peck order

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About when should the peck order start? should i be doing anything different while this is going on? I have 5 chicks and 2 of them seem to be fighting they will be 3 weeks old by Thursday and Friday (23Th,24Th)

 

[galanie]

Just let them sort it out. It'll start pretty early, but not to worry. They won't hurt each other and it's best to just let them at it. Mostly they just chest butt some.

 

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i was worried because they seem to lock necks and start fighting at one point one had the others wing feather in its beak and wouldn't let go. seems kinda brutal.

 

[galanie]

Yeah, you do get a meanie like that sometimes. You'll still have to either let them at it or separate them. I wouldn't worry till someone gets hurt. "It's all fun and games till someone gets hurt!!" heh.

 

[xC0000005]

Yeah, you do get a meanie like that sometimes. You'll still have to either let them at it or separate them. I wouldn't worry till someone gets hurt. "It's all fun and games till someone gets hurt!!" heh.

Or as we put it in our house, "It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt. Then it's hilarious."

Yeah, let them sort it out, because they are going to unless you separate them. Right now they are pretty lightweight - I'd rather them dust up now than when they are large full sized hens with a sharp beak and a wicked temper. They'll go through several phases including one where they act like the ostriches from Joust and chest bump, one in which they walk around like runner ducks with their necks stretched up, and quite a few where it looks like they are playing peakaboo over who is going to hold their head higher or lower.

They don't call it a "hand shake and foot rub" order, and there's a reason for that, but most of the time it works out ok.