new chicken mama with fighting chicks...need advice

[CountryChick1971]

hello out there, I am a new "Chicken Mama", my family having decided to try raising hens for eggs. We have had the chicks for about a month, all is well other than a little pasty butt to deal with the first couple days. We have really enjoyed our experience so far, and I want it to stay that way. So let me bring you up to date: we bought some chicks that we were told were barred rocks from TSC, and we now know that we have two barred rocks and 6 ?? black sex links or black giants from Mt. Healthy. We bought them 3/17/10, and then we received a mail order on 3/24/10 of ten Buff Orps and RIR pullets....THEN my Mother-In-Law came for a visit, and we ended up getting two bantam chicks, one did not make it 24 hours, the other is fine. So I had two brooders going, and my husband and I gutted and converted a camper into a very nice chicken coop. We had put the two cages in there for a few nights before turning everyone loose, two days ago. The first day all seemed well. Today I go out to do chores, and the larger barred rock (I think it is a roo) is really picking on the BO and RIR. He doesn't seem interested in the little banty, who just hides under the BO's. We have two separate feeding/water stations, two separate roosting areas, and two red heat lamps on opposite sides, the floor space is 7.5 feet by 14.5 feet. I expected a little pecking, but it seems that the larger black chickens will not let the second group eat and drink for very long without running them off. Any ideas? unfortunately separate quarters is not a good idea since they really seemed too large for the brooders, I would just feel mean putting them back in there? Do I take the meanies out? Not all of them are aggressive, maybe three or so. Will adding another feeding station with a "blind side" help? My husband just laid a new floor and linoleum, so he does not want to mess it up by building a partition. He actually isn't a hundred percent behind this in the first place if you get my drift... need some suggestions if anyone can help me out. Will they always fight if they are different sizes, like if the black ones turn out to be giants? They are almost two times larger than the RIRs, less than a week apart in age??? Am I screwing up totally? Should I just let them figure it out?

 

[ChickenCharmer]

Are you sure they're fighting? Young chicks like to roughhouse a lot, maybe they're just sparring.

 

[CountryChick1971]

I am pretty sure it is fighting.....I am no expert, maybe it looks worse than it is? Is it dangerous to let them figure it out?

 

[CountryChick1971]

Well I joined this forum hoping to get some help........maybe I will try another. Set up a third feeding station and that seemed to have helped some, will take it day by day unless I get some good suggestions or see blood

 

[fastpat]

If I have your dates correctly understood, the largest chicks are about one month old and the others range from two to three weeks. I don't think you're seeing fighting, unless there is blood. Mine, all the same age, do a lot of face offs and chest bumping, but that's it so far. The pullets and the cockerels both do it, there's no pecking going on and everyone seems to be eating. I do have the two feeders at opposite ends of the brooding area, which enables everyone to eat when they want to.

If you see blood on anyone, then that chick will have to be separated until it heals. RIR's are not small chickens, when adult they are on the large side, not a big as Jersey giants, but giants usually take much longer to mature to their full size, so I'm not sure that's what you have.

 

[CountryChick1971]

Well I am not sure if adding the third feeding station helped or if they were just working out the P Order... all seems much improved! I am so relieved

 

[Backyard Hencam]

I had an aggressive chick (she was a silver-laced Wyandotte) who picked on the others especially the BO. At three weeks we moved the six chicks to a larger brooder and she just got worse. After days of "torturing" I had to put her in a separate brooder and essentially raised her for a month separately. She was not a rooster and is now a beautiful, well-adjusted hen. I wrote a story about "Poppy" that was printed in the local newspaper. You can see the article on my website below. Good luck. I found the whole experience frustrating so can sympathize with your situation.