Fighting chicks

[wolfandfinch]

I have one two day old chick and two one day old chicks and the one day old was alone at first. Now I they're all in the same brooder and the older chick is harassing the two you get ones. Will this calm down? It's only been about 15 minutes but I'm afraid to leave them alone together. They're trying to eat and drink and it showing for them whenever it can

 

[LRH97]

I would put two feeders and waterers in the brooder so there won't be so much competition. It should eventually calm down. I put two three week old chicks in with a four and a half week old chick, and after a little pecking, they were fine. As long as it doesn't look too vicious, I would say it will work out.

 

[wolfandfinch]

Ack I don't have another set! This didn't occur to me as a problem. I will try to find a place in town that sells them. Thanks!

 

[ozexpat]

Ack I don't have another set! This didn't occur to me as a problem. I will try to find a place in town that sells them. Thanks!

just put a bit of mash on some paper and see how it goes before you drop 15 bucks

my bet is they will sort theselves out

another reason to keep chicks in the incubator if you can. they can survive 3 days without extra nutrients

 

[wolfandfinch]

Yeah they were fine in the incubator until they were badly pecking a hatching chick I later found out was shrink wrapped. Really, they would have just done this in the bator instead of the brooder, doesn't matter where. There were cheap waterers and feeders at the homesteading store near my house and it's done the trick. I cut the ends out of two cardboard boxes to double the length of their brooder and put good and water in each one. They are all eating and drinking well. The pecking decreased almost immediately but they had an hour of time to get used to each other before I got back and set them a up so who knows what really did it. The last chick I had to assist 36 hours post pip it was shrink wrapped. I left it in the bator to dry out and rest without the big chicks around to harass it any more.

 

[wolfandfinch]

Here is the new setup

 

[ozexpat]

Here is the new setup

looks great.

personally i use a 50 watt bulb thats set level with the top of the brooder in my av temp house. it gives them a warm spot and plenty of area to escape the heat and toughen up. If thats a 250W lamp it cost about 30 bucks a month to run versus 6 bucks. With the money I save I can buy a sack of feed.

 

[wolfandfinch]

Good to know, thanks! Even with this bulb just barely above the top of the box it's just hitting 94F so I think I'm stuck with it for now. I'll look into why I'm not getting much heat though. They do have lots of spots to get away to but are sticking close by the lamp. No panting or other worrisome behaviour either.

 

[ozexpat]

Good to know, thanks! Even with this bulb just barely above the top of the box it's just hitting 94F so I think I'm stuck with it for now. I'll look into why I'm not getting much heat though. They do have lots of spots to get away to but are sticking close by the lamp. No panting or other worrisome behaviour either.

I dont use a thermometer in a brooder - i adjust it by the behavior of the chicks. If they are jammed under the center of the beam its too far away. If they are hanging out 12 inches away, its too close.

 

[wolfandfinch]

They don't seem to be doing either at this point, but I haven't been able to observe them in this newest setup yet.