My flock is pecking the HECK out of my Polish chicks! Ahhh!

[Baby Corn]

I have a mixed group of pullets from McMurray that are all about 5 weeks old. I've got two white crested black polish chicks and a white polish and ALL THREE are getting bullied by the group.

The others have been pecking at the crests, pulling feathers out, bruising and making their heads bleed. It's been going on since about 3 weeks old. It seems like the 3 cochins do a lot of the pecking, but everyone else joins in! I separated the 3 polish into a different tub, since they don't peck each other. They all healed, but today I moved them all out into the coop for the first time all together now and ACK! Bloody pecked heads on all three again!

I've moved the 3 pecked chicks back inside... but they're getting big! My worry is that the pecking will never stop and I can't keep em inside forever, but I don't want to find pecked-to-death chickens

Does anybody have any experience on this? Will the other girls eventually quit being such jerks?

 

[Veer67]

You could separate the chicks from the hens using netting.

 

[Baby Corn]

They're all the same age and size. Do you think I'll need to separate them permanently, or will they stop eventually?

 

[Eggcessive]

You might buy some BluKote to spray their heads to keep the others from pulling out their crest feathers. I had two in my first mixed flock, and the pulled out head feathers for 6 months with bleeding heads left. The BluKote makes them have purple heads, but it keeps them from pecking. It is also an antiseptic. Keep the Polish feathers trimmed out of their eyes when they start covering them, so that they can see better and not run into the others which can get them pecked.

 

[Baby Corn]

I'll pick up some BluKote today. Hopefully they have some at TSC. Thank you so much for the advice! Great idea about trimming. Never thought to do that, but I'll do it if it keeps my Polish girls out of trouble!

 

[chooks4life]

Agree with Eggcessive --- a new hairdo can totally fix the issue.

Of course the wounds too need tending and re-coloring probably, too.... As already said...

 

[Baby Corn]

I got some BluKote and it seems to have worked for the most part! I've seen one particular pullet, my buff cochin, pecking almost every body else, including the polish, a little bit, though. But no more ganging up

 

[cafarmgirl]

Well part of the problem is that they look different, so a haircut and some BluKote may very well help. At the same time, give them as much space as possible, busy chicks with lots of room get into less trouble!