how to stop cannibalism - my fault it started

[fresheggs4u]

i have twenty four-five week old black sex links pullets that I hatched from the eggs of my plymouth barred rock hens crossed with a rhode island red rooster. I was so excited to get the results of sex links. Because of my very busy schedule I have left them in a small 3'x3' brooding pen with a white light. Today when i went to feed i had one dead chick and several with bloody bald head and one with a bloody behind. I moved them to a larger pen with an outside run and put a red light on them Our currect temps are in the 30's at night and some 50-80 degree days - typical east Tennessee spring weather. They are fully feathered. Can they be taken out of the brooder? How do I spot the cannibalisim. Any suggestions. I feel awful, this happened in one day. Yesteray there were no visibal sign of it. And no way that a preditor could get in the pen.

Suggestions?

 

[fresheggs4u]

sorry for the typos - but i think you can understand

 

[LeghornLisa]

Sorry to hear that. More room and the red light should do the trick...I think? Good luck, please keep us posted.

 

[slackwater]

I agree, more room was needed. The red light will help too. Make sure they can avoid drafts and they should be fine.

 

[4-H chicken mom]

Yes that was way to many chicks in a 3x3 space. If they are fully feathered and you can still have a red heat lamp outside on them, I think they will be fine. Just make sure there are no drafts on them and that they can get away from the heat when the temps heat up during the day. You can use blue kote on any injurys. It will keep them from constant picking. Once they see red, they don't quit. Good Luck.

If you want to correct anything in your post, just hit the edit button in the lower right hand corner of your post. But we understand typos.

 

[abanjaf]

How terrible, I'm so sorry!!! I'm not exactly sure how to remedy your problem! I do know that the others will continue to pick on the ones that have had feathers plucked out. I had a Polish hen who was terrorized by a bantam cochin roo and he had plucked out all her tail feathers and almost all the feathers on her back! He was relocated to the feed store, but to this day my hen has no tail feathers (they are continually plucked out by I don't know which chicken). They allowed the feathers on her back to grow back though. I tried purchasing anti-cannabilism stuff from the feed store to put on her butt. All it did was make the other chickens more curious about her butt and pecked her derriere ever that much more! I now have some one month old chicks that spend their days outside (in the 70's here) and plan on relocating her with them shortly to allow her tail feathers to grow back and hopefully stop the cycle.

When I officially move mine out into the coop, I place a heat lamp out there with them. If they are too cold, they will move themselves under it. So, aside from separating all your damaged chicks until the feathers grow back, I don't know what else to tell you!!! If someone else has some great ideas, I would love to hear them as well!!!

 

[fiberart57]

One of my chicken mentors used to throw in a little hamburger for the chicks to stop them from pecking each other.

Red light is best because the chicks can still sleep through it; white tends to keep them awake. Red also disguises blood and toes that may look like worms.

Good luck,
Mary

 

[fresheggs4u]

Do you think I should separate the injured ones? I have hatched 100's of chicks and have never had this problem.

Using the same brooder. Do you think the cross breeding that I did could have made it worse?

I'm making a 6 hour trip on Monday of next week to pick up some Black Copper Maran eggs and I would hate for this to happen to them if and when they hatch. (Which I sure do hope for , after paying the price for them

)

I don't want to take chances again.

 

[nanawendy]

I would give them something to do as well. A mirror, a stuffy, a rock to play king of the mountain, a roost. I also hang a long piece of yarn down and the play keep away... but am sure to take it out before I leave the room.

sorry about the death.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

Yes, do seperate the injured ones because any sign of blood and they will continue pecking at it. Sorry about your loss

You should see much better results now that they have more room. Add a head of cabbage too...they seem to love pecking at it and it keeps them busy

At first they will look at it like its an alien but soon will be attacking and eating it

Good luck!