Fighting babies

[BlackHillsChick]

I am brand new to chickens!
I bought 6 various breeds last weekend. After watching them all week, I believe that 2 might be roosters due to slow feathering, no tail feathers yet, and attitude. My little Production Red died, from failure to thrive. Today I went and picked up 3 Ameraucanas & a new Production Red. They are 1 day old. I have all the chicks in a brooder together. So far no problems from the big ones, BUT 1 of the Ameraucanas is picking on the Red. She isn't picking on anyone else, just keeps pecking at the Red's face/eyes. Is there anything I can do? Aren't they too young to be this naughty? Will it get better or worse? Should I separate the mean girl from the rest of them?

Thank you for your help and advice. I love this site. So much great information on here.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! If they have plenty of space, and nobody is actually injured, don't worry about it. Mary

 

[Judy]

Remember that pecking is how they expore their world. It can also be a sign of stress or boredom, as well as too little protein.

Most peope do not have brooders as large as they woud do best in. Minimum at 2 weeks is 1 sq ft per chick plus room for food and water.

They would rather be outside foraging., pecking the ground You can add objects to a good sized brooder, such as things to junp on, hide under, or roost on. Sometimes a little more protein in the diet is a good idea, or sometimes a little animal protein is. A clump of sod from outdoors will keep make them very happy. Also, many people tend to keep a brooder a little warmer than they would like. Your brooder should be big enough that they can move into a cooler area if they want. They won't all want to be at the same temperature if they have a choice. That temp chart that has them at 95-100 the first week tends to be warmer than they want, once they have recovered from shipping stress and started to gain strength and size.

You can start taking them on short outings outdoors, which will really make them happy. They need to be fenced. It also helps then acclimate to outdoor temps, and may make it possible to get them outdoors sooner.

 

[BlackHillsChick]

Thank you. It's seems to have stopped for now. I have a large brooder, 5 ft by 2 ft. And we're working on converting an old playhouse into their coop. I will post pictures when we're done.