One chick pecking the others' eyes....What should I do?

[MamiPollo]

I have 6 pullets (they are supposed to be all pullets). The Columbia Rock (Hilda) is the oldest by 2 or 3 days from what I can tell. I got her last week. When I got Hilda I also got Alma, an Australorp; she is the youngest...about a week younger than the original 4. The original 4 are 2 Astralorps & 2 Araucanas. They are about 3 weeks old. The Aracaunas are beginning to fly out of the brooder, but there is no way to cover it due to its' location (wedged between the toilet and the bathtub).

Hilda has ruled the roost ever since she set foot in it. I cannot really tell the rest of the pecking order, but she is definatly the queen bee, or tries to be. The other pullets tend to give her a wide berth.

Twice today I have observed Hilda pecking another chick's eye. Ouch! This was when I happened to be in the bathroom. Most of the time I am not in there. So who knows what happens when I am not there.

I am wondering if I should isolate Hilda or even cull her? I like her, but she is kind of a bully, and I hate to think of her making the rest of the girls miserable.

ETA: Okay, I misunderstood the term "cull." What I meant to say is that I would try to find her a different home, or house her separately from the others. The next door neighbors would probably let me put my chicken tractor in their backyard and keep 2 hens there. (Uh oh...chicken math...what am I saying?!).

 

[Judy]

You could try giving them more space or cutting the heat back a little. Darkening the room at night might help. If you are ina warm climate at all, perhaps you could put them outside, at least during the day.

Sometimes you just get a bully who stays a bully no matter what you do. There was another thread about this just today.

Cull just means remove from the flock -- it's not a reference to what is done with the bird at that point.

 

[MysticScorpio82]

Alot of times chicks will peck at each others eyes because it's shiny and they are attracted to "shiny" (My MIL has been pecked in the eye a few times in the past

) But if it is agressive pecking not a curious peck, then I would try switching light sources. Sometimes a red heat light vs a regular white one will help with pecking. If it doesn't then I would try seperating her (but have her close enough to hear the others) for a few days. And if she is still being a bully, then I would consider rehoming her. Good luck!

 

[kiplingchick]

the teeny tiniest of my chicks was doing the same thing yesterday. I made a separate section in the brooder. It was clear plastic walls so she could see and hear the others, but not peck their eyes. I also spent extra time holding her. This allowed the rest of the flock to really calm down and rest. She spent the night in "solitary", and has been very well behaved today.

 

[MamiPollo]

Thanks everyone!

Hilda is in the box she came in. She was very, very determined to get out of the box, and she did. Twice. Overcoming my attempts to pen her in a matter of minutes. So, I put her box in the shower and closed the shower door. She is very calm now.

The other girls were terrified at first, but as soon as she got quiet, they went to sleep and seem very relaxed.

I really do like Hilda, but she does seem to create a lot of tension in the brooder. Maybe she will be more subdued after this experience. She certainly is now!

Hope this works out!

 

[MamiPollo]

Wow! With Hilda in the shower stall, all of my chicks are so calm! What a difference in the brooder! They have stopped sparring and running around in panic mode. Everyone is calm. It's amazing!

Hilda is likewise subdued. She is just resting in her box. She has not flown out that I can tell. There is no poop in the shower.

She can hear the other chicks, but cannot get to them.

I'm going to leave them like this a couple of days. If I put her back in and things get crazy, I will either plan for her to live separately or else rehome her.

There is a possibility I could house her in my chicken tractor in my neighbor's yard. I believe they would let me in exchange for eggs/garden produce. If so, what if I got another Columbia Rock the same age to put with her (they had a lot last week, so probably still available)? Would it make a difference if she were with her own breed?

ETA: Hilda has flown out of her box and is standing in the shower stall screaming. The other chicks are freaked out and are all cowering and not doing anything else. Will this get better?