How long to separate two "offenders" from the rest of the flock?

[StevieChicks]

I have a mixed flock of 12 four week old chicks - 6 ee's, 3 barred rocks and 3 australorps. Just in the last week one of the australorps started pulling feathers and eating them from four of the six ee's. She seemed to leave the barred rocks alone and her fellow australorps. Now, one of the other australorps has started the same behavior and is going after everyone. I've given them a chick stick, let them outside for a couple of hours a day in the garden since it has warmed up here, give them treats to peck at and increased their 18% starter to a 20% protein starter. At first I thought this was working, but they've gone back to the feather pulling and they are drawing blood and leaving bald spots on backs. I have three girls painted with blukote, but they still seem to go after it. I have the two offending australorps separated now and I was wondering how long to do so. They are extremely unhappy being separated and make a lot of racket about it, but I've got to protect the other girls. Since they are still chicks, is there hope to break this habit and how long should I leave them separated?

Thank you for any help!

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i'm sorry about your chickens. i may not be able to help, but can commiserate. i've had this happen twice before. Once was when i first got chickens. i had an EE and a Polish, both young. My EE would not stop pulling the poor Polish's head feathers out. i rehomed the Polish. Second was last year i had an Australorp i got as a friend to my EE, since she was my only standard-size chicken. When my EE molted, her backside must have looked very interesting and the Australorp began pulling out her butt feathers and eating them. Even after extended time apart, as soon as they were back together, the feather picking and eating started right back up. i had to rehome the Australorp to another person with a larger free-range situation.

So i haven't had any luck in breaking that habit once it has started. i found the blu-kote didn't work, also. i hope someone else comes along who has been successful.

 

[aart]

How much coop and run space do they have? They may be too crowded.

 

[StevieChicks]

Hi aart,

They are in a huge 3x4x3 range box for their brooder giving them 1 sq. ft. per chick. They have lots of roost space in there as well and they all seem to go around doing their own thing - some will be eating, some will be sleeping, some will be dust bathing and scratching, etc. And they go outside to a large pen for at least a couple of hours a day if the weather is nice. In a couple of weeks they'll be going out to the coop which is 8.5x10. At this point, I can't really give them any more space inside until they are ready to head outside to the coop.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Hi aart,

They are in a huge 3x4x3 range box for their brooder giving them 1 sq. ft. per chick. They have lots of roost space in there as well and they all seem to go around doing their own thing - some will be eating, some will be sleeping, some will be dust bathing and scratching, etc. And they go outside to a large pen for at least a couple of hours a day if the weather is nice. In a couple of weeks they'll be going out to the coop which is 8.5x10. At this point, I can't really give them any more space inside until they are ready to head outside to the coop.

i wouldn't consider that huge. The standard is 4 square foot per chicken inside the coop and 10 sf in the run. i understand they are still young, but that is still a small space. How large is that pen they go out to during the day? And when is the feather-picking happening - inside the box or out in the pen?

 

[StevieChicks]

i wouldn't consider that huge. The standard is 4 square foot per chicken inside the coop and 10 sf in the run. i understand they are still young, but that is still a small space. How large is that pen they go out to during the day? And when is the feather-picking happening - inside the box or out in the pen?

Both. The picking goes on whether they are inside or out. They are just mean. The chicks are 4 weeks old and don't seem unhappy with their brooder. Once I separated the offenders from the rest of the group, everything was calm and peaceful. I am wondering how long I should keep them separated for any "rehabilitation" to take effect. It's not an ideal set up to have them separated. If it were a tad bit warmer here, especially at night, I would go ahead and move them outside to the coop which, as I said, is 82 sq. ft. The run is approx. 400 sq. ft.

 

[Sandyd]

I had Australorps before nothing else and they picked each other horribly. They were in a large coop and large run battled it continually. Got rid of them when they got to old to give me eggs. They are a beautiful chicken but I don't agree with their mild mannerism that it states they have.

I am just waiting for any of my Red Stars to start in and the pinless peepers are going on them. Maybe you can try the pinless peepers.

 

[cafarmgirl]

I think getting them into a larger space is your only hope of maybe getting them over this. By 4 weeks of age they need more space and more to do. I have a similar size brooder and I raise 8 to 10 at a time. By the time they are 2 1/2 to 3 weeks old I have them going out in a pen in the yard more and more each day until they are out there most of the day, weather permitting. At 4 to 5 weeks they move into their coop/run.

Could you move yours to their coop and give them a heat lamp if the weather is cold?

 

[donrae]

I agree on the space thing. Overcrowding is the most common cause of behavior problems, and it will only progress. Get another box and tape them together, or put some chicks in each box with the lamp overlapping, something to lessen the crowding. Or, depending on the weather, you could get by with putting them in the coop now, just using a heat lamp at night. I guarantee if those chicks were raised by a broody hen, they wouldn't be spending any time under her during the day at this age. They'd be out at ambient temp and they'd be just fine. That's just not enough space now, and really won't be in another two weeks. This is the only way they have of telling you it's not enough.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

That's interesting that all our offenders were Australorps. i had read also that they are mild mannered. But mine even picked a bandage off my leg once, taking part of my skin with it. It may be that once they get a taste for blood they don't get over it. i don't know. i wish you luck in rehabilitating your girls.