Evil Chick

[MuscovyMad]

I hatched a chick a week ago and he has been by himself in the brooder for the past week. However i had 4 more hatch today / yesterday and so i added them to the brooder today. At first he was petrified of them. But then he got used to them. However now he has started to peck at their eyes. He goes up to them and peers round especially to aim at their eyeballs. Is there anything i can do to encourage him to stop this? I'm worried i am going to have 4 blind chicks by tomorrow

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[PamB]

He is probably just curious and trying to figure out what those shiny little things are. I hatched a lone chick and added a buddy a couple days later. For the first day, they pecked at eachother's eyes and it really bothered me too. They soon got past it though. Hopefully, it won't last long.

 

[kla37]

They don't have hands to explore with, so they use their beaks. It'll stop.

 

[MuscovyMad]

Oh dear so i have just got to let him peck at their eyes till he gets bored! Hopefully that will be very soon. Is it rare for them to actually cause damage to the other chicks?

 

[PamB]

How about giving them something to distract them? Like one of those bird mirrors with the shiny bells that hang down? Or just toilet paper roll. Something to give them a distraction.

 

[speakup4kids]

I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've caught myself standing over my chicks "mothering" them, telling them to stop hurting each other. I teach a kindergarten after school class and I've decided it is starting to affect my sanity. The other day I had to laugh when my 14 yr old daughter caught me telling the chicks to practice kindness with each other. She thinks I've completely lost it. Since I'm pretty sure it's not my lectures that make the chicks stop pecking each other, I'd have to agree with the other posters… it'll stop and the other chicks will be fine.

 

[MuscovyMad]

Ok. I appreciate that he will just get bored. In the mean time i have added shiny marbles and a toilet roll to occupy his mind. It seems to have distracted him a bit. Guess i'll just have to wait.

 

[BrynnRDH]

Quote:

That is hilarious! My chicks will be one week old on Tuesday and they love the branch I put in their brooder. The new thing is jumping on the branch and pushing each other off.

 

[nanawendy]

Yeah It sounds like he(?) might need a mirror or bell or stuffy. Try a red light if you don't already have one.
speakup4kids...

I tell mine to "play nice" and "Watch your manners " as they are shoving one another.