than themselves, from the time they are two weeks old. My 3 week old chicks are outside with a light in their hutch at night only but access to fenced run during the day. They come out of that pen every morning and play till dark then put themselves to bed in lighted hutch at night. It's 70s during the day but really warm/hot in direct sun where their pen is, in fact they nap under the pen in the shade. And it's 50s at night. They are all thriving. This is the fourth batch in a year that I have raised to be outside, free ranging from almost day one. Never lost a chick - never had pecking/fighting issues.

In meantime, give them some scrambled egg to eat. It's high in protein and vitamins - something they may be missing, hence the feather eating/cannibalism that going on.

 

[mangled]

We are in Pennsylvania, and currently have about 8 inches of snow. We got down to 27 last night, so it's still a bit cold. We are high elevation. My mom lives 19.3 miles away and you can see their grass.

Good news is, my husband took the truck to Lowe's last night and bought all the lumber he needs for the new coop. He's having a couple buddies over this weekend and they're putting it up. The electric won't be run until the ground thaws, but he bought a heavy duty extension line that will work in the meantime.

Hopefully I'll have them out this weekend.

I have 4 bins now. About 7-9 chicks in each bin, and the ones with the pecked bums have been blue-koted and duct taped.

Now, I'm ready for Spring any time, so send your warm weather my way!!

Em

 

[ZykloniaDark-GothikRanchr]

Protein, red light, something fun. I got my pecking chicks to stop by putting on the red light, and getting them meal worms...they went NUTS for them!! they had such a good time looking for the worms and eating them, they forgot to peck each other, and they are an excellent sorce of protein, I still get them for all of them and they are older and don't peck anymore.

When it gets warmer in your area, you can put them in the grass for a while when it is bright and sunny outside {I can do this year round here in Florida} I found an old play pen for babies, someone was throwing away, I took it home, opened the sides, turned it upside down, and cut a small hole in the bottom, like 4 in. by 8 in.or so. I put the chicks in through the hole, then I put an old window screen over the hole to keep out hawks, etc. They have a safe place to run around, I can easily move it to different spots in the yard, and I can go do other things without worrying!!! it is the chick sitter

 

[rsf31tmp]

I have 16 chicks most (12) are silver laced wyandottes, one black sex-link, one easter egger and one white leghorn. This afternoon, for the first time in three weeks, one chick was blood this afternoon. The White Leghorn. about two inches down the back of it's neck. Just one little spot about the size of a pencil eraser. I seperated her from the others....saw several of the SLW run and peck at her....why?

How do I stop it, what will happen next?

No idea what to do?

 

[trilyn]

Quote:
Do they have enough room, in my opinion the more room the better. Do they have a red light instead of white or even better a heat emitter. This will give off heat without any light at all. I just heard of this and will be doing this next year! Put some branches in there for them to roost on if you have enough room, and if it is warm enough where you live, put them in a temporary pen outside for some fresh air and allow them to be chickens.

They are running after her and pecking her because they see the red on her neck. Chicks/ens are attracted to the color red, and don't forget chickens are cannibalistic, they'll go after they're own kind if they "smell" blood in a second. If you can put some blukote on her and seperate her temporarily, that would be a good thing to do. If she has a buddy, put them in there with her. Chicks are social, they need company. Hope this helps and someone with more answers comes by soon.

 

[rsf31tmp]

They have a 10 x 9 area and were just moved to this area from the indoor brooder. They have more than enough roost area. They have all been together for weeks, so I am having a hard time seeing who her buddy is or would be....she doesn't like being seperated, don't know what to do