chicks pecking other chicks feathers off!! Help

[sms1225]

I have 4 week old chicks, 12 RIR's and 12 Silver Laced Wyandottes. I noticed yesterday that about 5 of the Wyandottes had bald spots on their backs where there had been feathers. I then saw a RIR pecking at the area on one of the chicks, so I seperated the chicks which were being pecked from the others. someone told me they will eventually bleed and will die. Please help with what I should do!! Are RIR's aggressive??

 

[Pinenot]

What I do is place a seperate bowl of rolled oats in with them. It works! They are bord, so they start feather picking and they will eat the feathers.

 

[ruth]

How much space do you have them in? They need lots of room to get away from the bullies. And yes, my RIRs are the only ones who chase and pick on the other breeds and even challenge me when I'm in the coop and run and they are only two months old. So far no injuries or feather loss because the smaller ones they seem to pick on are fast and can get out of their way - I free range mine so they aren't confined.

 

[sms1225]

I am almost finished with my outside run. I was wondering if my indoor coop which is 10'x10' is too small for 12 RIR's and 12 silver laced wyandottes. And that is perhaps why they are picking at each other???

 

[ruth]

The "books" will probably tell you that 24 chicks in a 10x10 coop is fine but pecking issues are one of the results of overcrowding. Are they inside the 10x10 coop at all times and can't go outside at all? If so, yes I would finish the run ASAP and let them out. With space and fresh air and sunshine I bet your problem will go away. In the meantime give them things to scratch and play with to ease their bordom. Toss some piles of grass cuttings in coop or straw/hay along with feed and scratch. I always throw the food on the ground in several places so everyone can scratch and search for it. I find if I use a feeding dish the older and higher pecking order birds won't let the others eat.

 

[sms1225]

Yes they are in the coop 24 hours a day, because my run is not finished yet. I thought that was probably part of the problem. My RIR's are the ones doing the picking. The silver laced wyandottes are not. I have separated them now and hopefully will have my run finished this weekend.

Thanks for the info