5 week old chick bullying other chicks?

[kokopelli91]

One of our 9 (4.5-5 week old chicks) is, I'm pretty sure judging by attitude and comb size and redness, a cockerel. Lately he's taken to bullying the other chicks - he's an EE, and is already the biggest of the bunch. He picks fights with everyone, and I've caught him going after the smallest chick, the last of my BCMs, multiple times. Tonight I heard some loud and sharp squawking and went to their pen/brooder to find him standing on her while she was trying to get up. Is this normal 5 week old chick behavior? Should I separate him, try to rehome or take a more drastic approach? He also pecks at me whenever I put my hand in to change their food or handle them, and he seems to just be getting meaner by the day.

 

[sourland]

I'd separate him with a wire barrier and monitor his behavior. How much space do they have?

 

[aart]

Is this normal 5 week old chick behavior?

Not really.
Separation and maybe culling are in order.

 

[kokopelli91]

I'd separate him with a wire barrier and monitor his behavior. How much space do they have?

They have a good amount of space, I'm using a large dog playpen so they're not starving for space and can all spread out. I still have the old brooder they were using that he should fit in, I was thinking of putting him in there by himself but within sight of the others. Should I reintroduce him in a couple days or keep him separated permanently?

 

[kokopelli91]

Not really.
Separation and maybe culling are in order.

Thank you. I'll get him separated and see if he changes his tune. Should I try to reintroduce or just try to rehome him or cull? I'd like to give him a chance, but I also don't want him killing the other chicks.

 

[aart]

Should I try to reintroduce or just try to rehome him or cull? I'd like to give him a chance

That's up to you.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Should I try to reintroduce or just try to rehome him or cull? I'd like to give him a chance, but I also don't want him killing the other chicks.

I'll tell a story. I once had a two week old chick kill a sibling, then immediately start on a second one. That's when I saw and intervened, pretty much first thing in the morning. These chicks were hatched at the same time by a broody hen and had been raised together by that broody since hatch. That chick turned out to be a cockerel for what that is worth.

I locked that chick up by himself the rest of the day. After dark I put him back with the broody and the other chicks. I watched closely the next morning and they were OK, he never tried that again. I made a point to butcher that cockerel at 16 weeks, the earliest I like to butcher mine.

Isolation like that does not always work, I have had it fail. If you can be around to observe when you let him out you can isolate him a day or two and see what happens. You can keep him isolated forever. Or you can permanently remove him. I won't criticize you whichever you choose. Every now and them you get a chicken that is not worth keeping.