Baby chicks pecking each other..bloody

I have 2 week old assorted chicks(26). Today I noticed the Buff Orppingtons(3) were being pecked at where the back tail feathers are coming in(bloody). I did seperate them and put hydrogen perozide where the blood was. Anything else I should do? When should I put them back?

Buff Orpingtons are very meek and easily bullied; my Barred Rocks often mugged them. Keep them apart at least until all signs of blood are gone.

When they are less traumatised, you can cover the red areas with NoPik/Blue Coat or a similar product. The chicks that are doing the picking are attracted to the colour red.

Little Beasts.

I have a RIR hen I am going to have to give away for the same reason. The barred rocks and white plymoth rocks won't leave her alone. They have picked her apart all 3 times I have tried to get her back into the flock. I think I am going to have the same problem with one of the game pullets. I don't have the facilities to keep all the singles and I sure don't have the time or energy to feed and water in 10 different pens.

Barred Rocks are an aggressive breed, my neighbor had some that literally killed one another.

Oh, my! Mine aren't quite THAT bad. It's odd as they are so friendly with people and so inhospitable to other chickens.

That's it. I have 7 Barred Rocks and they do seem to be the ones who are aggressive. I might trim their beaks very slightly. I've been reading up on this method and for some it is the only thing that works. Eventually they will free range for a good part of the day and that should take care of the pecking. I did get the nopick and that blue lotion so I'll see how that works.

I nearly drowned mine with blue cote and it made no difference at all. I have some really nasty stuff called Bitter Licks to break my horses from chewing wood. It is supposed to be the most bitter thing in existence. I coated her good with that and sprayed the others beaks so they would associate the two but that didn't work either. when these are layed out I'll be replacing them with the chicks I hatched off. They are barred rocks and EE crosses. i would like to eliminate the barred rocks and white rocks and replace them with blue orrpingtons.

I agree Cajun, I will not get any more barred rocks, something I never thought about when ordering chickens. Very pretty birds though.

I guess Forrest was right "Pretty is as pretty does". LOL

They arn't too bad if they have plenty of space and lots of stuff to peck at to keep their interest away from the others, but they do like to have their way. We have one that will peck the others out of the nest SHE wants. She has always been on the top of the pecking order yet she is very tame.

This is an old picture from 3 years ago. The black Australorp hen in the picture is her best friend. I think they may be conspiring against the red hen behind them, lol

Today they seem to be doing a little better. No visible blood on anyone. I sliced 2 heads of lettuce in half and put them in their pen and it seems to have helped. They have plenty of space, at least for the next week or so. I know how fast they grow. I have a coop which was to have arrived here last Friday but now show. I need to call the company tomorrow. Then someone is building me a very large run until they can free range. Chickens can be a lot of work at least in the begining. If it ends up they still peck I will give the BR's away. I need peace....and so do the chickens....

Yeah, that BR sure looks like she rules..with her chest sticking out proudly. Watch out little red hen....

This message was edited May 17, 2010 3:25 PM

I did 3 make shift perches and they seem to be better today. Tomorrow I will think of something else to keep them busy!!!

One more photo. The buffs Orpingtons are still separated and they are healing very nicely.

Really nice coop.

Try putting flock block in with them to pick at

I have not heard of that. What is it?

Green Is that the huge block of assorted seeds and stuff that they can peck at? I've seen it and thought about getitng some of those for our chickens.

I think there are instructions on-line for making one.

I have the same problem with my Bramhas. I have two of them and I think they peck each other. I have tried to goop them up, feed them all kinds of protein, calcium, and try to keep them busy. I know that fee ranging would be an answer, but due to my own dogs, that can never happen.

So, now one of the Brahmas looks like she is rumpless, and the other has no neck feathers.

I hope to build a larger coop, this summer so I can have a separate area to keep certain ones apart.

I no longer goop them up, as it does not seem to matter. I long for my chickens to look like my friend chickens, all full of feathers!
Has anyone heard of Brahma's doing this?

Oh boy, Catsy can tell you I am the worst for tolerating that kind of stuff!! I hate it when they are constantly fighting and not allowed to eat or drink. I haven't had blood, but I can't even stand it long enough for any to get bloody.. I think all breeds do it to some extent.
I hope you are able to keep the peace. :)

My Mom has black sex links and has never had a problem with hers. They are in a small dirt lot. She does not have a roo. I wonder if that makes a difference.

smedgekles yes it is the chickens love it.

Try giving them hunks of fat meat. NOT salty! I had a sex link and they were pecking each other terribly! I gave them some raw beef fat from the butcher and that helped. When you can free range them it should stop.

WHenever we have steak or roast I save the leftover fat from the cooked meat and give it to the chickens. I drive the RTV out to where they are and when they see me coming they all come running. They are crazy for that fat. It's fun to watch them eat with so much enthusiasm.

I had one white hen that was getting pecked on a lot and put the rooster booster no peck lotion on her. I also separated her for a few days to let her recover. I put her in my fenced in garden spot and she got a chance to heal. When I put her back with the flock they seemed to leave her alone. Her feathers have grown back in now. They free range and that helps. They stay busy running all over the farm.

I'm not sure what worked if it was the temporary time out, the no pic lotion or the free ranging or all of it. She seems to take up for herself more now too and won't tolerate them picking at her.

Two of my friends had pecking problems. We all tried the same things. The only thing that they tried and I didn't was the free ranging. Their chickens do not peck, and mine still do. I think it is boredom and the ability to get away from one another.

I think that is the problem here. Hoping to have a bigger pen some day soon. Can't free range for the predators and my guard dog.

I wonder why my birds didn't start the pecking during winter when they were confined to their coop in the barn or their covered exercise pen? They didn't start till spring and they were free ranging. I'm just glad I got it to stop when I did. I think the only white bird I have was moulting and when they spotted the bare skin they had to peck at it and it just escalated. That's my theory anyway.