HELP chicks pecking and bleeding PLEASE HELP

[australorpnonnie]

Our ausralorp chicks are 2 weeks old(10 hens 2 roos) , everything has been wonderful until today. When I went to feed and water them this morning there was a few hens with raw skin and blood around where the tailfeathers are coming in. I watched them and noticed that they are pecking themselves back there and also pecking each other back there i didn't see any bad places except around the tail area please someone help i don't know what to do. These are my first chicks I'm not a moderator who put that under my name take it off i am only a member

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Are the chicks crowded? As they grow they will need more room. You will want to separate the ones that are picked. They can kill each other if they continue to peck. Any that have blood need to be by themselves until it dries-at the least.

There is silliness going on the site and everyone has been changed from members to mods or something else. Nify has been banned and so has Speckledhen. It seems like April Fools Day has brought out a jokester.

 

[SeaChick]

Also, do you have a red or white bulb in your heat lamp? If you use a red one the blood won't be so RED and they may not peck as much. REd bulbs are supposed to discourage pecking. I agree: you probably need more space. We just moved our 5 to a freezer box at about 2 weeks old. They were getting too big for the storage bin they were in.

Good luck!!

 

[SeaChick]

I just re-read your post and the chicks are pecking THEMSELVES?? I am no expert but that sounds more strange than pecking each other. Is it possible they have mites or lice? CAn you check them? May need to dust with Food Grade DE in that case....

 

[Meesh]

One of mine was pecking her own vent last night, because there was a little bit of poo stuck on her feathers (I had to pick her up to see it, there wasn't really very much). She just needed help cleaning & a little coat of triple antibiotic to sooth the area & she was fine.

Any chance they just need their 'lil tiny hineys cleaned?

Cheers,
Michellle

 

[dreamgirl]

All the above advice is good-- It is odd that they are picking at themselves. If you didn't get them from a hatchery, lice/mites are more of a possibility, or their vents could be blocked. Check for lice/mites. Wipe the area gently clean with warm water and a cotton ball, if you have Blue Kote, spray some on a Q-tip or piece of cotton and dab onto the area (if you spray it it may coat the whole chick!). This covers the blood which attracts the other chicks to peck, and provides some antiseptic action. If no BK, use triple antibiotic cream, but the blood won't be covered so definately seperate the picked ones from the others. Switch to a red light. Give them more space. Once the others start picking on one, they won't stop until its dead or the wound is healed.

Good luck!

 

[Crazy4Chicks]

if it is not mites or lice - try using some pine tar on the areas that are getting pecked - you can find it at Tractor Supply store..

it is very thick so for little baby's I would thin it abit with baby oil - just use alittle dab on thier little bums - do not cover up the vent - this will keep them from pecking thierselves and each other it has a nasty taste and smells alittle strong for a day or two.

I have a few hens outside right now that are getting pecked on - we put some of the pine tar on them and within about a week or so the worse one was right back to laying eggs. We had to reapply it every 3-4 days , it will discolor the feathers a little and for adults birds it gets pretty dirty when they dust bath but it will stop the pecking. Also great to use on combs and wattles if they are getting pecked on also in roosters.

Julie

 

[australorpnonnie]

Thanks so much to everyone! no they don't have fleas or lice. I have a white bulb. No they don't have poop on their butts didn't have that problem but with one or two chicks when they were younger and i washed it off. I separated the bloody ones from the other ones and after the responses i think that it is that since they are growing they need a bigger box.

 

[australorpnonnie]

Just wanted to say THANKS to everyone that responded to my problem. We went and got them a huge box plus we sprayed them with blue cote seems to be working wonderful. They have quit pecking they don't like the taste of the blue cote a all