The Mean Girl lol

[Heirloom Farm]

We picked up our chicks Sunday and for the most part they've been really easy. Quiet, eating well, drinking well, sleeping and playing. Growth appears normal with flight feathers starting to pop out..all is well except for one little Buff Orpington chick that loves to run around and yank at the flight feathers on all the other chicks. She's not picky about which breed she's tuggin' on, just whoever is closest will do. She's the only one of the 17 that is doing this, so is she establishing that she's the "Head Hen" and it's normal pecking order, is she a bully that is going to remain a bully and something should be done about it, or is there something else going on that I'm too new to be aware of?

Appreciate some feedback!

 

[sourland]

It seems as if in each batch there is one that pulls feathers, picks at toes, or picks at eyes. She will grow out of this behavior ----------------------------hopefully.

 

[Heirloom Farm]

Thanks for the response! We'll just keep an eye on her and everyone else to make sure she's not doing any damage!

 

[Belott]

I had a Black Australorp that was the same way. It was relentless and wound up stripping a half inch by one and a half inch strip of chest feathers all the way down to meat off of one barred rock. It was constantly tugging and pulling at all the others also. I separated it from the others three times and every time it went right back to the same thing. All this was up to three weeks age. I too had 17 chicks. I moved them out to the coop and the aggression continued even with all the extra space.

I now have 16 chicks and since the one "left" there is peace in the flock. They are now six weeks old.

David

 

[Heirloom Farm]

She seemed to be a little better behaved this evening. She gave a pretty good tug on one of the Buff Brahma gals who in turn thumped her little butt to the matt. Let's hope that did the trick. If not, she will be "leaving"

 

[azygous]

Hah! Aversion therapy! Might work!

I've had chicks that acted like yours. They turned out to be cockerels.

 

[Spydar]

I had a BO that did the same thing, he is our roo Loki. Lol

 

[Heirloom Farm]

You all laugh but that has been my fear, that "she" is a "he" in which case he will be leaving too. I have a straight run of Blue Splash and Blue Partridge Brahmas arriving in about a week and the cockerels that get to stay will be from that group!