One chick pecking at the other and drew blood....

[chick818]

My chicks are still inside as they do not all have full feathers. (I do turn them out durring the day) This morning my kids noticed one pecking another on the neck. There is some blood. The one that did the pecking is fully feathered, the other is not. I have 4 chicks, (about 5 weeks old or so) Do I need to separate them? The guilty one is a bit bigger and seems to keep doing it. Also, can neosporin (with no benzocaine in it, I checked) be used? I put a tiny bit on it prior to checking on forum.

Thanks

 

[LynneP]

Get the bully out of there so that bird knows he is not in charge of harming others. Sometimes if you remove them they lost their spot in top place. Is this one a rooster do you think?

You can use neosporin and you may want to blu-kote/blue-lotion/no-peck the injured one which you should remove for a little while for examination/treatment. By marking the wound with blue others should ignore it, but use your judgement before returning it. If the injured bird is a little jump and is not eating as well, mix the feed with some water so it's easier to digest.

 

[chick818]

Quote:
It doesn't seem to be too bad, I am just afraid that if I leave them together it will get worse. Also, I just noticed another chick picked at the same spot where the wound is. And yes the original "bully" I do believe may be a rooster. I am new to chickens so I am not positive, but it does seem a bit more agressive then the others.

 

[LynneP]

Well he's probably to 'roosterish' to realize that she's too young for that stuff!

Your instincts are right, get her separated and be very watchful of this guy- he might start on someone else.

 

[chick818]

Quote:
Thank you so much, it is great to be able to ask someone a question who knows so much more about them, especailly being new to it all. I have them outside in the grass for awhile under supervision. Maybe a little outside time will tire them out and give them something to do. The inside crate may be becoming too small and they are getting bored. Should I keep the injured one all by itself? Will that be ok to do? Or will they attack her when I put her back with them? And how long should she stay separated?

 

[LynneP]

Could you take her outside in a dog crate or something to separate her from the others?

 

[chick818]

Quote:
My daughter is with them now. We are taking turns. I will not leave her with the others when I go out later. Just not sure of the best way to separate them in the house, as I only have one crate that I keep them in for inside. And when separated she keeps calling for the other ones and tries to get to them. This particular bird is so sweet, it is a cochin. She doesn't even seem to fight back when they peck at her. And it is eating and drinking.

 

[Judy]

Pecking is contagious, others will imitate the pecker, and they are also instinctively driven to peck at anything bloody. You may have to separate the injured one til she heals or at least is not red. But you must certainly separate the aggressor. He should move to the bottom of the pecking order when he is returned.

You are probably quite right that they are feeling a little bored and crowded. They would so much rather be outdoors. Any way you can move them out 24/7? What is your climate? Unless it is way north you might not need anything but a red party bulb for warmth.

 

[chick818]

Quote:
I live on Long Island, we are getting day time temps from the 60's to 70's But our nights are still in the 50's. I thought they had to be fully feathered to go out 24/7?

If I do separate her while she heals, what will happen when I put her back?

 

[Judy]

They need to be fully feathered to be out 24/7 without any heat. At 5 weeks they only need it to be about 70-75. A cardboard box in an undrafty building with a light bulb will probably maintain this temp for you; just set something up and stick a thermometer on the floor and see. Many people brood chicks from day one in a garage or coop; depends what your setup is, of course.

You don't necessarily need to separate the one who got pecked. If you separate the bully and the others don't bother her, she can stay with them. You need to separate the bully so the others don't learn his behavior, to protect her, and hopefully, to drop him down to the bottom of the pecking order when you try to reintroduce him in a few days. You only need to separate the one who got pecked if the rest continue to peck her after removing the bully.

I probably wasn't clear; I'm good at that. Sorry!

Will stay subscribed. Let us know how it goes.