Chicks SERIOUSLY fighting!

[dandymandie]

This is not just chest bumping or that head bobbing kind of fighting. The chicks are almost five weeks old. They arent even fully feathered yet. They've been sooo cute and friendly. They're usually all cuddled up in the morning or chirping and scratching in the brooder. They were fine when my boyfriend checked on them before work this morning. But when I started to get ready for work two ours later, I heard a noise I NEVER heard from them before and booked it to the kitchen and Scary Spice and Napkin are pecking each other like crazy!! They were both bleeding! I immediately removed Napkin and carried her around for a while. I tried to put her back in the brooder and she ran back towards Scary Spice and started fighting again! It seems like she's instigating the fight!They're little feathers at the back of their necks were pushed up, they would stare at each other and then fight again every time I tried to reintroduce the other.

Scary Spice might be a rooster, I think. But now I'm thinking Napkin is as well and it's like they all of a sudden decided to hate eachother. I have five chicks total So I separated Napkin and the smallest chick by putting then in a large box next to the brooder. I just hope she doesn't hurt her while I'm here at work!

Does this sound like two young roosters fighting? Will I be able to reintroduce Napkin? She seemed to change overnight, she looks like a mean little rooster. Poor Scary Spice, that's the sweetest one of them all. **Sigh** help please? :-(

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Can you take photos of both Scary Spice and Napkin and post them?

 

[SJchickens]

Photos. Also, I think this is a problem between Scary Spice and Napkin. I doubt the other chick you separated Spice with will be harmed, but you never know. I would separate it alone for now, just to be safe. It would be fine temporarily.

 

[dandymandie]

This is Scary Spice about a week ago.

I will take a photo of them both during my lunch break, I have to make sure she's not hurting the other chick I put her with. I thought to take photos after the incident but I was already very late after dealing with moving her

 

[dandymandie]

Photos. Also, I think this is a problem between Scary Spice and Napkin. I doubt the other chick you separated Spice with will be harmed, but you never know. I would separate it alone for now, just to be safe. It would be fine temporarily.

I think you are right, it is just Napkin vs Scary Spice!

 

[dandymandie]

This is Scary Spice

This is Napkin

sorry for the quality I don't have a nice camera!

 

[dandymandie]

Better shot of Napkin. You can kind of see they pulled each other s feathers out on their heads she was bleeding there and on her chin.

 

[dandymandie]

Jut an update, I tried to put Napkin back in the brooder and she went after Scary Spice again. :-( They've been apart for about 7 hours and still hate each other.

 

[keesmom]

This is Scary Spice

This is Napkin

sorry for the quality I don't have a nice camera!

The first one is a cockerel. A rather early bloomer for a silkie. They usually remain a mystery for a long time. The second may or may not be male as well,time will tell. Did you order sexed pullets from MPC?

 

[dandymandie]

The first one is a cockerel. A rather early bloomer for a silkie. They usually remain a mystery for a long time. The second may or may not be male as well,time will tell. Did you order sexed pullets from MPC?

I thought so as well. His behavior is strange. He's very sweet but also very shy. The other is smaller so its weird to see that she was kind of stalking him around and her feathers were moving up and down behind her neck when I tried again. None of the others do this. They are almost all getting combs now. The larger ones. They were purchased from my local feed store straight run. I was sure I'd get a couple of males but I did not expect this behavior at a little under 5 weeks old.