Help With Problem Chick

[Berkley]

I got three chicks that were supposed to be RIRs, but only one turned out to be RIR. The other two seem to be RSLs, one femal and one male. The white one ( I think it is an RSL male because the other one looks just like a female Golden Commet ) but the white one is five weeks old and VERY aggressive. He/she was fine until a few days ago. I could pet it, pick it up etc... and it was the most docile of the three. Just like flipping a switch, it is attacking the other two and tries to peck us all the time. If I am giving them food, changing their water etc.. it will run all the way across the brooder to peck me or my wife. It climbs on top of the waterer and will jump off on top of the others trying to knock them into the bottom of the brooder. It also tries to peck at the other two. It seems as though it actually watches for you to stop looking at him/her and then runs up and pecks you. I have tried to continue handling him to get him more used to me, and he/she is ok while I am handling it, but will go right back to pecking you once it thinks you're not looking. Is there anything I can do about this? Is this normal? I am new to chickens so I have no idea. I was debating putting him on into the coop so he wont be in the brooder with the other two, but although mostly feathered, he isn't all the way feathered, and temps are down in the 60ies at night. I have a decent sized tub I can move it into, but I am not sure if splitting them up would be a good idea or not if I am going to put them back together? Plus I have read that it isn't good to have one chick by itself. Still, he is pretty aggressive with the others and I don't want him to kill one of the other two. When he/she jumps on them it is violent and rough, not just hopping down.

 

[losttexan]

This question (what to do with an aggressive roo) is very common here, and the answers will generally fall into several camps (cull, socialize, keep, etc.) Opinions are usually very varied, and people often are quite zealous in their side. All approaches have their good and bad points.
I personally feel there are too many good roos in the world to put up with an abnormally aggressive one, and would remove him (cull or rehome (with full disclosure to the new owner). Others will undoubtedly have different suggestions. Most will agree he doesn't need to be part of any breeding.

 

[Peeps61]

Chicks grow quickly, and it sounds like this one may be starting to get his Roo hormones on board. I would continue to observe and if the behavior seems to be hurting the other chicks, separate them. If he pecks you, peck him back (I thump mine). That's what a bigger, more dominant chicken would do. See how it goes. You can always get rid of it if things don't work out. Sometimes, they just need a bit of time to adjust to the new hormones. I had a rooster that was that way as a youngster, but learned that I was the boss. He was a pretty good roo until a predator got him early this summer. He is missed!

 

[RJSorensen]

I would like to know the size of your brooder. And perhaps the layout of the equipment in it. Sometimes rearranging the gear and new litter and such will give them something 'else' to do and push the 'reset' button in those small brains. This bird seems to be in command of the brooder, changing things and or even giving him a time out might help.

I agree however, too many roosters in the world to have a poorly behaving one. If nothing in this line of things works out, perhaps 'Freezer Camp' would be in order. I, most likely as you, love all of my birds, but not all of my birds are equal in the social skills needed to live in a flock. So, even though I dislike it a great deal, if it is not correctable, other choices must be made.

Best of luck in solving this hard one,

RJ

 

[Berkley]

Thanks for the advice. I've been trying to put him in his place, but it isn't working so far. I am going to give it a few more days I think, but it may be on its way out. There is a chicken swap here tomorrow, but I can't see anyone wanting one that likes to peck so much. It is doing better with the others since I rearanged the brooder though. Its solid white, so someone may want it even with the pecking? I'm not even sure what it is. It was supposed to be a RIR, but it was light yellow as a chick so I knew it wasn't.

 

[Berkley]

The white one is the aggressive one.

 

[duckie mama]

Is the comb. on the white one as red as the red one? If so u may have 2 roosters, if not u have a very agressive hen in the making. luv her and pet and she may grow out of it. if not she will be head hen.

 

[farnorth]

Nothing about that white chicken screams roo to me.....are you sure that's a rooster, the red one behind it looks more like a rooster than the white one to me.

 

[QueenBubbles]

Maybe they are gold sex links? The boys are white and the girls are orangey gold. I wouldn't get your next chicks from that same guy.
Anyway, I would flick his beak when he pecked and when you pick him up, get a good hold on him (so he is immobilized) and turn him upside down like you are inspecting his feet, vent and other undersides. Zoom him around a bit, too. This was advice from an avian vet about being flock behavior and the bird thinking he was the one in charge of us. That kind of "manhandling" shows him that you are definitely in charge of him.
The other thing is to block him off from the others so he can't control every ones behavior (like eating and drinking or changing the water and food) is a good compromise to complete separation. And esp when you are doing stuff in the brooder, put him somewhere he can see you controlling the others behavior but he can't.
They may be outgrowing the brooder and bored of being inside. Is their a run outside that the could explore during the day

 

[farnorth]

Pick them some grass, chop it up with scissors sprinkle it around the brooder....it occupies them and relieves boredom to pick and scratch at the grass clippings.

Make sure do get a little roots and dirt with the clipping or add some fine chick grit along with the grass.