one mean chick...

[LindsayB]

Is it normal for chicks to attack eachother? I have three, three week old chicks (BR, EE, and RIR) that are 'supposed to be' pullets. whenever I open the cage door to pick up one of them the EE always attacks the chick that I grab. It almost seems like its trying to spur its friend. Its also the most curious one of the group and isn't really afraid of anything! Is this normal behavior for a little chick?

 

[LindsayB]

heres a picture of them, the bully in the middle... (sorry it looks so dirty! they are very messy now lol)

 

[LindsayB]

anyone?

 

[gumpsgirl]

Try adding a red light bulb to your heat lamp and see if this helps, I have found that it helps tremendously here, and tell that bully to calm down!

 

[aveca]

We always use a red heat lamp bulb. It keeps them calmer and less picking on each other.

 

[Jess N Jeff]

Are they chest bumping or is it pecking and feather pulling? If its chest bumping...they are settling pecking order. If its very aggressive pecking or feather pulling...that could be something else all together. I had EE chicks and that group was the most aggressive chicks I have ever seen. No blood, but they were kinda cruel to eachother.

 

[Shelly_WNC]

my chicks are just about 6 weeks now and for the last 2 weeks or so I noticed them kick boxing each other, one would get a running start and almost like jump on another (leap frog maybe - LOL). Now just last week (at 5 weeks old) I noticed a few are into the peaking in the head thing, seems kinda hard to.

I try to intervene and move the one peaking away. And I have too noticed a bully, and almost sure it's a roo (because the comb and wattles are red and large).

So ... YES there are bullies ( guess they are establishing the 'pecking order')

 

[LindsayB]

i guess its more chest bumping, and sometimes she flicks out her legs at me and the chicks lol.

 

[LindsayB]

oh gosh, I hope my EE isn't a roo! Its so hard to tell what the EE's are though. We already think the barred rock might be a rooster, I'm praying its a hen! If they both end up being boys i'll have to go get some more chicks...which is kinda okay

 

[gumpsgirl]

The whole chest bumping thing sounds kind of "roo-ish" to me.

Fingers are crossed for a pullet there!

As already suggested, try the red light bulb. It really might help.