Is this normal chick behavior?

[amelia123]

Hi Everyone!

I purchased 8 Dixie Rainbow chickens (aka Pioneers) 6 days ago and they are now 8 days old. They are quite friendly and don't completely run away when I put my hand in their box. They'll move away then come back. Diamond, one of my chicks, will NEVER EVER run away! Even when everyone else might move away, she's ALWAYS the one to come forward and check me out! It's almost like she's fearless. In fact, she likes to jump up on my hands and on my arms. She is very sweet and, up until now

, I never seen her act *ANYTHING* besides sweet and snuggly. Here's what's happening...I noticed that when i'm petting Diamond and then I stop petting her and then go pet another chick, named Buttercup, (Diamond doesn't only do this to Buttercup, I think she does it to everyone. Just using Buttercup as an example

) Diamond will come running over and completely JUMP on Buttercup, flapping her little wings to catch some air and then just pounces on the poor chick. Buttercup will let out a shrill scream and then Diamond will back off...once I stop petting Buttercup at least. I've never seen any of the other chicks do this to her. Is this bullying, or just common chick "pecking order"? I didn't think it was that bad until earlier today. I reached in to take out the waterer for changing and cleaning and Diamond did the same thing to my hand as she does to the other chicks:

She started running over to my hand and flapped her wings and then jumped on my hand, squawking like I was an intruder. None of the other chicks do this to me....It's like she's trying to protect the other chicks, but then also jumps on them as well!!! It's quite confusing!!!!!! She hasn't left any marks on my hand, but then again, she's 8 days old!!!! She could probably really break my skin if she does this full grown

I just am wondering where my sweet little chick has gone!!!!!!!

If you had any tips, that would be VERY helpful!!!!!! Thanks!!!!

 

[huntersmommy611]

Could she possibly be one of the 10% of mistaken sex? Possibly a roo in disguise?

 

[song of joy]

Sounds like Diamond is a cockerel displaying aggressive behavior.

 

[amelia123]

Maybe she, or he, is a roo....Is there anyway I could tell from his appearance?

Here'a a pic of him...or her....

 

[song of joy]

It's too early to tell. I have some Red Rangers from TSC (although I think they might be Pioneers based on the variability in feather color). They're about 2 1/2 weeks old and the males are already 50% bigger than the females (females around 4 oz and males around 6 oz). So, you might be able to tell in a couple of weeks if there's a significant size difference.

 

[azygous]

Of all the "accidental" roos I've ended up with, they've all displayed different behavior from the girls. All behaved as you describe Diamond.

As male chicks grow, their legs will be thicker and a tad longer than the girls, but it'll be hard to see the difference until they're a couple months old. The comb will come in earlier and redder than the girls, too.

You can begin training this chick to temper the aggressive behavior toward you by confining its freedom of movement when it does it. If it struggles and strains to be released, keep hold until it calms down and is submissive. That's what you want to strive for - submissiveness when you discipline it.

Chickens respond to training of this sort just like any animal.

 

[bumblebird]

This is an interesting thread. We have one chick who is a tad braver than the rest, though it doesn't act bossy (yet). I hope it's just a braver girl. I'll keep an eye on it, though. She may go from an Olga to an Olaf before the end of summer.

 

[amelia123]

Okay...I'm not sure if I can wait a couple of weeks though...Roo or pullet, I can't even put my hand in the box to get another chicken without getting attacked!! However, I do think that he is a roo. I literally JUST put my hand in their box and he came running at me....

Even though i knew it would probably happen, it scared me out of my skin!!!!!! What should I do with him? I can hear him "attacking" the other chicks like every couple of minutes!!!! And now that I think more about when he was getting me, I realize he probably doesn't like me touching the other chicks!!!!!! Yes, he may have landed on the other chick that i was petting, but he was probably aiming at me!!!!!!!

There are these little holes in the box that they're in and I had the camera lens looking through it. Diamond (I should change that name to Dynamite!!) is the one in the middle of the 2 other chicks, looking straight at the camera. He came over ,and when I moved the camera, peeking over the top of the box, he looked at it then jumped up and hit it...I'm not sure what he was trying to do...But i doubt He was being curious!!!

Here'a the video:

BTW, nothing really happens until the end so watch it through completely.

 

[losttexan]

If you're not seeing it from any of the other chicks, it is likely to be aggressive/cockerel behavior. Either way, the advice from azygous is spot on. Dominate the chick, and require it to submit. If you plan on keeping the little stinker, you have to establish the recognition of you as "top chicken" early on, because like you said, this will only get more difficult as it gets older and bigger.
Don't be afraid to speak to the chick in "chicken language" - this is how they relate to each other, and both you and the bird will be happier once each knows their place. You're not being "mean" - you are helping to establish the Pecking Order, and the Pecking Order is what rules the chicken world. Look at recently integrated flocks - newbies post here all the time their worries that the birds are going to kill each other, and describe apocalyptic bloodshed. Then, before you know it, everyone settles down, all is established from the alphas all the way down, and tranquility returns to the barnyard - just as nature intended.

 

[amelia123]

Okay. Thanks!! Yeah, when he attacked me, I picked him up, and took him out of the box, and held him gently, but firm enough so that he couldn't wiggle out. He was screaming and and i noticed his feet were almost shivering...Don't know what that was all about!!

He even pecked my fingers repeatedly, until I held him at a slant, his feet above his head, but not totally upside-down. While I was holding him, I heard this shrill scream INSIDE the box and then heard some chickens running around!!!!!!! This surprised me A LOT because whenever I heard that sound, I always assumed that Diamond was the one being aggressive to the other chicks. Apparently not, because Diamond was in my hand when i heard the commotion....Maybe I have 2 cockerels? I hope not!!!!!!!!!