Excessive pecking

[cheryldb]

Hi I am new to chickens. We just bought 10 acres and bought 12 month old barred rocks from the feed store. They were over crowed and some were pecked. We put them in a large brooder with tons more space. They have all been pecking each other and we can't get them to stop. Some to the point of bleeding. We tried the vicks and it helps for a while. The weather is not warm enough yet to get them outside. We are feeding chick starter. They appear to be eating the feathers as none are laying about. I would separate but all 12 of them are pecking. Now they are even pecking themselves. We have had them for a week. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you. I have been reading all the threads on pecking but most have to do with older hens.

 

[ChickyGirl12]

Welcome to BYC! I suggest a product called Pecker Wrecker, you feed store should carry these. Its a block that they peck on, and i don't know how it works but i know it does! I have had around 70 chickens before with this problem, and i put a couple of these blocks in their pen and within about three days they stopped pecking each other! Also, they are establishing something called, "The pecking order" I don't know if you have ever heard about this, but its where they set their social status you could say. Lol! I hope I helped a little!

 

[lalaland]

up the protein content in what you are feeding - sometimes pecking is related to that, sometimes it is a learned behavior and hard to stop.
Be sure to cover any bloody areas with blue kote (feed store product) as chickens will continue to peck at the red/blood.

Provide alternative pecking targets - like a feed block which is what chicky girl12 is suggesting, although month olds might be a little young to be able to really get anything. Scatter boss or corn in the bedding. dig out a plug of sod and put it in with them, replace daily....be sure you are providing grit if you are adding boss/corn, soil....

good luck!

 

[cheryldb]

Thank you for the help. We looked for blue kote and could not find any we bought pine tar and applied that over the bloody and red spots we also bought a pecking block. I will try the grass clump and see if it helps as well. Thanks again.

 

[azygous]

Have you inspected these chicks for mites? Since the pecking is so wide spread amongst the twelve, I suspect there may be more going on here than just pecking.

The reason I suspect they may have parasites is that they were in the feed store for so many weeks before you bought them, and I'm betting the living conditions for the chicks over that month were less than desirable.

 

[cheryldb]

Thank you for your help. No sign of any parasites. They have really calmed down. We started taking them outside to a pen on nice days and the pecking has mostly stopped. The weather is getting nice enough to move them out the chicken coop. They are much tamer now too.