fighting roosters

[ThreeGlovers]

Not what you think LOL.

My 7 day old Rhode Island Red "packing peanuts" from Ideal are starting to determine pecking order. It's so funny watching them hop around and bump chests. Only problem is I can't seem to catch them doing it when I have a camera handy. Oh well.

Anyone else have this going on? At what age should I worry about this getting out of hand? I don't plan on keeping them. Just raise them till old enough to take to the local flea barn and sale them to someone else.

Bo

 

[L*A*G*]

7 days ir really early! if u r sure that wasn't chick behavor, then seperate them when u see them getting painful.

 

[Judy]

Mine are 4 weeks. I think they started the chest bumping at around a week. Haven't had anything worse so far, no open pecked skin or anything.

 

[gritsar]

It's not just the baby cockerels that do it, pullets do too. It's all a part of working out the pecking order.
If they're not drawing blood, let them figure it out.
It is awful cute to watch.

 

[Wynette]

Gritsar's wright; pullets do it also. I've even got pullets that continue to do so as adults, if I introduce a new one, or they'r REALLY angry - hackles up and everything!

 

[melissastraka]

That is really young for a pecking order but if there is no blood I would consider it more of playing then anything. Keep an eye on them though and if it becomes more then just play make sure you separate the culprit for some time out!

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
One book I have, Chickens: Tending a Small-Scale Flock for Pleasure and Profit, by Sue Weaver says "A flock of chicks generally has their pecking order up and running by the time they're five to seven weeks old."