Frizzle experience... are they pickers???

[megalomaniac]

I came home after work today, checked on the kids outside.

In one coop (10sf), I've got eleven 4 week olds that I moved from inside the house to the playhouse coop approx 5 days ago. These 11 birds were hatched together, raised together, and all got along well (until today).

I initially found one of my EE with a bald a slighly bloody patch over it's crop. There were a few more huddled in the corner, all with the same thing, bald and bloody. I pulled the 5 chicks out which had been picked on (all EE's), moved them back inside for some TLC, but before I did, I watched the group in an attempt to find the offender. The two frizzles (a pullet and cockrel) seemed to be the guilty parties, with both of them harrassing the picked birds and continuing to pick at thier crops. The cockrel seemed to be the biggest problem maker. Theres a couple more EE in there, but they are probably cockrels and bigger than the frizzles, and were not picked. There are also 2 buff orps about the same size as the frizzles, but they were not picked either.

Just wondering, do the frizzles seem to have a tendency toward picking moreso than others? I hate to get rid of them since they are so inquisitive and personable, but I'm not going to tolerate the picking. I was also amazed at just how much damage they could do in 10 hours (none of the birds were picked the day before)

Of course, the birds all had fresh grass under the coop, clean water, and plenty of food.

4 weeks seems awfully young to begin picking anyways...

 

[HBuehler]

We don't have a problem with our frizzle cochins picking..they are the ones to get picked here because of the "hey what's that" look. What breed are yours..some breeds do pick more than others but 4 weeks isn't too young for them to start.That age is a savage age that has the ability to kill each other by picking.
Usually they pick when they are curious,board or crowded..then there are a few breeds that are just more apt to pick.
The ones picking when you watched may not be the ones that started it..once any chick sees blood they will go for it even if they didn't start it. Better than blukote is Rooster Booster no-pick..you and the chick won't be blue and it has great healing stuff like tea tree in it and nothing will pick it they hate it.

 

[muddyhorse]

my frizzles don't seen to pick anybody. I really like purina flock blocks, I keep them in all my pens even the cockerel pen and I don't have any problems. it gives them something constructive to do. maybe try hanging a head of lettuce for them to fight with.

 

[megalomaniac]

EE, frizzles, BO's in the flock

Can't imagine they feel bored or crowded. They've been in a 3.5 sq ft rubbermaid tote until 5 days ago. They probably feel lost in the playhouse

. Plus they've got perches to climb up, windows to look out, fresh grass, dirt to dig in, and box to hide in and climb up on.

The 5 victims seem to feel better/ less timid now that they are in thier own coop. It'll be interesting to see if any of the remaining coopmates of the frizzles gets picked today. If they do, then I may have to let the 4 wk old frizzles just freerange outside the coop.

 

[zazouse]

Is there any chance a rat could get into the coop?

A rat will kill a chick by eating the crop while a chick is still alive,i have had this happen to a 3 week old chick that got left out at night when i missed it roosting outside the coop on a shelf.

 

[megalomaniac]

Just got back from checking on them midday...

The last 2 EE's (in with the 2 frizzles and 2 BO's), now have bald and sl bloody crops.

It's the frizzles, no doubt about it. But I can't figure out why they aren't messing with the BO's, especially since they're the smallest of the bunch.