Pecking at eyes

[Tansie]

I have four chicks who are two days old, and they seem to keep trying to peck each others eyes. Does anyone know why? Or how to prevent it? They don't seem bored. They are eating and drinking fine, tweeting, sleeping together, the temperature inside the brooder is about 31oC (87oF) under the lamp which I was told is right. There is no indication that anything is wrong. I'm a first time hatcher so I don't really know whether this is normal or not, but I've read other threads about eyes being pecked out so I'm concerned for their wellbeing if an injury is caused. Can anyone help? I don't know what breed they are, other than they are Buff Orpingtons crossed with something else.

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us! It's probably just the pecking order, I wouldn't worry about it unless they are getting injured.

 

[gander007]

Alright

great to have you joining the BYC flock

Nothing to worry about it is just something they do and I have never had one remove another's eye at that age and yes it is natural .....

 

[drumstick diva]

Surely you jest

look at those sweet little faces. Chicks do that for one thing they don't have hands so they discover things by pecking. For another they are attracted to shiny things like eye balls, jewelry etc. A good reason why kids especially should not hold chicks near their face.

Chicks get bored easily. You might give them a stuffed animal to explore, or a very low roost bar, they can practice sitting on or getting on and off. Even a brightly colored small ball for them to push around, can redirect their pecky beaks.

Welcome to Backyard chickens.

 

[Tansie]

Thanks for the advice. I found a stuffed chick in a charity shop for £1 so I bought that and they love it. They started sleeping next to it so I had to enlist another lamp (not a heat lamp, just warm when turned on) to warm up the second half of the cage too. I also added some cat toys that my cat never used and they seem to enjoy exploring them too. I've not seen any eye pecking since