too crowded??? Please help!!

[greenemother]

Hi,
I'm a newbie and my chicks were doing great until today!! They turn 3 weeks on Wednesday and today I found 2 who seemed to have been completely picked on. They look beat up. There feathers are all wet and picked at. I put the 2 in a different box but what now? Should I keep them seperated for a while? I have 8 of them in a rubermaid plastic tub, but is it getting too small for them? Please help!!!!
Thanks!!!
Lissadell

 

[mgw]

They are getting overcrowded that's why they are starting to pick. You need to find something larger for them.

 

[greenemother]

Also, if they do need a bigger space, I don't have room for a bigger tub, so is it okay to split them up and then rotate them into the two tubs??
Best,
Lissadell

 

[fl_deb]

Some breeds of chickens are more likely to pick on others than other breeds, but yes, IMHO, if they are pecking each other that severely, then they need more room. If you can identify the aggressor(s), then separating them, maybe more practical, it depends on your setup.

I hope this helps.

 

[mgw]

Do you have a chicken house? You could put them in there if it is empty, do you have pet fencing or a chicken run you could put them out during the day? Do you have any scrap lumber or pallets you could make a larger brooder box out of?

 

[yomama]

It depends on what size your tub is. I started off with 8 chicks in a LARGE Rubbermaid tub, and within 2 weeks, I needed to build them something bigger. I would see if you could find something large like a cardboard box, refrigerator size. I ended up piecing some plywood together in my laundry room. I think it was about 5' long and 3' wide. Made a huge difference. Didn't get as dirty as fast, either. This time around, I've got babies coming next week, I'm using a set of 6 baby gate panels, each about 35" long, and made a lid on top- a wood frame with chicken wire. Thankfully, I have a large laundry room. Do you already of a set up for them outside? If so, you can put them out as soon as they are fully feathered. Not sure how cold you are right now, but you can always get them a low wattage heat lamp at night if you are worried about them. As for keeping them separated, yes, I would. At least until the ones that were picked on get better. Were they injured? If so, I would keep them seperated until they heal. I think once they get more space, they should behave a little better. Good luck!

 

[greenemother]

Thank you both for your help. I took them out and they are doing much better. We'll have the coop up by next weekend and I have them seperated into 2 boxes.
What I have noticed though coming from one, is a regular poop but with chocholate watery poop around it. IS this normal? I was using filtered water and then today I wasn't able to leave to get more and I gave them tap water, is this bad?
Thank you again for all your advice. It's greatly appreciated!!
Best,
Lissadell

 

[yomama]

I'm glad they are all doing better. As for the poo, I know there is a link here somewhere that has a chart showing all the different kinds of poos and what is normal, and what isn't. I would use the search box in the upper left corner and type in a search for different kinds of chicken poo, and I'm sure you will come up with tons of info. Sounds to me like it is normal, as long as there isn't blood in it, but not seeing it, I'm not sure.

 

[azygous]

When my chicks began to outgrow their brooder box, I got another box and joined it to the other one and cut a pass-through so the chicks then had a two bedroom condo!

I like cardboard boxes, around 3' x 4', since cardboard is so easy to "remodel". I line the bottoms with 6 mil plastic layered with pine shavings, and that prevents any spills from dissolving it. I even cut windows in the boxes and covered them with see-through plastic so the chicks could see out and have lots of natural light.

But my most successful idea by far was to put the boxes up on tables and cut access doors into the sides, enabling me to approach the chicks from the side. This resulted in the tamest, most trusting chicks I've ever raised. I heartily recommend it!

 

[greenemother]

Thanks azygous!! I love the condo idea and the windows!! We have them in a see through tub and I have noticed that they are pretty friendly! Thanks for your help!