Oh the DRAMA! *Updated Pics*

[mediazeal]

help!
I am totally new at taking care of chicks
I hatched my very first ones out Thurs-Friday

Yes, I have a red light
Lots of room in the brooder. Its a very long clear plastic bin with hardware cloth taped into the top instead of plastic.
12 chicks:
5 barnevelders
6 golden penciled hamburgs
1 golden cuckoo maran

The Barnevelder chicks are close to twice as big as the Penciled Hamburg chicks.
Penciled Hamburg chicks have spots and eyeliner and apparently interesting feathers by their eyes.

The barnevelder chicks will not leave the hamburgs alone. They are constantly pecking eyes or pulling on feathers around eyes of the hamburgs.

3 of the hamburgs were the last to hatch by 24-36 hours after the barnies. They are still pretty slow and sleepy.

such peeping and squealing

barnies all look alike
I tried to see if it was a particular one
but it seems to be more than one, maybe all
those hamburgs just look tasty
not to the one maran chick, just to barnies

I finally had to separate them with a piece of cardboard down the center of the brooder and reposition the light, get some makeshift water and food on both sides, etc. plus two mommy towels to cuddle up to of course.

Maran and hamburgs on one side, troublemakers on the other.

I'm hoping the hamburgs get a little bigger and faster and learn to manage it plus they will look more normal to the barnies eventually.

No one was hurt, no feathers pulled out, no blood,
just squealing
man chickens make noises you didn't know they could make
They are only a day old

So anyone have any ideas besides keep them separated for now?
I hate to since they need to share a coop eventually as well.

 

[Mahonri]

Once they get a littel older, that should end.

Good luck.

 

[mwdh1]

I would say keep them seperate for a week or so, then try to re-introduce them a little at a time (supervised of course), after that they should be fine

 

[mamanaturale]

i have one barred rock chick that has a yellow spot next to her eye and some of the other chicks thought it was fun to peck as well. it lost its novelty after a couple of days. if they continue to peck, i personally would keep them separated. the chicks getting pecked will get bigger, faster, and more able to defend them selves. plus they look a lot different once they are feathered out. good luck!

 

[mediazeal]

Thanks folks
There is less drama this morning.
The light in the middle of the brooder isn't keeping the temp quite as high, but they were all sleeping and no one was squealing every 2 seconds like yesterday.

I'll put a hardware cloth window in my separator today and give it a few days.

Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[mediazeal]

Here are some pics of my little hoodlums.
Finally there is peace with a separation 'window' between them. The cuckoo maran chick is in with the hamburgs and never causes a problem.

Here are the Barnevelders on their side.

And here are the little hamburgs

 

[ears73]

Drama, yes. Cute? Yes, YES!! Love the pics! Good luck during the rest of your brooding!

 

[tcwk]

Great idea making the window, they should be fine once they get bigger.

 

[mediazeal]

Quote:
I sure hope so. I figured they needed to keep seeing each other to get it over with.

Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[lickskillet]

mediazeal, may I ask what you are using for bedding in the bottom of your brooder? Is it less DUSTY than shavings? Thanks