Mean baby

[TLHatton]

I have a 3 week old mixed flock and the black australorp roo is picking on everyone. Any suggestions?

 

[aart]

Describe their housing, size(feet by feet), type and temp of heat, feed etc.
Pics would help.

 

[TLHatton]

Their run is 8ftx20ft covered. The coop is 6ftx8ft. Its hot here in southern Utah so I've been letting them outside in the run. He just started pecking this morning. Its not hot yet, plenty of food and water.

 

[aart]

How many chicks?
What kind of feed (protein percentage)?

Is the bully drawing blood or pinning them down and pecking on them?

Might put the bully in a wire cage near the rest of them for a little time out.
Not for long maybe an hour or so, might have to repeat it.
Worked for me a couple times.

 

[TLHatton]

17 chicks 2 are roos. Purina chick starter. He pecks pretty hard at their heads and pins them down. I took him outside the pen and held him for a few minutes twice and that seemed to have calmed him down. We'll see.

 

[aart]

17 chicks 2 are roos. Purina chick starter. He pecks pretty hard at their heads and pins them down. I took him outside the pen and held him for a few minutes twice and that seemed to have calmed him down. We'll see.

It really does seem to help giving them a time out, when they are little like that it's pretty easy to do.
I made a 5 sided 'box' out of 1/2" hardware cloth, and just put the mean chick underneath it for short periods of time.
You might want to get a small wire dog crate to do this.

I've found the dog crates, have 2 large and 2 smaller ones, to be a fantastic tool in managing chickens.
Eventually you have to isolate a bird for any number of reasons.
I attached smaller meshed wire(1x2") in the bottom under the trays so I can use the tray or not, depending on the situation.