Pecked chick

[farmsister]

I just introduced 12 - 12 week old chicks to a coop with 2 older hens. They have been in there since noon yesterday and this evening I found that one of the chicks has been pecked on her back near her tail feathers and a few tail feathers pretty bad. She was bleeding. I put here into a kennel inside of the coop with her own food and water to give her a break. What can I do? I watched a while and it looks like the chicks are pecking her... not the older hens. Any suggestions? I want to protect her and keep the peace in the coop.

 

[nnbreeder]

Spray with BluKote and keep seperated until compltetely healed. Also I have found that young birds need to be close to the same size of the other hens when added to an existing flock. That way the youngsters stand a better chance of survival.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

Did you just add them without a transition? Did you put wire fencing up between them and the big girls? I would recommend doing that and letting them get used to seeing each other for about two weeks. It could be the little ones are really stressed and just pecking on the lower in the pecking order. JMO

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Why are you moving them in together at 12 weeks? The chicks still need grow food until at least 18 weeks, the adults will lay better with layer ration, which has too much calcium for the chicks' health.

I find my chicks peck on each other where their new feathers are growing, my theory is that they like something in the emerging feathers, the little covers on the shafts or something. Then they see red blood & get even more excited about pecking.

I use the Blu-Cote too, to cover the blood color and to medicate the wound. But I'll keep them together afterwards, unless someone is getting seriously hurt again & again.

 

[farmsister]

Thank you for the ideas... the girls are about the same size as the big girls... almost.... And the feed store had told us to give them crumble which is what they've been eating for 2 weeks or so.... We had never had chicks before so we just did what they said. Actually they are only 9 weeks my husband said. So, I think we'll take them back out and put them back into their own seperate coop for another 9 weeks. is that what you all would suggest?

 

[Sunny Side Up]

"Crumbles" just refers to the consistency of the feed, that it's a crumbly meal, not pellets. But it's what the crumbles consist of that makes more of a difference. Adults can eat chick feed, but they may not get all they need to lay as many eggs as they should. But chicks shouldn't eat layer feed, there's too much calcium added to help hens make strong eggshells.

Chicks will be almost adult-sized for a while before they're actually adults. You can keep them together, as long as they're all eating the chick feed and as long as no one's hurting the other. Or you can keep them separate until they're all old enough to eat layer ration.

 

[tiki244]

yeah thats what I would say is put all the youngsters together still till they are older, then when you put them with the older ones set up an area where they can hide if need be, but where they older ones cant get to

 

[simba49450]

hi there

use the blue coat stuff and put them back in there, separating can cause major problems. when you put the one back in there you will have the same prob again. put the stuff on the injured one and keep close watch in case you have to intervene. thats what i did and i worked out. that particular one maybe hard headed