chicks picking on one chick

[distag16]

I have 5 chicks. 2 are 4 weeks and 3 are almost 3 weeks. One of the older one had picked all the little tail feathers of a younger one. She is the smallest. I think they were blood feathers as there was blood. Anyway. I removed her and a friend to a separate brooder. I'm wondering will the pecking start again if I put them back? Or will it continue if I put them all in the coop with the big girls? Did the older one pick on her due to boardom?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Pecking at that age is usually due to boredom, crowding, or too much heat. It can quickly become a habit that's hard to break. Get them into somewhere with more room and things to do, roosts, lettuce to pick at. I prefer to brood when it's warmer and I get my chicks out on some grass during the day.

 

[Necklace]

I had that issue with two of my chicks.. they were raised by a broody hen. the smaller one was picked on really bad to the point where I could see her muscle through the broken skin between her wings... her sister was also twice a big as she was..

I separated them and got some medicated feed from the feed store.. I even turned it into a powder in a blender so that it was easier for her to eat. I kept her in for about a week.. she healed up nice and gained quite a bit of growth in that one week.. I introduced her back to her Mommy and sister and they are all great now..

 

[newwestchick]

I had this problem once and realized it was due to too much light and some overcrowding (we were still building the coop), I reduced the chicks to red light only for the remainder of time in the brooder (about 4 days) and never had a subsequent problem.
The badly pecked chick lived inside for a week, then the scab fell off her tail and I returned her without a problem. She's almost 1.5 years old now, and has had a full molt and still no tail feathers!

 

[Hope1122]

I have had this same problem happen before with my chicks. However I had to separate them they never got along. But they were fine to go outside together when they were old enough. It is probably your best to separate them so nothing bad happens.

 

[Jensownzoo]

Hmmm...do you all find it better to separate out the picked-on chick or the bully? I've heard of both methods being used.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Bully

 

[Hope1122]

I find it better to remove the one who is being the bully because that one could move on to another one if you remove the one who is being picked on.

 

[newwestchick]

If the pecked one is bleeding or scabby the other chickens will pick up where the bully started - you might need to deal with both separately

 

[Gavia]

If you have a red heat lamp it might become less of a problem: chickens are attracted to red surfaces and objects, unfortunately, blood. The first time was probably out of boredom, the rest because of the red. The red lamp will cast red over everything, making the natural red of the picked-on one less attractive. XD Good luck.