Older chick picking on littlest chick

[RedheadErin]

I have 3 orphans in a brooder. #1 is about 3 weeks old. I think it's a girl, but too soon to tell for sure. #2 is about 4 days old. #3 is a day old.

#1 gets along great with #2. #2 gets along fine with #3. But #1 picks on #3 mercilessly.

Its sad because both of the little ones try to get up under #1 for comfort. #3 will try to cuddle up to #1 even as the older one is pecking it in the face.

I separated them last night, just by putting #1 under a small laundry basket in the brooder box, so they could still see each other. Then they were ALL crying for each other.

I can try putting #3 under a hen tomorrow night, but I will not be able to monitor them until Monday morning. Even then, it may not work. So we still have at least a weekend to get through. Any suggestions for either the short or long term?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I wouldn't tolerate picking. It can become a habit and also the youngest may get injured. I have not had success with integrating three week differences in age with regard to newly hatched chicks. Now as soon as they are just a bit older, say a week old, it makes a big difference.

So my advice is to separate the three week old one as you did and wait a week. They will still be friends for life as when you reintegrate them, they will grow up together and be buddies. There is ample time for them to grow close-knit as a group. You can put a mirror in with the lonely chick and keep her close to the others separated only by the basket.

 

[RedheadErin]

The best thing I could come up with is an old mouse cage (Almost like a cheap bird cage) in one end of the brooder box. Kiddo took #3 out for some lap time last night, and then let #1 and #2 play together for a while. When we put them all back, the 2 little ones and the big one were on opposite sides of the wire, all crying for each other. They settled things by cuddling up to each other from their own side of the cage.

The house chicken jumped up on my lap while I was holding the little one, and she started pecking at him, too! This little one seems destined to be bullied (oh, how I can relate.....

)
I feel so bad for the little one. He REALLY wants somebody to love him, and he REALLY adores the big one. He will try to cuddle up under the big one, even as it is trying to peck his face off.

 

[RedheadErin]

AN update--now my boy found a 4th orphan--again jsut sitting in the shed with no mom in sight. SO now #1 and #4 have a box, and # 3 and # 4 have a box, and everybody seems OK now. Let's hope there isn't a #5!