Chicks Pecking or....?

[Dephora]

Hello all,

I have 6, 3 week old Easter Eggers. One of them has always been very mean, and I have been watching her lately and noticed that only her and one other chick have feathers on their back. I have even seen her peck others on the back though I see no feathers being taken. All the others have this strange bald spot that has some pin feathers coming in... but they seem broken? does it look like their feathers are being pulled or is that what it looks like when the feathers come in? And advice on next steps?

 

[rosemarythyme]

That could be pecking damage, feather pecking damage is usually on the backs towards the tail or around the vent area.

 

[Dephora]

So, as I do suspect pecking, I have seen the chick pecking near the area on all bald victims until they squak, I nabbed the guilty party. My husband wanted to have a mini court session to decide if the check is guilty (the chick pecking all the others is, of course, his favorite)

But I put her in her own cage for now. She is screaming up a storm, and she is still in the same room as the others. How long should I put her in timeout? I don't want to cull her yet as some people on here have said they have had mean ones that turned nice later and I want to give her the chance? Am I wasting my time? She was pecking others out of the egg and when she sees the other chicks on the roosting bar she running kicks them. I have a mirror in there, a piece of hanging veggie, they get eggs in the morning and fermented crumble the rest of the day. I have stickers on the sides of the brooder and I have yet to see anyone peck but her.

Should I move her from the room so they can't hear her? Or is she fine in chick prison still in the room screaming about her one phone call?

 

[Sarah1up]

I'm in the same boat. I keep seeing people say they had chicks that "grew out of it" so I don't want to cull the chick needlessly. Mine is 1.5 weeks so I have her right there with them, just separated with chicken wire/hardware cloth. For my chick, I don't think it's establishing pecking order so I don't think there is any reason to keep her from being near them and I think at this age it would stress her out too much. She already doesn't like being kept away from everyone. For your chick, it is getting close to the age that it could be pecking order craziness. If that was the case then a couple of days by herself would be an option. But that is still very young and I don't know what that stress would do. I don't know if separated but still being able to see the others would help. I'm as lost as you are.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I think it's best to keep her in line of sight of the others, but separated with a wire wall. I'd consider letting her mingle with the others for supervised daily/every other day visits to evaluate her behavior to see if she's improved.

 

[Dephora]

I think it's best to keep her in line of sight of the others, but separated with a wire wall. I'd consider letting her mingle with the others for supervised daily/every other day visits to evaluate her behavior to see if she's improved.

Good idea. I started doing that today and that method seems promising. I also am spraying her if she does peck with a long range squirt gun. Left the prisoner in the cat carrier, told my husband if he takes her out he better watch her and went to work. When I came home she had stopped crying for her one phone call. I let her out for a supervised visit and she was a different chicken, very shy, followed the others around and when she saw me sitting in a chair near her she jumped into my lap and cuddled up. So I suspect hubby carried her around with him all day because he felt bad. Very suspiscious behavior. I am letting her sleep with them tonight but putting her back in the carrier tomorrow when I can't be around.

Thank you for advice

 

[Dephora]

If anyone wants a mid day update I moved things around in the brooder so traffic doesn't get backed up in places, more difficult to come up behind another and peck their back. I moved the roosting bar I made so that is high enough that you can perch and others can walk underneath, also letting those that don't want to run around not get trampled. So far the one I removed yesterday has not pecked anyone today but the usual "get moving and out of my way pecks" She still goes into her own area when I can't be with them. But usually she hangs out with my husband because her crying makes him upset so he carriers her around. I will say, curbing the behavior IS a ton of work. I can see and understand why someone would just cull the chick, I most likely wouldn't be doing this if I wasn't deathly afraid that my mean girl is my only hen, lol! What Irony would that be if I got rid of her. If I stay on top of it and keep up what I am doing, I am sure her behavior will perminantly be improved. I just have to stick with it and have the squirt gun ready. Thanks to everyone that replied.