Pullet "grooming" others

Miss Prissy Mom

In the Brooder
Feb 20, 2018
28
29
46
North Texas
I have two one week old chicks-not sure what kind. Yesterday, I added a small few day old California leghorn. She is yellow with three black spots. They pecked at her spots when she arrived but realized that was her coloring and they stopped. She however continues to peck at them. One has a white tip on her wing she continues to pull on that, occasionally she will peck face or eyes but I don't think she is trying to hurt them. They are looking much fluffier like she is grooming them, but I read they don't groom each other. She also goes underneath both of them. The more dominant one finally put her head over her to lay her down as she was pecking the other one while they were trying to go to sleep. She seems to be annoying them a few times they have made a "CHIRP" like stop but only once or twice out of a constant pecking.
I tried feeding her scrambled egg and a very small worm for protein but she won't eat anything but the chick starter feed.
Is this normal? What do I do if it is not?
They are bigger so they are taking higher ground but she may not stop and she is going to grow.
 

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That is interesting... I had two black Australorp pullets (though much bigger than your chicks) who where best buddies and used to groom each other all the time. :)
However, it was obviously grooming and preening... and they continued to do it through their adult hood until sadly, one passed away. :(
 
That is interesting... I had two black Australorp pullets (though much bigger than your chicks) who where best buddies and used to groom each other all the time. :)
However, it was obviously grooming and preening... and they continued to do it through their adult hood until sadly, one passed away. :(
Thank you for answering, it does seem she is grooming them. I am so sorry for your loss.
 
Welcome to BYC!

Day olds peck at everything, she should stop within a few days.
Just give them time to adjust.
They really don't need anything other than chick feed....and water.
The eggs are OK but with anything else they need grit too.
Best to keep it simple at first. ;)
 
I have 3 - 4 - 5 week old chicks I got all at the same time, and the Black Australorps seem to groom each other and the others occasionally - very nicely. And oddly, it's seemed to spread to a few of the others, and they gently (not a fierce thing or even a nasty, territorial or dominating thing) groom and pick at little bits of debris, chips or such - on each other in the baby pen. Nestled all together, they snooze and pick gently... It all seems to be a very kind thing towards each other. There is one who's a bit more... dominant however, and she's rarely doing any of that. I guess she's the Alpha female... (or a rooster and I don't know it yet) but the others are all very nice to each other.
 
I have two 7 week old cochin chicks. The black one is slightly bigger and often picks a bit of food off of the white one's beak or feathers. The black one seems very protective of her as well. If my large hen tries to eat from their bowl, she will charge the hen (or did until the hen got sick of it and pecked in her direction). If they are separated for even a minute, they call for each other and get back to within a foot of each other.
 

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