NEED HELP!

[sdaikus]

I hope this is the right place to post. The smallest chick i have keeps pecking at the others eyes. she's very rough!! i separated her and now she seems very stressed. i don't know what to do!! i noticed loud chirping and they are usually very quite and i noticed she was attacking another chick! please help!!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Unfortunately some seem to do that in their first few days, I put some shiny glass rocks, mine are blue, in the waterer, feeder, and scattered on the floor to give them something else shiny to peck at, most will stop the behavior in a day or two, I would put it back.

 

[sdaikus]

The weird part is she was fine.. This is new with in the last few hours. Is this a sign that she's actually a male? I tried putting her back and she instantly started again!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

What temperature is your brooder, sometimes being too warm will make them aggressive. You could make a little wire jail to put it in so it's in with the rest but separated. It will be interesting to see if it ends up a rooster.

 

[azygous]

Yes, this behavior is sometimes associated with baby cockerels. But it's also very common. It usually disappears by the end of the first week.

If you believe the behavior is intensifying or persists past the first week, you can discipline the chick to stop.

You do this by observing the behavior off and on throughout the day for a couple days. You don't have to take up guard duty, just whenever you wish to spend time with the chicks.

The second you see the chick go to peck another, give it a swift, but gentle, poke on its back. Try to anticipate the behavior and poke when the chick starts toward another chick. That's even more effective. I can almost guarantee that the behavior will stop after you do this for two days.

 

[sdaikus]

I'm sitting in the brooder doing this right now! It's been about two hours and I think I can notice a difference.. Or at least some length in between the "bullying". Thanks for your help! @azygous I also put in little cat toys that she's seems occupied with at the moment

 

[azygous]

Good thinking with the cat toys. Sometimes a distraction is one of the best ways to curb this kind of compulsive behavior in chicks. Shiny marbles scattered around and shiny reflective tape stuck here and there will accomplish this, too.

I had a chick last summer like yours. He, yes he turned out to be a cockerel, was compulsively picking down from the other chicks. t only took two days of the "poke" therapy and he stopped doing it. I didn't even have to spend all that much time at it, just occasionally when I happened to have time.

Today, he's a splendid rooster, and he's never yanked a single feather from anyone, and he's even careful when he's mating.

 

[sdaikus]

It's about 90-92 in here and they are about 5 days old. I also gave them a larger area to see if that helps.. It's doesn't seem to be making a difference. I tried to make a jail with chicken wire and she squeezed her way out of the holes!!

@oldhenlikesdogs

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

She seems to be a feisty little chick. I might try lower the temperature to closer to 85, hopefully she will stop, or maybe he.

 

[sdaikus]

I'm new to this so maybe I'm making too big of a deal but she seems mean! I'll try that and see if it helps. Thanks!! @oldhenlikesdogs