Pecking Chicks! Help needed

[miller17015]

I just got two new chicks a red sex and welsummer. The welsummer wont stop pecking the reds eye to the point where they were red and almost bloody she was almost chasing her down. the poor red would keep walking back over to curl up next to her an she would strike again. ive never had this problem and at one point we had over 30 hens in a house now i just raise them for fun. the box they are in is plenty big enough i had 6 pheasants in it last spring. i tried hanging something to draw the welsummers eye but it didnt help so i built a small card board wall with a window made out of plastic so they can still see each other because when they couldnt the red would go crazy. now they are on seprate sides both with there own water and food but the red is still calling and running around jumping into the window trying to get back to the bully. i am worried she wont eat or drink she only seems to want to get back to the other chick but if she is with the other im afraid she wont have eyes in the morning. i dont know what to do im worried she will strave or dehydrate but when she is with the welsummer she cant eat or drink with out getting pecked.

 

[dawnpel]

How old are the chicks?

 

[azygous]

This is a common problem and it's usually short lived. I assume these chicks are just a few days old. What you need to do is put lots of other things in the brooder that are shiny. Marbles, stick shiny, silver duct tape squares and circles on the walls to peck on, a mirror. Anything shiny you can find. If you can find something that resembles shiny chick eyes, all the better! Stick them on the walls.

It will not only divert the attention away from the red, but it will neutralize the effect of shiny things with there being so many of them for the Welsummer to pat attention to. The pecking should stop in a day or two.

 

[miller17015]

they were just delivered to the store today only a few days old i have they sperated im just worried the red who is taking it hard i havent seen her drink while watching her

 

[dawnpel]

Im just wondering if you separate them things my be worse when put them together again. How many days have you had them?

 

[dawnpel]

Are they both the same size?

 

[miller17015]

just got them today and the bully might be just a tiny bit bigger its hard to tell because when the red is near him he crouches an the welsummer stands tall looking to strike, i read a few things and they say to change the light to a red bulb to i guess make it hard to see an reduce the bullying but i cant run into petsmart now. they also said that separating them for a few days would help enough time for wounds to heal.

 

[dawnpel]

Yes I havd read that red is better, I hope things settle down for you

 

[diana507]

They say red lights work but when my chick was getting pecked in the ear by the other ones they had a red light and it was like they could sense her swollen ear. I ended up separating her and will return her with the rest when they go to the coop and have more room.

 

[miller17015]

update- After a day of letting the red links eyes heal she is eating and drinking fine, i still have them separated for the time but i have been putting them together since she is still trying to break through the plastic window and the pecking and fighting has decreased a lot. i also placed some fresh grass clippings and leafs of lettuce in to give the bully something to peck at and it seems to have helped.