Serama Bloodbath

[TinkleTurkey]

I have a pen occupied by several approximately 2-month old seramas. I also have (had) a few other chicks in the same pen of the same size.

About two weeks ago, I put a silkie chick in there which had been previously housed with them so I figured they could still peacefully cohabitate... I was wrong, I stepped away for about an hour and returned to find they had pecked off his oil gland, SO, I thought must be a territorial thing they don't want strange chickens in their "flock"

Yesterday, they pecked the oil gland off a cochin chick which has been living with them for over a month now.

TODAY, they pecked the butt off of an orpington chick which has been living with them since their arrival.

Will this ever stop? What should I do? Drive a stake through their little vampire chicken hearts?

 

[SeramaLife]

Quote:
Are they crowded?

 

[TinkleTurkey]

I don't think so its a pretty big pen and it has roost in it, I have a bunch of silkies and cohins in another cage with even more of them, no incidents there.

 

[SeramaLife]

Are they getting enough to eat?

 

[TinkleTurkey]

They have food water, updated twice daily

Wondering if its possible they have something wrong in their heads... bad breeding maybe?

 

[SeramaLife]

Quote:

Were there any previous wounds?

 

[kelliepulido]

maybe raise the protien level in the food

 

[elmo]

Well, obviously, you've probably already removed any of the other chicks from this Serama pen, right?

At two months their hormones could be surging. I had a seven week old Serama crossbreed chick try to mate with his siblings, then with the mature hens. They were not impressed with him, I can tell you that.

You can never tell which chicken mixes will be combustible; the social order of chickens can be more complex than we realize. I have two d'Uccle chicks that get bullied by all my Serama crossbred chicks, but never to the point of bloodshed (so far). I keep a close eye on them, and try to make sure there are places they can hide behing in the run to get out of sight if they need to. Something as simple as a cardboard box can do wonders as a bully baffle.

 

[TinkleTurkey]

They leave a bird alone once it kicks over... so I doubt they are trying to eat it

I had just one barred rock in there but I took it out. Problem, my quarantine cage already has the butt-pecked bird in it, which I doubt will survive a day. I put the barred rock in with the big chickens but they immediately started pecking him. Now I have two homeless chickens (barred rock and a sebright) who are currently living in my starling's regular bird cage. Funny thing is, they seem to be agreeable room-mates!

Guess its time to build more pens...

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

can you tell if you got a lot of boys, and how hot is it, the heat affects chicks in weird ways