help! 4 day old chick really aggressive!

[Poulet des Bois]

Hi, glad to find this thread. I suddenly have an extremely aggressive chick. All are 3+1/2 wks. old. All were fine happy & cosy. One took off after another & drew blood, got it by the head repeatedly & wouldn't let go! The aggressor is an Olive Egger that my Silkie hatched. There is also a bitty bantam of unknown bread from TSC. And the rest are 5 meat birds, All birds same age, all being raised by Silkie. Everyone but the "first born" are fine. After having to rescue the meat chick, I cleaned her head & wing, & put antibiotic ointment on it. Then put the aggressive OE in time out in another part of the 3 level layout I have with its own food & water. I can cage it off so all are visible to each other. Yesterday they were all introduced to the new 3rd level on the ground; so that was entertainment for them.
Any ideas appreciated much. Thanks.

 

[rc4u]

nasty chicks usually grow to be nasty chickens ..I never wanted them so gave a few a way and culled the others that had no homes. thruout the yrs....JMO

 

[Cherie1n2]

I've been dealing with this same problem all day and I thank you so much for the photo of your little bully in the wire cage! I think i'm going to fashion one asap.. I've had my chicks less than one day (unboxed them this morning..they're three days old) and already have 5 with bloody eyelids and it's the smallest one (suppose to be sexed as pullets) that is giving me grief. She's in a glass aquarium now but I like the idea of interaction if any of the others will give her a chance. Please update on how the other chicks panned out.

 

[The Yakima Kid]

Thanks for sharing your story. I will certainly keep an eye on our little one although the last week has been pretty good. Haven`t experienced this before. When he hopped on our bunny when he was a few days old I should have really wondered. None of the eye gouging that Christie went through thank goodness.
I get you on the peace loving hippy philosophy although now our little granddaughter is around I am way less tolerant...meanies get a one way ticked to freezer camp (handled by DH because I am a peace loving hippy at heart...although I do eat chickens

It is very common for the more active, faster moving laying birds to pound the snot out of Cornish Rock heavy meat birds.

 

[Poulet des Bois]

Well 2.5 ms later he did grow to be a nasty Roo
Tried lots of patient things, he'd settle down, but the next surprise would end up being worse than the one before.
When he attacked me in the midst of a calm encounter I culled him for supper.
I do believe you're right, nasty chicks become nasty birds.
I also do now believe there is a "mean gene".
Interesting that in hatching some OEs the blue ones are friendly & trusting while the black ones are the opposite.

 

[Ross Family]

I've raised chickens and ducks for years. This is my first try with an incubator. I made some mistakes, but I think I know better now. I thought to start off small, in case of problems, I kill fewer chicks. A week after incubation was underway, my 9 year old slipped an egg into the incubator. Only 1 of my original 3 hatched--a silkie x auracana. It was lonely, so we gave it lots of attention. The pure auracana egg hatched a week later. The first chick is bent on killing the new chick. I have them separated (second egg hatched yesterday.) The new spent the night snuggled next to me. The silkie x has seemed to double it's size in a week. I have no "time out cage," so I put the week old (bully) chick in a anklet that hs a hole in it, used a hair tye to close the ankle opening. The cute bully had its head through the hole. They hung out in the brood for 15 minutes--social time, safe. Then I released the bully, put the baby into a small box in a war place with food and water. My husband went to own to get things to make the alterations--time out box, marbles, rosemary. I think when the chic is stronger, it should be able to fend off the attacks better. Presently, it's just so unfair. Nothing is getting done while I watch over by chicks. My silky is broody also. I can't find her eggs (for the next try.) I suppose 50% isn't bad for my first try. I know what went wrong... Will time take care of the aggression (my luck, I'm in love it two roos!) First post, many reads--good info, thanks.

 

[Ross Family]

The situation is now resolved--two happy healthy chicks sleeping together in the large habitat. Bully spent some time in a smaller cage within. All seems well, now...fingers crossed! Thanks for the tips!

 

[Little Fuzzy]

I would be thinking the same thing. That is a crazy chick, no use getting the others chicks damaged. Hope to hear from the more experienced hatchers.