This morning I was changing the feed and water, and right before my eyes, the chicks went from typical busy activity to vicious pecking in a split second! I was right there, so I quickly nabbed the little girl being attacked. I brought her in, rinsed the pink (blood) tipped wing feathers, and they were not the source of the injury. I looked at her tail feathers, and between 2 tail feathers was a teeensy eensy bit of blood. No injury, just blood at the base of a feather. I rinsed and dried her tail, put some tea tree oil on the tail, and put her back in. She seemed fine, kept fluffing her tail (because I messed it up from the way she had styled it, I guess), but I was concerned that all of her attention on her tail would attract everyone else's attention to it again. And since I knew I'd be gone all day, and didn't want to return to any carnage, I reconsidered her housing arrangements and moved little Pinkie out into her own box, which is small but sufficient. I put her in alone, and she peeped like crazy. She stopped when I put a fuzzy tinkerbell slipper in with her, and she calmed down and slept. She was fine at the end of the day when I got home, and the others seemed fine, no aggression or pecking. And like I said, there's no visible injury on her, so there's nothing to heal. But I feel better keeping her out until Sunday, when the coop will be ready.
Is this OK until Sunday? This way they can all move out, and she will be reunited with her brooder-mates in their new home. I figure with the great big transition from brooder to coop, she'll be reassimilated no problem--they'll have bigger concerns to manage their first night in their coop, and will have tons more space and less inclination to re-peck her. Good plan?
UPDATE: I created an additional brooder and divided my flock up so they are less crowded, in case that was an issue. There is 1sf per bird now, and they are all peacefully resting. I now have a brooder community--2 rubbermaid tubs and 2 cardboard boxes. I gave my little pecked Pinkie a roommate, since she seemed lonely with just her Tinkerbell slipper. She is having a sleepover with Freckles, my sweetest EE chick, who wants nothing more than to cuddle and nap. They are getting along fine, and I held them together in my lap for 15 minutes before moving them in together to make sure they were comfy together. So I will sleep well tonight--everyone has plenty of space, food, water, snuggling buddies, and it's 70 degrees out. All is well in chickland tonight. AHHHH!
Is this OK until Sunday? This way they can all move out, and she will be reunited with her brooder-mates in their new home. I figure with the great big transition from brooder to coop, she'll be reassimilated no problem--they'll have bigger concerns to manage their first night in their coop, and will have tons more space and less inclination to re-peck her. Good plan?
UPDATE: I created an additional brooder and divided my flock up so they are less crowded, in case that was an issue. There is 1sf per bird now, and they are all peacefully resting. I now have a brooder community--2 rubbermaid tubs and 2 cardboard boxes. I gave my little pecked Pinkie a roommate, since she seemed lonely with just her Tinkerbell slipper. She is having a sleepover with Freckles, my sweetest EE chick, who wants nothing more than to cuddle and nap. They are getting along fine, and I held them together in my lap for 15 minutes before moving them in together to make sure they were comfy together. So I will sleep well tonight--everyone has plenty of space, food, water, snuggling buddies, and it's 70 degrees out. All is well in chickland tonight. AHHHH!
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