Help!!! Barred Plymouth Rock Chick Terrorizing Brooder Mates

[teach1rusl]

Well, many birds will eat fuzzy feather here and there, but if it's snacking on them like potato chips, then I'd say you might want to try adding a bit of protein.
There's no saying why this one may be deficient - just like people - some have liver problems, heart problems, some's body's process nutrients differently, even among people of the same family who have similar diets. Same with chickens and other animals.
You might try offering this chick a serving of scrambled egg (or chopped boiled egg) or some other high protein food- game bird feed is higher in protein than chick starter. It won't hurt anything, even if it doesn't help. I'd give it a shot for a week or two...

A few mealworms a day would be a great source of protein too. Cut out treats that aren't high in protein, at least for this chick...

 

[ChickSter99]

Well, many birds will eat fuzzy feather here and there, but if it's snacking on them like potato chips, then I'd say you might want to try adding a bit of protein.
There's no saying why this one may be deficient - just like people - some have liver problems, heart problems, some's body's process nutrients differently, even among people of the same family who have similar diets. Same with chickens and other animals.
You might try offering this chick a serving of scrambled egg (or chopped boiled egg) or some other high protein food- game bird feed is higher in protein than chick starter. It won't hurt anything, even if it doesn't help. I'd give it a shot for a week or two...

A few mealworms a day would be a great source of protein too. Cut out treats that aren't high in protein, at least for this chick...

So, it won't hurt the other chicks to get gamefood as well? She doesn't want to eat while she is separated. I have to hand feed her. When we put her back with her "sisters", she imediately goes for the food trough. She eats her fill and then begins her terrorizing the others. She has food and water in her cat crate and she is able to see her sisters. I will try something different for her.

 

[teach1rusl]

No, it'll be okay for the others, especially since it'll most likely be short term....I have a feeling once more space in their new surroundings is available, the terrorizing probably won't be an issue any more (

). But the chick will eat once it gets hungry enough. Birds always act as if they're starving to death when new feed/food is made available to them - so just because the chick rushes to the feeder doesn't mean it's not eating its own food. I can have a feeder FULL of feed for my girls, and if I put down an extra feeder nearby, you'd think I hadn't fed them in a week...lol. The grass is always greener in the other feeder...lol.

 

[canesisters]

If it's possible, I'd try attaching some wire to make a smaller section inside the brooder for her - and maybe one other if there is someone she gets along with. When I first separated mine, I used a kitty carrier and they just wouldn't settle down - seemed worried and upset all the time ( both the 2 in the carrier and the rest loose in the brooder). When I put up the wire, it was as if they didn't notice there was any sort of barrier. Except of course when I'd top off the feeders, then they'd throw themselves against the fence like they were gonna DIE if they didn't get to the feeder they couldn't reach. LOL

 

[ChickSter99]

If it's possible, I'd try attaching some wire to make a smaller section inside the brooder for her - and maybe one other if there is someone she gets along with. When I first separated mine, I used a kitty carrier and they just wouldn't settle down - seemed worried and upset all the time ( both the 2 in the carrier and the rest loose in the brooder). When I put up the wire, it was as if they didn't notice there was any sort of barrier. Except of course when I'd top off the feeders, then they'd throw themselves against the fence like they were gonna DIE if they didn't get to the feeder they couldn't reach. LOL

The others seem to ignore her once she's out of the brooder. lol. All of her yelping and crying breaks my heart though. I go out there and just hold her. I'm going to take her out to the run in a little while so she can get some energy out. It's fully covered and ready to go. I'll sit out there with her. I may take one or two others just to see how it goes. Maybe a change will do her some good. I'm going to get some tuna as there snack right now. They haven't had that yet. I read somewhere on here that tuna was a good protein source and a favorite.

 

[ChickSter99]

Update on Peck-Peck: She is doing wonderful today. I put her in the brooder with 2 others that are a little on the aggressive side, but not to the poin that Pect-Peck is. She was put in her place very quickly! Between the three of them, my EE "Turkey" is top dawg. Turkey (bc she has the makings of a poult) and Scratch (bc she taught the whole crew how to scratch) have been inseperable. When I put Peck-Peck in that brooder to enjoy some tuna & yogurt with the others, Turkey let her know really quick that she was in her part of the brooder for now. Peck-Peck thought she could pick on Scratch but soon found out that Turkey takes up for her. Anyway, Peck-Peck has been with them for several hours now and there has been no blood, no loss of feathers, no yelping, etc. Everyone was in the scratch box scratching and then napping. Turkey still wouldn't let her lay near Scratch.