Pecking

[dc73nova]

I have 17 BLRW and 3 BCM chicks that are about 10 weeks old. They are all the same age and have all been together since day olds. They are just getting to the point where I think I can start telling the sex. About 2 weeks ago I moved them from the brooder to the chicken house. They have all been fine with eachother, no problems at all until a couple days ago. It started with the BLRW's picking on one of the BCM's which the BCM's are almost twice the size of the BLRW's (I guess they grow faster). I took the one being picked on out and went back the next day and there are a few more that are being picked on. I sat and watched to see who was doing the picking and it seemed to be several of the BLRW's. I still have them confined to the coup and was wondering if being confined all the time was the problem. The coup is good size at 10' x 12' which should be plenty for 20 chickens. I have the premiere 1 electric netting for a yard around the coup and when I let them out a week ago they were still small enough to fit through the holes in the fencing, hence the reason I'm still keeping them in the coup. How can I stop the pecking?

 

[krobin04]

I had a similar problem with two of our BLRW little men- I watched for 2 days to see what was up, and it turned out the if I removed the head honcho of the two to a cage by himself, the other bully settled down. It is like schoolyard, where the bully has to have backup and when he's not around all the kids get along. We are going to have to find a new home for the trouble maker, I won't put the rest of them in danger. Also- I noticed that the bully would not follow the others up onto the roosts- like he just wanted the ground to himself. Maybe put something they can get up on?

 

[dc73nova]

Maybe I have to watch a little longer to find out which one is the bully. I had the same thought you did about finding out which one was the bully, but when I watch them it seems like several of them are picking. It doesn't help that the birds have already been plucked of their rear feathers. I watch the BCM's which I think are all roos, and they are just as nice and docile. They get picked and don't even fight back. Also seems like they are growing much faster than the BLRW's and are almost twice the size of the BLRW's but are the ones getting picked on the most.

 

[dc73nova]

ttt