New chick is a loner?

[Etxchick]

I just bought 9 chicks 4 black/white, 4 red and 1 white (we only picked up one because the store couldn’t tell me what breed any of the chicks were) and right away the white one was a loner. She’s a bit special and seems to annoy the others - pecks in their face and also runs up to them and shoves her head between their legs. The other birds won’t let her under the heating plate. So I figured I should get another couple in case they just weren’t bonding because of her breed. So my husband came home with 2 more but the other 2 white ones got accepted in right away and now it’s night 2 for this little chick. She will go under the plate when they are all out eating. Is there anything I can do?

 

[Debbie292d]

Hi, and welcome to BYC!

Is that loner standing there crying or just not going under the heat?

There usually isn't a pecking order at that age. If that one loner gets chilled, it'll force its way into the heat.

 

[Etxchick]

Hi, and welcome to BYC!

Is that loner standing there crying or just not going under the heat?

There usually isn't a pecking order at that age. If that one loner gets chilled, it'll force its way into the heat.

Thank you!
And tonight was crying until I picked her up. Last night no she was fine. Currently she’s snuggled and sleeping on my chest

 

[redinator]

I've had toe peckers and eye peckers. The other chicks will either avoid it or peck it back. Some chicks are just a bit slower to learn how to socialize or get easily over stimulated by a wiggling toe or a shiny eye ball.

These are the suggestions I got that worked. Add a second brooder plate, feeder, waterer and a physical barrier, think hardware cloth or something similar. You want them to still be able to see each other, but keep the annoying chick from injuring or annoying the rest.

Put the brooder plates next to each other on either side of the divider. You can try putting one chick with annoying for a few hours and see if they get along; if not switch the second chick out. Hopefully you can find the annoying chick a buddy until it calms down and doesn't get stimulated as easily. In my experience it's passed in a few days.

You can also try adding shiny objects . . . mirrors, marbles etc to the brooder to distract the annoying chick from pecking at the others. Good luck!

 

[Debbie292d]

Thank you!
And tonight was crying until I picked her up. Last night no she was fine. Currently she’s snuggled and sleeping on my chest

I would just stick her under there in the middle of them. They'll all get used to each other.

 

[Etxchick]

I've had toe peckers and eye peckers. The other chicks will either avoid it or peck it back. Some chicks are just a bit slower to learn how to socialize or get easily over stimulated by a wiggling toe or a shiny eye ball.

These are the suggestions I got that worked. Add a second brooder plate, feeder, waterer and a physical barrier, think hardware cloth or something similar. You want them to still be able to see each other, but keep the annoying chick from injuring or annoying the rest.

Put the brooder plates next to each other on either side of the divider. You can try putting one chick with annoying for a few hours and see if they get along; if not switch the second chick out. Hopefully you can find the annoying chick a buddy until it calms down and doesn't get stimulated as easily. In my experience it's passed in a few days.

You can also try adding shiny objects . . . mirrors, marbles etc to the brooder to distract the annoying chick from pecking at the others. Good luck!

Thank you! I will try this

 

[MROO]

So ... how did it go? Did the pesky chick ever learn how to "play well with others?"

 

[Etxchick]

So ... how did it go? Did the pesky chick ever learn how to "play well with others?"

Sorry I got busy and forgot to update. Short answer no - but I have the brooder in multiple sections they can pass through and she sits on a perch now and watches them. She doesn’t scream to be held all the time either anymore.