Newbie with an aggressive check

[heatherz]

Hi there. Super new to BYC and raising chickens in general. I recently got five little chickies that are now 3 weeks old. 2 sexlinks , 2 Black Austrolorps and 1 Rhode Island. They are in a decent size brooder with all the appropriate things. Recently, the smallest sexlink has started to "pick" on the others. She's plucking out every one's down and has harassed the other sexlink to the point of causing her neck to bleed.

I've temporarily sequestered her away from the others but she is miserable. What should I do? Should I just let them be? Will they figure it out on their own?

Thanks.

 

[BoomChickaPop]

It sounds like they are starting a pecking order, which means one of them is showing the others whose Boss.
I would keep the hurt chick away from the others. Because chickens when they see blood tend to peck at it and can really hurt your chick.
The chick that pecked the hurt chick might be a rooster by the way he acts.
I would keep the hurt chick separate until she/he looks well enough to go back with the others. But make sure her/his wound is healed. And when you put the hurt chick back with the others make sure the others don't hurt him, if they do take him away from them.
Hope this helps

BCP

 

[RitzHomestead]

x2

 

[azygous]

Recently, I had a chick do what yours is doing, and I was able to stop the behavior by poking him on the back each time I saw him do it. It took all of two days and he was no longer interested in picking down off the other chicks.

I would anticipate when he was thinking about making a run at a chick, quick poke, watch and wait. When he went to do it again, quick poke.

Try it. It really works.

Yes, he indeed turned out to be a roo.

 

[Folly's place]

Often sex-links and RIRs tend to be 'pushy' and more into feather picking behaviors than other mellower breed types. Mary