Help with chickens pecking each other

[Sagechick]

First batch of chicks. Four weeks old. Would have had the run finished except hardware store didn't order the six foot chicken wire we requested and now it won't be in until Tuesday (two weeks late).
We had one pecked to death yesterday and one that has a bloody butt.

The box they are in is 3.5' by 8' and we are spending the morning putting up a temp. run 4' x 10' long and 3' feet high with half inch hardware cloth. We are concerned with one dog so we didn't want to put them outside the box until we knew the run was ready.

We are thinking it is the space and the breed- Rhode Island Reds mixed with green egg layers and Golden Wyandotts.

We spearated the badly injured one.

Any other advice?

Thanks.

 

[LynneP]

Gosh do you have a second brooder lamp in case you have to split up more of them? If in doubt, I would. We have RIR crosses and had no problems but we had only 12 in a space 4'x 1.5' x 2'. We moved them at two weeks because they started to fly and we had coop space for them.

 

[brownfarms]

Oh No!...poor babies. Of course bigger space is the answer but if that just isn't an option right now, I agree that getting a second brooder might be a good way to go. Not only to separate the trouble makers but also to just give them more space.

 

[Sagechick]

Made an outside run. 4' x 10' that is attached to the brooder.

Isolated injured chick but she can see them and they can see her.

New trick learned. Using a spray bottle when there is poop stuck on the butt works great!

Put the purple stuff on where they were picking.

They are starting to come out of the brooder and investigate the small run.

Hubby is upset about losing the other one yesterday and I just found out he was trying to figure out what to do all morning.

I got a great human roo!

 

[Sagechick]

By the way, Southern California so don't need to worry about a lamp, I need to worry about keeping them cool.

Most info on chicks is for people who have it cooler.

 

[Sagechick]

All the advice of moving them out of the brooder at five weeks was too late in MHO. They were ready before four weeks. That was the cause of the pecking.
Now in their new enviroment they are happy and pecking the ground and such instead of each other's butts.

 

[brownfarms]

Yeah! I'm happy they're happy.