Other chicks beating up one chick-HELP!

[mrbeansmom]

I am sooooo happy to have found this forum!! We have had chickens since 1999. We bought ten baby chicks that year and all have died except for two. We recently bought 14 new chicks and they've done fabulously until today. Somehow two of them got out into the main yard (all the kids say "not me!") where the two bigger chickens are. I guess they were trying to get back into their little yard and one got stuck in some chicken wire. It injured one toe, only enough to make it bleed a tiny bit, and when I put her back in with the others, they all started chasing her and pecking at that toe. I picked her up and held her on my lap and she stretched out her neck and went to sleep, she was soooo comfortable. I just love these Rhode Island Reds we got this time! They are so cuddly and friendly. They follow me like puppies, wanting to be held and petted. There are 5 of them. Anyway, I took her out of the yard and brought her into the house and put her in a cat carrier. Now I don't know what to do. Will the others chase her down and kill her going after that toe? How long should I separate them? Will they reject her them if I put her back later? I've never had any chicken problems so this is new to me. I just want to do the right thing. Thank you so much!

Juli

 

[kelliepulido]

Juli I am new to the chickens too! And when my little 2-3d chick started to beat up my other one everyone told me to seperate them.I think it was too late cuz the weaker one ended up w/broke leg she had a curled foot to begin w/which made her weaker.I would keep them seperate til the toe is healed over and doesn't show any blood.They seem to have really good eyesight.When she is better I would slip her in w/them when everyone is outside free ranging see how that goes.

 

[s6bee]

At any stage in the chickens life, if one is weak or ill, if the othes detect it, they will harass or even kill a weaker one. So on that note, seperate her for a few days or until she's better. Make sure she's strong. If you think she's getting better, just maybe put one of the healthier ones in with her and see how that works out, then add another and then if it seems like it's OK, she can probably go in with the rest.

Keep an eye on her wound too. I'm sure she'll be fine though.

 

[s6bee]

And by the way.

 

[CoopDelisle]

Welcome...I am a newbie chicken owner myself, but what I have learned is that chickens have excellent eyesight! We put down a vinyl floor in the coop that is black and white. The background is teeny, tiny little black specks. Every one of the chickens have tried to get one of those specks and eat it!! I am sure they can see a tiny speck of blood and would be interested to see how it tastes! I would wait till it is all healed.

 

[mrbeansmom]

Thank all of you SO MUCH for your responses!! I brought the picked on chick into the house for the night and I'm keeping her in a cat carrier for now (minus the cat!). She seems fine, but I think she misses being with her pals. I'm just hoping that they don't continue to single her out when I put her back in with them. It was one of the americaunas that was giving her the hardest time. The others just seemed to join in. They were even pecking at all her good toes, not just the injured one.

I have been surprised at how much I love my chickens. I never even thought about having chickens before we bought our first ten in time for Y2K (just in case we needed eggs). Now I can't imagine life without them. I sort of want a rooster because I love to hear them crow, but I've seen how they can hassle the females and I don't want fertile eggs.

Thank you again! I have this site bookmarked and will likely follow it closely.