What To Do With A Dominant Chick In The Brooder?

[Patchesnposies]

This weekend we hatched out 9 serama babies. This was our 3rd and most successful try. 9 out of 12 eggs, shipped from TX to NM.

I have noticed that one of the chicks pecks the others or grabs a hold of their foot or wing and won't let go. It has done this since they hatched!!!

Out of our first 2 hatches we ended up with 7 birds and none of them has done this. In fact we were amazed because the 5 older (by 10 days) serama's "mothered" the two newer babies. Letting them nestle under a wing or in the midst of them, showing no aggression at all.

Is this normal? Does this mean this little dominant chick is more likely a cockerel? (I believe 4 out of the original 7 are roos) Should I do anything? Or just let them all work it out?

It is just so weird to see this little fluff ball be so durn mean!

Deb

 

[jforsness]

When the 3 B's were just chicks, B Master B did the same thing and that's how she got her name. She is top of the pecking order now and yet she's my most submissive B. She may think I'm her Roo, but she still picks on 'Lil B and B Diddy. Given the chance again, I would still allow B Master B into the flock.

 

[peeboo]

i'm not sure if that is cockrel behavior at that early of an age. do they seem a bit crowded? sometimes that behavior can spawn from overcrowding or stress of one kind or another.

 

[Patchesnposies]

No I don't think they are over crowded at all. And the pecking started when there were only 3 of them!

I have noticed that serama's peck a lot. I have seen one peck at another one's egg tooth, just because it was a bit lighter than the rest of the beak. So maybe it is just because they are so interested in everything around them.

I will get the next size brooder out and try giving them more room too.