How do I stop them from killing each other!!!!!!!AGHHHHHH

[beachchickie]

If you have the time get a large water pistol and blast the ones doing the pecking. Behavior modification works every time. Add some interesting things for them to peck at. A whole cabbage an ear of corn throw raw oatmeal out scattered to keep them occupied.

 

[TaLani]

You could up their protein levels in their feed, remove the main offenders for a while to shake up the pecking order (no pun intended; you should BlueKote the hurt ones and remove them until they heal), hang a cabbage over their heads just high enough so they have to jump a little to get a bite, or maybe resort to using some of these items: http://www.cutlersupply.com/cart/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=4&zenid=2tnsgtkkbe8rd7u4fa0ok581r1. Good luck to you.

 

[Over Easy in Adna]

You said it is a large pen and also described it as huge without saying exactly how big it is. In a seperate post, you said you would be triming over 50 beaks or so.

Using my advanced math skills, over 50 beaks is over 50 chickens

. Is it possible that your idea of huge is a lot different than the chickens and they are fighting for room?

 

[urbanfarmer101]

My concern is that they will continue to do this as adults. You need to break this behavior. My guess is not enough protein and they need some activities. I have added stick perches, stuffed animals, hung cabbage, pans of dirt, handfuls of grass and scratch grains to my young chicks cages to give them something to do. I also put them outside in my chicken tractor to eat bugs and grass on nice days, feathered out or not.

Hang in there.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Go to your feed store and get a jar of pine tar. It's black, nasty, and stinks. Smear it liberally on the pecked areas of every bird. It won't hurt them and acts as a topical antiseptic. It also tastes nasty and discourages further pecking. If you have some real hard cases you may have to apply it every few days for a week or so. Often enough though one application is enough. Any feed store or farm supply that carries much in the way of equine supplies should have it.

I had a layer a few months ago got her head picked open to the point I wasn't sure she would survive. A good spray of Blue Kote then a dose of pine tar on top renewed every two to three days for a week put a stop to any further picking.