My 4week old chicks are getting nasty

[PinkE]

I have had my chicks 2 weeks, there growing like weeds, but I'm noticing some aggressive behavior. For the most part they all get along fine, but sometimes I go out there and they are chasing each other, jumping on each other, and sometimes are pecking each other. I just enlarged the brooder so they have more room, but it didn't seem to change the way there acting. There are only 6 hen chicks, but sometimes I swear I have a bunch of fighting roosters. Is this normal? Are they bored? Are they unhappy? I always have clean water, full feeder, a heat lamp, clean shavings, and they have a little roost they sit on. Any answers? Is this normal? Thanks for any help.

 

[lazy gardener]

I have had my chicks 2 weeks, there growing like weeds, but I'm noticing some aggressive behavior. For the most part they all get along fine, but sometimes I go out there and they are chasing each other, jumping on each other, and sometimes are pecking each other. I just enlarged the brooder so they have more room, but it didn't seem to change the way there acting. There are only 6 hen chicks, but sometimes I swear I have a bunch of fighting roosters. Is this normal? Are they bored? Are they unhappy? I always have clean water, full feeder, a heat lamp, clean shavings, and they have a little roost they sit on. Any answers? Is this normal? Thanks for any help.

How big is the brooder? If they're crowded, the agression will be worse. You might want to do some reading, but I think 2 s.f./ chick is recommended when they start to get bigger. I'm sure some one in the know will correct me if I'm wrong. And, yes it's normal. Do you have kids? Any bickering there?? As long as they're not drawing blood, and as long as there's not a runt bearing all of the agression, I think you're ok. Are they perhaps a little too warm? I've heard that if chicks are too warm they can be more agressive. A lot of folks don't abide by the "Start at 95 and drop 5 degrees/week rule, and have very good results. Some of my chicks love to get from point A to point B by leap frogging across at least one other chicks back. And they get in each other's faces with hackles raised. And pecking, that's just what they do.

 

[Lori351121]

I'm new to this too but mine are doing the same thing. I think (from what I've read) that they are establishing their pecking order. Kind of like play fighting

 

[kynewbchickie]

Mine got downright ugly with one another at around 2-3 weeks. I moved around the waterers and feeder to give them more room to get to the corners of the brooder and they started to calm down more. They still peck and will fight (I have my boys in with the girls, so the boys sometimes get funky with each other, even at nearly 6 weeks of age) but no one has been injured yet. Taking them outside on pretty days (it's been in the low 80's here) has also helped a lot. This weekend, they'll be going out to their coop and pasture full-time, so I'm expecting most of the "fighting" to be gone by then. They'll peck and fight until everyone knows their place, that's for sure!

 

[PinkE]

My brooder went from a double size tote to a moving box that's probably 4feet by 2 1/2 feet. Maybe there just establishing a pecking order. There not drawing blood, there just getting pushy, if one is on the perch, another pushes them off, other times there all perched together, it's almost like there showing off, we have no kids, and my Yorker could care less. I introduced the dog,but he's an older dog and very calm. Today I noticed two of them were beak to beak circling like two roosters in a fighting ring, they try to fly back and forth too.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Chicks will do the chest butting to establish who is dominant. Once the pecking order is worked out, then things are better. If anything changes (you get rid of some chickens, or move them) they test the pecking order again. The underlings always want to advance up the order.

At three weeks of age I start allowing them to exit the coop (with of course full access to their heat lamp inside) in a safe small area. This helps greatly and they start to peck grass. If you don't have a setup like that and they must stay in the brooder, you might give them some 1/2 inch long grass clippings (unpoisoned grass) for vitamins and enjoyment. They LOVE to eat grass.

 

[HomesteadDebi]

My babies are 3 and 4 weeks old. They have become so mean to each other. I keep threatening them becoming supper, but they know me better than that. lol. I'll be very glad when they can go in their coop/run. They are so much happier when I take them out during the day.

 

[kynewbchickie]

My babies are 3 and 4 weeks old. They have become so mean to each other. I keep threatening them becoming supper, but they know me better than that. lol. I'll be very glad when they can go in their coop/run. They are so much happier when I take them out during the day.

Just keep up with the routine of outdoor time and look forward to release day!

 

[HomesteadDebi]

We are having highs in the low 80s and nighttime lows near 60...it won't be long at all! I just know I will be crying the night they go out, no matter how bad they are in the house. lol

 

[BoPeep6]

At 3 weeks old my chicks started getting testy with each other too. But this week (that was last week) I have been letting them outside all day and bringing them in at night (the reason being that is still gets down to like 30 at night). Now they are happy cuddling with each other at night in their box and having their space during the day!