Help! One Belligerent Chick (RIR)....

[malimom]

We have 8 chicks, one set of four (2 BO and 2 Ameracaunas) is 4 weeks old and the other set of four just under 3 weeks old (2 RIR and the Barred Rock and a Golden Wyandotte). Everyone was getting along great until a day or so ago when the RIR from the younger group began to peck and pull feathers out of the Barred Rock, also part of the 3 week group. "She" doesn't pick on any of the others...just goes right for the Barred Rock. We've separated her temporarily...could this 3 week RIR be a rooster??? Anyone have any suggestions as to how to settle this issue? I'd love your thoughts! Thanks.

 

[kmatt87]

i'm a newbie but i'm interested in the answer. I got 1 rir chick this past sun and its only 5 days old or so. The thing cheeps LOUDLY anytime its not surrounded by other chicks.

 

[cooped up]

It sounds more like a pecking order thing,but time could tell if its a rooster. The "room of shame" {seperation} is a good way to handle it.Rir can be tempermental also, I would hold and pet those more than the others.

 

[malimom]

Thanks so much for your reply, "cooped up".....Will give the RIRs more handling time and see if that helps! It's disturbing to watch "Scarlett" (RIR) go after "Pearl, the Barred Rock...she actually is pulling feathers out of her lower back! Ouch!! It's so strange that she really targets only the BR( however, I did catch her trying to pull her antics on "Goldie" the Wyandotte briefly). Anyway, many thanks...I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[malimom]

Ours really nestled together all of the time, sleeping on top of one another, staying in very close contact when they were that young. There's no question that you begin to see very individual characteristics in each of them as time goes on. Your little RIR just sounds like it just needs a lot of company. As "cooped up" mentioned, RIRs need a little extra handling....perhaps your little one is just crying for more attention and "hands- on" time.

 

[cooped up]

I had one chick that pecked at the eyes of the other chicks, but that stopped after a few days. It could be "normal" or maybe the pecking order thing. One thing that I marvelled at was that they were born with all their chicken instincts.