Help!!! Chicks pecking!!!

[newbie2014]

Hello, I have 80 cornish rocks that are less than a week old in a med size kids pool. They have been doing well, until I went down to change their water last night. They were all picking on one bird... Badly. Got that one out and noticed another one with blood. This morning, another ....they are going for the feathers on the wings. I have already put no pick on 20% of the flock as a deterent. I'm scared this is going to become an epidemic. What can I do???

 

[gander007]

I try not to have more them 25 chicks in one spot you might want to have more brooders set up or dividers and the kids size pool was a great idea but you still have a packed play yard ....

I really try for about 15 per brooder but it sounds like you might want to go and look at all of your chicks individually

 

[LoganTW]

I try not to have more them 25 chicks in one spot you might want to have more brooders set up or dividers and the kids size pool was a great idea but you still have a packed play yard .... 

I really try for about 15 per brooder but it sounds like you might want to go and look at all of your chicks individually   

And along with that, red/blue lights help with it too!

Just a thought.

 

[newbie2014]

They have a red light on them for warmth already. We're going to increase the brooder size today, maybe that will help. I'll think about dividers, not sure how to make that happen. Their starter is only 18% protein. It's all we could find. O you think this might be another factor? I'm trying to find the best way to suppliment it as we have like 4 huge bags we need to use. Any ideas? I read tuna or boss? Ugh, this is a big learning curve.

 

[gander007]

Quote:




This light is light green as it was the only color the feed store
had that day ..... Works well ....





And this light is blue and yes I also use red lights ......




Yes I learned years ago that white light is not good for temperament ...

 

[annanimal]

Expanding the brooder is a good idea, have things in there to keep them entertained. Put some roosts of different heights in there, hang some lettuce or some bells to keep them interested, things like that. I had some 2 month old chicks that hatched together and had always been together without an issue but one day I noticed all the other birds where pecking this one chick, they had made his eye bleed so I quickly removed him and waited for it to heal. I figured out later on that he had some dirt stuck under his eye, one of the chicks probably pecked it to try to get it off and drew blood that attracted the other chicks. Make sure that your chicks don't have any wounds on them when you return them to the other ones. Once I also had a hole in my pants and they all started pecking it, they drew a little blood... Basically if they see anything odd they will peck it. Keep them entertained.

 

[ChickyChickens]

Hve you expanded yet?? IF how is it going with the chicks???

 

[gander007]

They have a red light on them for warmth already. We're going to increase the brooder size today, maybe that will help. I'll think about dividers, not sure how to make that happen. Their starter is only 18% protein. It's all we could find. O you think this might be another factor? I'm trying to find the best way to suppliment it as we have like 4 huge bags we need to use. Any ideas? I read tuna or boss? Ugh, this is a big learning curve.

That is the reason I use Turkey Grow on my chicks as it has 20% +++++ protein and by wee 6 Flock raiser is mixed in 50 50 ....

 

[newbie2014]

Yes, we moved the brooder from our basement to the coop and made the brooder perimeter bigger. They seem calmer (right now). Today I am going to make a trip to town to pickup some more supplies... Boss, iodine, that blue stuff, ummm any other suggestions? Hubby's going to make some roosts today. I will find some stuff to put in there to keep them busy. So is it ok to give them lettuce or dandilion leaves? They are only 5 or 6 days old. I guess I'll need to provide grit too. I was scared they'd eat a whole bunch thinking it was a treat.

 

[gander007]

Yes, we moved the brooder from our basement to the coop and made the brooder perimeter bigger. They seem calmer (right now). Today I am going to make a trip to town to pickup some more supplies... Boss, iodine, that blue stuff, ummm any other suggestions? Hubby's going to make some roosts today. I will find some stuff to put in there to keep them busy. So is it ok to give them lettuce or dandilion leaves? They are only 5 or 6 days old. I guess I'll need to provide grit too. I was scared they'd eat a whole bunch thinking it was a treat.

I would hold off till they were a couple of weeks old but a cooked egg would be a good treat ....