Separating chicks: eye-pecker

[Artscape68]

Thank you. I did give this a read! All the other chicks are very content but we’re planning on building a custom bigger brooder just in case.

There are shiny stickers all over the brooder that every single other chick became enamored with the moment I put them in. The problem baby took one peck at them then went right back to pecking at the others’ eyes. Every single chick we’ve got.

I had to stay up all night cycling in new chicks in with it so it wasn’t alone but it kept going after every one’s eyes. I would “peck” it with my finger every time and it seemed to dislike this, but hasn’t stopped for more than a minute at a time despite it being nearly 12 hours of this (outside of when it thankfully of course got a long sleep in). It even went after the all black chick’s eyes we’ve got, which I was so hoping could be a reliable companion that wasn’t as distracting for the chick since a lot of the others have light marks around their eyes.

I’m going to keep trying this once I get some sleep. I’m just not sure how long should usually solve the issue by if I’m correcting the behavior like that. If the other chicks weren’t so content and docile, I feel like I would know where to start with environmental factors, but it’s just not feeling like that’s the case here with all the others not pecking at each other. They even left the injured chick alone and its eye is already looking considerably better after some TLC.

That is stressful to deal with. I had some La Fleche chicks.. a super rare breed, and had one chick get it's eye poked the first couple days, and it led to it passing away, as it never thrived after. Fortunately it didn't continue with other chicks.. but awful none the less.
Chicks can be pretty ruthless sometimes...little T rexes LOL.

 

[newchickychick]

That is stressful to deal with. I had some La Fleche chicks.. a super rare breed, and had one chick get it's eye poked the first couple days, and it led to it passing away, as it never thrived after. Fortunately it didn't continue with other chicks.. but awful none the less.
Chicks can be pretty ruthless sometimes...little T rexes LOL.

They really can be! The Splash that had its eye pecked seemed so anxious for another two weeks, but I kept up with it on vitamins and keeping others away if they got too close to its face and it’s now quite a bit more confident thankfully. I was definitely worried it would end up with the one not able to be behaviorally rehabilitated (which, chickies do chicky things) or the other would decline quickly. They can be so vicious! But so cute.