Help! Chicks 5 1/2 weeks acting crazy

[Punkybrewster]

I have 3,4,5 week olds out in my coop for a couple of weeks now with no heat. 50-60 at night, 60-70 days.

 

[Panhandle chick]

Are they outside?
What is your weather and outside temps?

They are still inside- coop will be complete this weekend

 

[Punkybrewster]

So entertaining!! I was wondering about the pecking order because they love to run as fast as they can but when two face each other they then get tall and start to fight and then move on so funny. I was just hoping they didn’t eat something that made them act coo coo cachoo

That kind of behavior is totally normal

 

[Panhandle chick]

They are still inside- coop will be complete this weekend

It’s been stormy/thunder and windy all day all week45-50s

 

[Panhandle chick]

If they pick on one too much and draw blood, that could be a problem. It is a good idea to make some hide-outs so the low on the totem pole hens can get away from the bullies. Some bushes to hide under, or a wall to run circles around. Playground type stuff for them to jump up on branches & perches. They sound old enough to go out in the yard and start to forage, give those beaks something else to peck besides each other?

Good ideas I will do that until the weekend.they have perches but no hiding places!

 

[Parront]

Do you have any photos of your setup & chicks? Could they be too crowded? You said a "brood box" and that it is a really big area, but 20 is quite a few and almost 6 weeks old they will be getting bigger. I have warm weather and by 3-4 weeks old they are ready for the coop, to me.

 

[Parront]

It’s been stormy/thunder and windy all day all week45-50s

Kind of bad weather for their first trip outside. They can handle the temps if all their feathers are grown in, but getting wet is not good for them. From your name "Panhandle" are you in Texas? It can help you get better replys if you put your location in your profile.

 

[Parront]

Good ideas I will do that until the weekend.they have perches but no hiding places!

Another thing you can do for inside chicks if you have the room is to cut a piece of sod and bring the grass to them. They love to destroy lawn! They can destroy something besides each other! Sometimes they are very much little dinosaurs.

 

[Parront]

So entertaining!! I was wondering about the pecking order because they love to run as fast as they can but when two face each other they then get tall and start to fight and then move on so funny. I was just hoping they didn’t eat something that made them act coo coo cachoo

That is a totally normal chicken face-off. If they move on and do not keep at it drawing blood, you are fine, like the other poster commented. They are just ready to have a coop and be chickens, not the cute fuzz-buts we love the best! It is great to watch them grow up into full fledged birds. There is a little raptor inside each one. Just throw in a meal worm and watch the battle!

 

[Panhandle chick]

It’s 8x3 .. I think you may be right- they might be stir crazy- we will hopefully have them out on Saturday