chicks pecking on eachother.... need help soon.

[Pureupto99per]

I need help.... I have four delaware chicks (two weeks old) and three Austrolorp chicks (four weeks old?).... I hatched the delaware chicks myself and my fiance wanted to get these austrolorp chicks from the feed store when we went to go get food... the austrolorps looked tattered and "hen pecked" and I didnt want them but my fiance insisted. now that we have them in the brooder one of the austrolorps is picking on another austrolorp (its back is bleeding, I cleaned it up with rubbing alcohol and neosporin)...

What do I do with the one that seems to be causing the trouble? The delawares dont seems to be getting picked on but you never know. I was thinking of taking the two "healthy" austrolorps and sticking them in their own brooder and leaving the injured one with the delawares which are really friendly. I dont know, all I know is that I cant stand these mean austrolorps around my delawares.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Maybe someone with more experience will post, but from what I understand, Blukote is supposed to help with picking.

ETA: if you can, get rid of the mean one.

 

[Pureupto99per]

ETA: if you can, get rid of the mean one.

... Like "sleep with the fishes" sorta thing .... I dont think we can talk here, call me from a pay phone. lol!!

we separated the Austrolorps from the Delawares... hopefully, that will ease whatever stress is causing them (the Austrolorps) to pick at each other. My Delawares are thankfully alright but I worry about the injured Austro...

 

[txredneckmedic]

probably need more room

 

[mtnkids]

Do you have a red bulb on them? My dad always said to use the red bulbs and that would keep them from pecking. I don't know if its true or not, but I've always used them and haven't had the pecking issues.

 

[Kittymomma]

What are you keeping them in? How much space do they have? What are they eating? Blue-kote is a good idea. It will help keep infection away and the color and nasty taste will help keep the other chicks from pecking at the injured areas.

 

[Pureupto99per]

I'm keeping them in a large dog kennel/crate (4x2) with a white light. They had the pecking problem before I got them... like I said they were pretty rag tag and beat up... the feed store I got them from said they ordered 25 and ended up with 75, so their brooder was too small. (like I said before I didnt want them, they looked horrible... my fiance bought them anyway... so now I'm just trying to get them healthy and happy.)

I'm feeding them medicated chick start and grow.... they are bedded with straw... water and food at all times... white light (which I've never had a prob. with)...

I have the troublemaker exiled to a small makeshift brooder (2x2). The two other injured austrolorps are in a smaller kennel/crate (3x2) and my four delawares are in the larger kennel/crate. this seems to be working out fine although I worry about the troublemaker being alone... but if she's going to be mean then thats what she gets right? I'll wait for the other two to heal and then try to reintroduce the three austrolorps... if that goes well then introduce the three to the four delawares... I dunno.

 

[BorderKelpie]

Blue Kote is great stuff, I don't use lights at all on my brooders, I like Ceramic heat emittors. I also hang small bird toys in the brooders. Seems to help.
Best wishes to you!
(BTW, I love Austrolorps)

 

[dovecanyon]

Since I've started using red lamps or ceramic heat emitters I have not had a problem with pecking. I think the bright white light is too stimulating.

 

[Pureupto99per]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone!!

they are much appreciated...

@BorderKelpie: I dont know too much about Australorps, they were my fiance's impulse buy... what are yours like?