biggmackk17
Hatching
- Apr 15, 2024
- 3
- 0
- 4
Hi there, we rescued 4 feral chicks here in Hawaii when they were abandoned by their mother. This is our first time with chickens so its been a learning experience. We brought them home when they were around a week old and have had them for a week and a half. They've been doing fine since we had them, with little scuffles here and there of them flying at each other but nothing serious. We've had them in a kiddie pool, 5 feet in diameter, 2.5 feet tall, for the last 4 days or so.
They started being able to fly out the sides, so we surrounded it in sheets as temporary walls until we could pick up some chicken wire. I cleared the sheets out today, and put chicken wire over the top of the pool, and two who normally go at it from time to time started fighting much more violently than usual. I waited about 30 secs to see if it would resolve itself since I had read about it being fairly normal behavior with pecking order and all that, but that was about all I could stomach. I pulled them apart and it looks like the largest one got a hold of the other ones eyelid and caused it to bleed, as well as a bit of bleeding on the top of the beak.
I removed the mesh from the top thinking they may have perceived it as being less space, but as soon as they are back together it back to fighting. All the other ones seem to be getting into it with each other as well now. I'm not sure what to do, there's plenty of food, water and space. Any idea why they might have started fighting so severely out of the blue? They've all gotten along fine since before tonight. Anything I can do to get it to stop? I cant really over over them all night and break out any brawl that starts up.
Thanks in advance for the advice.
They started being able to fly out the sides, so we surrounded it in sheets as temporary walls until we could pick up some chicken wire. I cleared the sheets out today, and put chicken wire over the top of the pool, and two who normally go at it from time to time started fighting much more violently than usual. I waited about 30 secs to see if it would resolve itself since I had read about it being fairly normal behavior with pecking order and all that, but that was about all I could stomach. I pulled them apart and it looks like the largest one got a hold of the other ones eyelid and caused it to bleed, as well as a bit of bleeding on the top of the beak.
I removed the mesh from the top thinking they may have perceived it as being less space, but as soon as they are back together it back to fighting. All the other ones seem to be getting into it with each other as well now. I'm not sure what to do, there's plenty of food, water and space. Any idea why they might have started fighting so severely out of the blue? They've all gotten along fine since before tonight. Anything I can do to get it to stop? I cant really over over them all night and break out any brawl that starts up.
Thanks in advance for the advice.
