Keets and chicks brooding together

[chickchickchiky]

Ok from everything i am reading this should be ok but i have 16 keets and put in 4 yokohoma chicks in there with them all of them day olds and one of my chicks i found dead so i thought well maybe he was not healthy right? Then this morning i checked on them cause i kept hearing a chick scream and i saw a keet picking on one of the chicks vent to the point of bleeding! Is this normal? Is there any reason they are doing this? I separated the chicks in a box for now within the brooder but i am very confused. Any ideas?

 

[PeepsCA]

I don't own or raise chickens, but have raised keets with Peachicks and Turkey poults with no issues, other than some toe pecking (not to the point of drawing blood or causing death tho). Make sure to sprinkle plenty of starter feed around on paper towels the first few days until everybody's eating well and not looking for other things to pick at. Keets are drawn to the sight of blood, so once there is a wound in the brooder they will continually peck at it, but if you are feeding them chick starter the keets may have started cannibalizing the chicks due to lack of protein. Keets require high protein starter feed, around 27-28% is optimal.

 

[chickchickchiky]

I have them on game fowl feed with the high protein and i made sure they were all eating and drinking fine the keets seem content and not panicked or anything so i am totally clueless as to why pick on the chicks. The only thing i can think of is they see it puckering when the chick chirps and it attracts them?? I am so confused but i am going to have to separate them cause i don't want my chicks to die.

 

[rosewolf22002]

I have 12 keets and 25 Americana chicks together with no problems. They have been hatched 3 days apart. Keets are older. I have them in a 2ft tall by 4ft wide by 6 ft long. LOTS of room. How big is your brooder? I know both chicks and keets get pissy if there is no space. How is you temp and air flow? That matters also!

 

[chickchickchiky]

Mine are the same age! I just took them out cause i really don't want to loose any more of them but i am thinking it was just odd. The brooder is big enough to hold 50 chicks and all i have in there are the 16 keets and 3 chicks

 

[jcatblum]

In the beginning keets & chicks work well but by the end of wk 1 the keets start moving so fast I am scared it will stress the chicks. I have never had any problems brooding them together I just get nervous as I see the chicks ran over by keets. Poor chicks hardly get back on their feet & another keet knocks it down.