help! my new chickens don't get along

[dixiechicken]

I bought 12 new chicks from the feed store..and it was 11 vs 1. I put the one that was being attacked by herself, went back to buy 1 more chick to keep her company and she is now beating up the new chick ... what do i do now????

 

[Kittymomma]

These are all young chicks that are fighting and all around the same age? What are they living in, how big is it, what are you feeding?


ETA:

 

[FortWorthChicks]

also what breed... and male/female? What kind of light do you have .. red?.. how old are they? how much space do they have?

Do they have a dark area in the brooder? If you added the new chick after the (picked on chick) into her establised area she may have felt like she needed to let the newbie know who was boss of this space. (Just a thought)

I would try and put something in the big brooder that would allow the picked on ones to escape and hide, maybe a cardboard wall... they could hide behind. I would also go ahead and get a red light if I was using a white one.

Just some ideas.

 

[teach1rusl]

Make sure they have PLENTY of room (what size is the brooder?). If it's roomy, picked on chicks have space and places to get away to. Make sure the temp is right (are they avoiding the lamp or huddling under it, or are they all over the place, which is best). Do you use the red bulb rather than the white glaring one (red is supposed to be more soothing/less stressful). How badly are they picking on one another? Is blood involved? Or more casual picking/pecking?

 

[dixiechicken]

Thank you everyone... They are a few days old...all hens... they are barred rocks..They are in my master bathroom (LOL) in rubber maid totes pretty large in size with a red light. I am feeding starter/grower .. This one chick just cant seem to get along with the other chickens oh boy

 

[Flowers of Abba]

I agree with the other post.

Also we do need more info.

Age difference: under 6 weeks of age they really need to be close in age to get along

light: red will calm them down and they will pick less

space: babies usually pile on top of each other, but the older they get the meaner if squished...

things to do: i know right "they're chickens" but older birds need treats to play with, dirt to clean their feathers, and scratch, or they get grumpy


breed: sometimes we pick a losing combination!

 

[Flowers of Abba]

perhaps it's sick or slumpy. they seem to know!!!!!

or it's a roo. my hens seem to try and gang up on my roo. Especially the two barred rocks. Weird how they pick up on stuff like that even from such a young age!!!

remember your sexed chicks are only a 98% accuracy!