Help! The kids are fighting!

[Mel Lloyd]

We have two chicks that are 2 weeks old, and three that are a few days old. The elders took to the littles quickly.
This morning, the two older ones starting fighting like crazy, one drew blood on the other, gouged a hole in the neck!
We separated immediately for the day. Tried to put the other one back with everyone else and they immediately started fighting again, almost like the one who did the damage was protecting the littles.
Should we keep them separated for good now? Are they establishing pecking order already at two weeks old? The one who was the aggressor actually has been squawking like a rooster already ...

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

The only time I've seen nasty fighting in young chicks is when both are roosters. A member,@speckledhen , has Brahma boys that will go at it pretty badly. I believe she lets them fight it out.

 

[True Patriot]

They will most likely have to sort this out among themselves. I had a couple that were fighting in the box on the way home. They will most likely start over each time they are separated. The pecking order changes every time one comes or goes. How much room they have. They need space to get away from the dominant one. Additional feeder/waterer, could be feeling stressed about resources. I would keep them together unless there were serious injuries. A few small wounds isn't unheard of.

 

[speckledhen]

I let mine settle it. Yes, there are some scrapes and scratches, but they get it over in a few hours unless you toss in new chicks or try to separate them.
Here is one long session of one battle with two brothers that took place one afternoon, complete with dramatic music. You think they're worn out, then they start up again. None of my other chicks have ever been this way except the Brahmas at 5-6 weeks old.

 

[Mel Lloyd]

I let mine settle it. Yes, there are some scrapes and scratches, but they get it over in a few hours unless you toss in new chicks or try to separate them.
Here is one long session of one battle with two brothers that took place one afternoon, complete with dramatic music. You think they're worn out, then they start up again. None of my other chicks have ever been this way except the Brahmas at 5-6 weeks old.

I think that was the issue, they were fine together with one younger chick, then two more hatched and they went crazy! The wound was pretty serious, a literal HOLE and just kept bleeding and bleeding. We separated them for the day, put them back together and they had at it again. It seems like the other one is "protecting" the babies possibly? We have them still separated but the one by itself seems miserable! Should we put them back together? They're currently in a large, 6' metal water trough, and we had 4 in there previously and they were fine. The one in solitary is in a large plastic tote with food, water and a screen over top.
We do have a TSI coop outside that's within our 40'x50' run, should we put all the young ones out there? was concerned about no heat and the littles don't have feathers yet ...

 

[50-45-1]

2 week old chicks fighting to the point of drawing blood!
I have never heard of that.
I would move those older 2 chicks outside where they have more room and other things to occupy them. They will still likely need a light in there coop at this age.
What breed of birds are they?

 

[Mel Lloyd]

2 week old chicks fighting to the point of drawing blood!
I have never heard of that.
I would move those older 2 chicks outside where they have more room and other things to occupy them. They will still likely need a light in there coop at this age.
What breed of birds are they?

They are leghorns! and yes, we'd never heard of that either! Almost like one of them was "protecting" the new babies …

 

[Folly's place]

Maybe you really only need one of them...
Mary

 

[50-45-1]

At two weeks old i doubt very much they are having parenting instincts.
They are babies themselves.
This is very odd behavior, i think i would be worried about the younger chicks in the same box.
Maybe you could think about finding one of the fighters a new home.
I have had several leghorns and never seen anything like this.
good luck!

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

I let mine settle it. Yes, there are some scrapes and scratches, but they get it over in a few hours unless you toss in new chicks or try to separate them.
Here is one long session of one battle with two brothers that took place one afternoon, complete with dramatic music. You think they're worn out, then they start up again. None of my other chicks have ever been this way except the Brahmas at 5-6 weeks old.

The gray one opened a can of you know what on that black one...... did the gray one win? Hehehe.