Who knew chicks would eat chicks? Not me.

[mustangrooster]

This is a bit of ramble, because i know people would be smarter than me in regards to this. I just really need to get the image out of my head.

My newest of chicks hatched was a total of 10. Now its 8, i lost one because it was a very sticky chick who ruptured its yolk sac. I lost my other one just now.

I figured the chicks could get some sunlight and see the other chicks through the safety of their brooder, so that’s what i did. It was warm out, so i left them , and went to do a big session of groundwork with my horse.

I checked on the chicks as soon as possible…….what I saw horrified me. There was blood everywhere, a dear innocent chick had its head stuck in the door, I don’t know how it did it…..and it looked like it was eaten alive, pecked to death, by my older chicks (Around 6-7 weeks old-12 of them)

I wedged its head free, examined it, and saw only the remains of the eye sockets and beak left. I feel SO horrible. There is blood in the brooder as well. I would have kicked myself even harder if it was my silkie or frizzle.

The 6-7 week old chicks are as calm as daylight, I wouldn’t expect them to eat/kill a little chick. But I know that can happen. Curiosity gets the best of them.

Lesson learnt

 

[pnwoldie]

Chickens will peck anything that does not get up and walk away from them

 

[Bunnylady]

I'm sorry for your loss. Chickens can be astonishingly brutal; we are only half joking when we say things like, "don't go down in the chicken run, you'll never get up again!"

And I go one further when it comes to what they will eat; I say they are omnivores, which means they will eat anything that doesn't try to eat them.

 

[drumstick diva]

agree with Bunny- they can quickly turn horrifically cannibalistic and they aren't even zombie chickens. Hope the "eaters," all end up in the soup pot.