Dealing with an aggressive chick: ADDED photos

[CedarAcres]

Thankfully our brooder is really big, so we have been putting them inside the same brooder as the rest, just in one of those plastic see through rubbermaid bins with a screened cover..That way they can still all see each other. They already have the red light. The one that is still in isolation at the moment clearly wants to get out with the rest.. it would be nice if she realized that when she behaves badly, she goes in the bin, so if you want to stay out of there, you need to behave!

 

[Spice Glen Hens]

Exactly what we were thinking.

Put the mean one out with the nice big hens. They will teach it to be civil.
It will learn that it is not the big mean one after all...
These birds are feathered and ready to go out, weather permitting.

We seperate all the time, usually in groups, the older babies go into another indoor brooder for this reason, and they do get obnoxous and can injure the smaller ones because of their size difference.
Then, we send them out to the outdoor brooder. There they have a new world to deal with.
It is the next step for normal chicks.

Where they become used to the larger birds being around.

It is the natural order of things..

In this case, where one is a bully, I would hasten it's studies, if you will....
And, send it out into the outdoor brooder, or hen house ahead of the other "babies" to learn the value of being part of a flock.

I would check on it all day though, in case it needs help. Finding itself in a flock and being small will scare it.

And that is not the message we wish to send.

Once it learns that it is not big.... hopefully it can be returned to the group.

Spicy

 

[Chick Charm]

If you are looking for solutions this may help. At 4.5 weeks old, give them some time in the yard/garden or wherever. If you still have them indoors giving them time for the majority of the day outdoors will cure boredom and let attention go to foraging instead of aggression. A simple tractor can give them the needed protection. I like to have my chicks out at 4 weeks. Granted I am south and it is warmer but still chicks will mend some issues just by being chickens....outside. And what some consider as "aggressive" can be "normal" chick behavior. Pecking at the eyes is not aggressive but something all chicks do at some point. Chest bumping and fighting is normal to establish hierarchy. Some chicks like to kick their feet at one another and at 4, 5, 6, weeks old is just something they do.

Hope this helps.

 

[CedarAcres]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone! They will definitely be getting outside time very soon. We just had to have almost 50 trees cut down in our yard this past week, from horrible storm damage, so they are finishing that up tomorrow. I didn't want to put them out for the first time with all the crazy machinery and huge trees falling. One of the stupid trees fell on one of our coops too, & put a hole in the roof!

 

[CedarAcres]

Happy to report that after being isolated & being put back with the group, she's been doing fine the last two days. Sleeping & snuggling with everyone, no issues. So I have no idea what the problem was, but everyone is getting along fine now.