Mean Chick

[Byrdj]

I went out to feed and water my 4 week old chicks today and noticed that one chick who is the largest one, was relentlessly singling out and picking on another chick. Apparently it had been going on all day because the one chick was missing feathers and was bloodied up. I can't even tell which ones are pullets and cockerals yet they are so young!
I took the beat up chick out and put in a seperate pen by itself. So far the mean chick hasn't been that way to any other chicks. Is that normal? I was shocked since they are all so young and hatched together. Any recomendations? I had thought about putting the mean chick in a pen with a grown rooster to see if he can be put in in place without being killed himself. Or going ahead and killing him if he picks out another chick to pick on. I'm afraid that he will eventually do it to all the other male chicks and I was planning on having a couple of roosters in the same pen. He's half game and half EE if that means anything.

 

[EricShane]

thats what chickens do.. oddly if you were to kill him, another one would probably start doing the same thing.

 

[Byrdj]

Anyone else have any suggestions?

 

[joanc]

I wouldn't put him in with a grown rooster-he wouldn't stand a chance. I wouldn't put him in with any adults or other birds too much older than him.

For the beat up chick, i would put at least 1 other chick in with it to keep it company, but watch it closely to make sure the companion chick doesn't go after bloodied parts. Even chicks can be gruesome and relentless in their picking at bloody areas.

If you have some Blu Kote to put on the chick to stop the pecking that would help a lot. We recently combined 2 age groups and the older ones pick on the younger ones, sometimes to the point of drawing blood. The Blu Kote has worked for me.

Good luck.

 

[Byrdj]

Thanks Joan. I'll get some of that Blu Kote. I already seperated the beat up chick and put another one with it for company and they are both doing fine. I've decided that I'm not going to have any chickens that mean, so if the mean chick persists on beating up other hatch mates or picking on the one chick when it put it back with the main group, he will be gone.
Anyone know if mean chicks (I assume they will be cockerals) will only pick on other cockerals or do the do the same to pullets also?

 

[Farm Frenzy]

I don't know if it has anything to do with it, but here's what I read about gamebirds.

They tend to be noisy, active, intolerant of confinement, and roosters absolutely cannot be kept together - they'll fight to the death! Hens are aggressive too, and shouldn't be kept alongside more docile breeds.