Peachicks attacking each other???

[casportpony]

Okay, thank y'all! I am feeling terrible, because they were given to me as a graduation gift, with everything I would need to raise them. I have raised guineas in the past, and my grandparents just kinda assumed they were easy like the guineas. With guineas we basically just brood them in the tubs for a couple weeks, put them in a pen for a few more, and let them go and feed them every nighy. Peas are definitely much more demanding than that. They don't understand, and I now I have these chicks that I'm not nearly prepared for. I just want them to be happy and prosperous, not pick each other to death.

I'll offer the moistened crumbles now and see how they like them. Zazouse, what is the bedding where you raise your chicks? I am curious if it would be better to put them in a pen with shelter and heat lamps on the preventative dosing of Corid than to try and keep them in these tubs. Great for guineas, not so much for these big chicks.

It's not just coccidiosis you need to worry about, you also need to worry about blackhead (histomoniais) and the secondary infections that they can get with it.

-Kathy

 

[DylansMom]

I have six peachicks that are two days old, and they're all pecking at each others eyelids, wings, and feet. They are extremely docile and friendly to me, but they are all attacking each other, not just ganging up on one. What do I do? I have six in a 36" x 22" Rubbermaid tub brooder. Are there too many together? They don't look cramped. Also, I'm not sure how much of their starter they are eating. I showed them to eat yesterday morning, but they haven't seemed to touch it since. I am going to try scrambled eggs now.

They are not too cramped. I had seven in a brooder the same size until they hit 10 days old, then they moved into a 48" x48" wire bottom cage. They are probably just getting used to each other and to the new environment, also pecking order starts to be established at a day or 2 of age. Having observed them a lot......... pecking at each others eyes, toes, leg bands, spots of color(pied), and anything else that catches their attention is normal. I believe as they do this and others do it to them they are learning what is acceptable and what is not. I have a 2 week old that was hatched with a small bald spot, everyone else had to have a peck at this, and soon enough it was bleeding, I removed him for a few hours but put him in a separate box where they could still see each other. I removed him because blood(red) really gets them pecking. They were fine when I put him back in, but he was more aggressive at pecking back when someone did try it.
X2 on Kathy's suggestion of letting them peck the moistened crumbles off your fingers. They especially love to peck at fingernails, I think it mimics mom's beak. I start all feeding and watering using fingernails and tips, I have 5 2-day olds and we started this yesterday and all are now eating and drinking independently.
You are stressing too much, take a deep breath and relax. I think much of this will resolve itself with just a little help from you. They are 2 days old and the way they learn about the world is by pecking at it. Chicks this young seldom do serious damage to each other, at least not that I have seen. Just watch out for blood, as I said it can get them going relentlessly.

 

[Dany12]

Here are young peachick with their teachers !

Finely cut grass in their meal it helps to understand.

 

[zazouse]

Okay, thank y'all! I am feeling terrible, because they were given to me as a graduation gift, with everything I would need to raise them. I have raised guineas in the past, and my grandparents just kinda assumed they were easy like the guineas. With guineas we basically just brood them in the tubs for a couple weeks, put them in a pen for a few more, and let them go and feed them every nighy. Peas are definitely much more demanding than that. They don't understand, and I now I have these chicks that I'm not nearly prepared for. I just want them to be happy and prosperous, not pick each other to death.

I'll offer the moistened crumbles now and see how they like them. Zazouse, what is the bedding where you raise your chicks? I am curious if it would be better to put them in a pen with shelter and heat lamps on the preventative dosing of Corid than to try and keep them in these tubs. Great for guineas, not so much for these big chicks.

I use shavings but like to use sand to start in the brooder box where the light is because it heats up and gives them an extra warm spot as sand will absorb and hold heat better than shavings. my outdoor brooder is 300 square foot and the box is a 4 by 4 with a light, they sleep in the box till they are ready to roost.

I keep Amprolium on hand just in case , Purina medicated starter only has 18% protein so i would have to supplement other things like eggs with it to bump the protein levels up which means they do not get enough meds from the feed so to me it is best to just keep the Amprolium on hand and use it when and if it is needed.

I can get purina startena @ 30 % protein but it is a long trip for me to buy 1 bag and i do not go on long trips for 1 bag of feed.

 

[PavoFowl]

Thank you @DylansMom ! They are doing much better now. I tried the moistened crumbles and the scrambled eggs. I was hoping for the feeding frenzy, but they definitely did enjoy eating both from my hands! It seems like EVERYTHING is a million times more fun if a hand is involved. They love to gather around, sit on my hands, sleep on my hands, perch on my fingers and they all want to be held at the same time. No, really, I have photo proof. All six chicks in two hands. I still can't believe they all got piled up like that!

 

[PavoFowl]

@Dany12 , your chicks are in a small container, too, from the video? Now I don't feel like such a horrible owner.... I will be transferring them to a 5' x 5' and 4' tall pen that I used to keep my two ducks in at night when they're a week old. The pen sits on a piece of 3/4" plywood right now, and it works great because I broom off the droppings daily and scrub it down with a brush and bleach once a week. I have Corid and Sulmet in the mail now to be delivered Monday. If I were to keep them on the wood out of the dirt, as well as administer the preventative dose based on @casportpony 's dosing guidelines, will this be enough to deter Cocci? I am not sure if geese, ducks, or guineas are as susceptible to blackhead as the peas are, but we've never had a case of either. I am planning to get the Metronizadole (sp?) too just to be prepared.