Is it normal for 5 week old chicks to fight?

[fifibreen]

Is is normal or common for young chicks to fight?

My chicks are just 5 weeks old, and I witnessed a chick repeatedly attack other birds harshly, and rip out feathers. They are just starting to show sex and I'm pretty sure it is a roo. The best I could tell it attacked both sexes, if not more on the pullets and completely tolerated another chick roo. (I'm still trying to sex them and they need to be a little older it is my best guess.)
I'm not sure yet if this will be a problem or just a isolated moment. I will be watching carefully....

I have 19 of mixed breeds-light Brahmas, buff Brahmas, barred rocks, one silkie. in a nice large furniture box, and thought for now they should have enough space. As soon as they are all feathered in a little better I am ready to get them outside. I will only be keeping 5 as soon as I can know the sex for sure. I figure another two weeks or so and it will be very clear.

any thoughts?

 

[silkiechicken]

Yep, girls and boys at that age will fight it out like kinder gardeners. Let them beat the poop out of each other before they are old enough to do real damage. They are establishing their pecking order, get in the way of this and it can prolong the suffering of the ones at the bottom. Nothing to worry about if they have space to run away from each other.

 

[RoosterAddict99]

It is normal for young chicks to fight. They are probably just establishing the pecking order. That one roo you mentioned may turn out to be aggressive so, I would keep an eye on him! Good luck with your chicks!!!

 

[fifibreen]

Good, I won't worry too much then!

I'll keep an eye in case of injury.

thank you!

 

[debid]

Unless there is blood being drawn, I leave them to work it out. It can be hard to watch. I had a hen get ill with worms and her first priority after recovery was to re-establish herself in the order (she's always been at or near the top). She encountered resistance from one of the hens and while there was no blood, you might have sworn that it was two cockerels by the way they were carrying on. Feet-first flying at each other, pulling at feathers, jumping on backs and pushing the other's head down, etc. Girls can fight dirty too, even fully grown layers.

 

[dokam]

OK. I just have 3 5 week old chicks. I'm hoping they are all females. Someone talked about enough room. I bought a 2X4X2 metal trough from Wilco. Up to today it has worked. If there is not enough room for them - and I can't put them outside in their future coop - what do I do?

 

[donrae]

OK. I just have 3 5 week old chicks. I'm hoping they are all females. Someone talked about enough room. I bought a 2X4X2 metal trough from Wilco. Up to today it has worked. If there is not enough room for them - and I can't put them outside in their future coop - what do I do?

2x4 should be plenty of room for 3 chicks for another few weeks. If they're picking at each other, put things in there to distract them. Food is always good, scatter some scratch or oatmeal, rice, etc and some grit on the bedding, that will encourage them to scratch around in the bedding. Put some boards or something up against the edge for a chick to hide behind, but steep enough they can't walk up and out! Anything distracting like that, even a rock or brick can give them a lot to do besides beat each other up.

 

[dokam]

great suggestions - thank you!

 

[SobbaChickens]

Mine are 4ish weeks old and I have 1 black sex link and 1 red sex link that are little butt heads but it's never anything serious. I've never seen one of my chicks look like it had been picked on, I've never even seen either of the "mean" ones actually be that mean. It's more like they kind of hop on each other if you can visualize that. They happily eat, drink, and sleep together so I'm not worried.

The red sex link has been meaner than poo to me lately and I don't understand what that's at about.

Katie

 

[fruggiechick]

I am a chicken newbie....

I have 9 Chicks in a 4ft x 4ft area...they are a mixed bag with 2 silkie mixes, 8 RIR crosses and a 7 week old AppSpitz...all the other chicks are about 5 weeks old and one of the reds seems to started to pick on one of the other reds tonight. I am a newbie with chickens so I cant tell if its a roo or hen but all I know is that for the past few hours it sounds like the one getting picked on is about to die...they are fighting and screeching really loudly....it seems the one has decided the other one is the "B!@$h of the Day" for lack of a better term....it keeps going after it pretty fiercely....feathers flying and a huge raucous being had between them all the other chicks are in corners hiding from them....Its to the point where the screeching is so loud they woke up the entire house!!! I moved one to a smaller crate next to the big crate and gave it a bowl with water in it....I have no idea what else to do....is this normal for 5 weeks? I need sleep!!! We are not ready for them to be outside yet...

Believe me I want them to work it out but its has been going on for almost 3 hours and the one was getting really really nasty!!! Aside from separating them is there anything else I shou;d be doing....Any ideas?