Older chickens killed and ate my 4 mth old chicks. Is this normal?

[punerev060810]

I have 4 golden sexlinks that are about 2 yrs old. I just recently bought 6 wk old barred rocks and kept them in a dog crate but in the chicken coop so they could adjust to eachother. After about 3.5 wks I itegrated them and they seemed to do ok. The big ones would peck at them every once in a while to keep them from the food and stuff, but I didn't see them go after them. They were all together for about another 3.5 wks and the other day I went out there and they had killed them and was eating them. I was very upset and have been trying to figure out why they would do that. Someone told me that wasn't normal and they sounded overly aggressive. I then told them how I don't really like my kids outside when they are out because a couple of them don't like my little 2 yr old and they try to jump up and peck her. These are the first chickens that I have had so I don't know if it is how regular chickens act. I don't like it, though. I also thought that maybe I made them aggressive by sometimes giving them meat scraps but I read on here that other people do that too, so I have no idea. Should I get rid of my sexlinks and start over or is this normal behavior? Please let me know.

 

[schellie69]

I am not sure what could have caused this a couple of questions to see if we can figure this out
What are you feeding them. also how much space to they have in the pen/coop I would have waited until the babied where about the same size before trying to put them with a flock.

 

[punerev060810]

I give them a lay crumble about 1.5 scoops per day, plus any scraps if I have them. They are in a 14' x 12' chicken coop. The man I bought them from said that I could put the smaller ones with the bigger ones after just a couple of weeks. When I get more I will definately keep them apart until they are grown.

 

[BooBear]

Size is important when introducing new flock members. I have Silkies in with my large fowl Wyandottes and they get along fine. Also, once the 4 kids were the same size as the Silkies and the others already seen them for awhile through wire, we let them integrate with the flock. There is the normal peck here n there but the big dottes have accepted the new guys with very little fuss and all are doing well.

Your chickies sound too aggressive and may cause you more trouble when you decide to introduce new hens.
They have cannibalized already and would most likely try it again. The fact that they show aggression to your child would make me want to cull them and get some friendly girls.

 

[schellie69]

I would also get a feeder and offer free choice layer feed this what I do. I think that maybe the little ones where just to little.

 

[Hollywood Chickens]

Quote:
I agree, the cannibalism could be caused by insufficient protein, try feeding cooked meat or getting flock raiser (20% versus 16% in the layer crumbles) also if they are always this aggressive I would get rid of them, I never keep an aggressive hen even if they lay an egg a day, it is not worth losing chicks and not being able to hang out with them.

I am sorry for your loss.

 

[NanaLantana]

Sorry, I agree with BooBear. I think I'd get some more chix, maybe a dozen, and when they're ready to go outside, get rid of the agressive hens. Just start fresh. You should have chickens that you enjoy, and that won't hurt your child.

 

[elmo]

Quote:
If you have been restricting their feed, it's possible that they were just really hungry. It's better to offer food free choice, and that way you know the chickens are getting enough food.

 

[Judy]

Definitely agree that chickens should be fed free choice. I also wonder if the chicks were killed by then hens. Most any chickens would eat the bodies left by a predator.

 

[speckledhen]

Hens killing small chicks that are in their path when they are not broody is actually not unusual. They need to be more than 12 weeks old before they are really old enough to get out of the way of the older women.

Whether or not you have a predator that left bodies, I don't know, but babies normally aren't put into a coop with adult hens like that without dire consequences.