pecking problem in 9 week old chicks

1

1920bunny

New member
Joined
May 13, 2012
Messages
17
Reaction score
0
Hello
I have had 3 pekin chicks for a week and they are now 9 weeks old. The lavender is smaller then the 2 cuckoo and today I noticed they had pecked her tail so hard they had drawn blood.I have put her in a cat carrier next to the pen so she can see them but am wondering how to proceed? do I spray her with purple spray which seems to be recommended on the internet, then just put her back in? I can see she needs something on the wound it is bleeding but am concerned they will just peck her again if I put her straight back in...Should I use an anti peck spray or is she too young? She will have to go back with them at night, but will isolating her make it worse for her? Do I take one of the cuckoos out for a bit and isolate one of them the cat carrier to try and discourage the behaviour? So sorry there are so many questions. I have not much esperience with chickens this forum was so helpful last time I posted
Any advice really appreciated
 
Hi Bunny, chickens can be horrible to each other, can't they? Do you know whether these chicks were all from the same brooder, ie did they know each other before you got them? If one is smaller, she may even be a little younger than the others, and if she was a stranger to them, she would be victimised.
You will definitely need to isolate her until the bleeding has stopped or they will just carry on pecking and may even kill her. You're right to put her where they can all see each other, but you may need to make a temporary place for her overnight for a few days - a box indoors will do. As they get up so early at the moment, with the short nights, if you put her in with them overnight you might come down to find trouble next day.
I would use some purple spray in the injury, as this will not only help to camouflage the red which attracts them to peck, but will keep it antiseptic. Spray a little on a saucer and apply it with a cotton bud where its needed, no need to get it all over her feathers. She will moult out the stain in a few weeks anyway.
Remember its always traumatic for poultry to move to a new environment, I expect they're still settling in and will take a while to sort out their social order. During the day, as soon as the little one is strong enough, you could perhaps make a mesh barrier across part of their run, so she remains part of the flock and they get used to seeing her. In a week or two she will be bigger and better able to cope, I expect. Then you can try adding her to the coop at night, after they have one to sleep, as one normally does for new birds to the flock.
 
The wound must be fully healed before she goes back 1920bunny. I don't like the idea of gentian violet on a chick so young but it could be applied in a tiny amount on the injured area as an antiseptic. Anti-pecking spray should not really be applied to an open wound and is horrible stuff for the injured chick to preen out. She needs separating but remaining in view of the others. This pecking starts when there is insufficient space or the rearer pellets are of poor quality so insufficient protein for feather growth. Boredom is a major factor -they could be having small corn mix (need small grit for them though) and fruit and veg as treats. Have they a perch as that adds an extra dimension and effectively increases the available space and gives room for escape if one is being bullied? If a space issue they have ganged up to remove the lavender and give themselves more. The moment we get any serious aggression in chicks we enlarge their space and this needs to be observed daily -spend 10 minutes quietly watching their behaviour. Hope that helps. I know it is a distressing thing to see.
 
Thanks for the replies. I contacted the breeder and she recommended spraying with Netex anti pecking spray but said she MUST go back in the run with the others, so I have sprayed her with the stuff and put her back in.There is still a little interest in her so I think you are right it's boredom and lack of space.
I was told not to put them on grass yet so they are in a 5 foot coop with another 5 foot by 3 foot run attached on wood chip.If I put them on the lawn I can make a bigger run for them with plastic chicken wire and a net, so would this be an option to add space? Or are they just too young to be out on the grass fully? I am giving them chick grit in their food and they have some clods of earth in to peck at, with short grass on.
the 2 cuckoos look older than the lavender-they are bigger and well feathered. I think her tail had been pecked when I got her-it was raggy and there were little stumps of feathers, but the breeder said she was changing her feathers.I don't think they were reared in the same pen(as different colours) but didn't realise this would be such an issue at this age-she definitely looks smaller and less mature than the others.If you think it would be wiser to separate her I will, but the breeder definitely said to put her back in.The only problem is I can't get anything else done as I am spending all my time trying to keep a check on her and will be so worried when I go to work on Monday that she wil be being really pecked again!
 
They become tribal at just over a week in my experience Bunny. At 6 days we can mix but shortly after that there are problems, so the breeder should not have supplied a pair and a single. Introducing a single bird is fraught with problems so it should have been 3 from the same pen or 3 separate pens. I disagree with the breeder and still think putting her back in is wrong and I wouldn't do it unless you are able to monitor constantly. She must be in sight of the other two though.

Ours hatched by broodies are on grass from day one. Otherwise it is at 6 weeks. It is important it is short or they will eat full lengths and get impacted crops. Even at that age they need half a square metre each, so 5 square feet, which is what you have. So I am thinking it's a tribal thing and she is too small to defend herself and may actually be a few weeks younger -worse still. Hope you get this resolved.

The time to increase the run size is when she is re-introduced. This removes space infringement tensions, as adding her to a run the two are used to having on their own, no matter how big, effectively reduces their space which they will fight to defend.
 
I have taken your advice and separated the run , so they can see each other but are apart. The larger two just couldn't quite leave her alone. My plan tonight is to put her in a large cat carrier, to keep her safe indoors, then to pop her back in with them,in the divided run during the day, so they still see each other(however unfortunately this will give them all limited space). Do you think this sounds ok?
I wish I had known about the tribal aspect-I would happily have had 3 from the same pen! I'm afraid it is my inexperience and it has caused me a lot of stress.
Any other advice is welcome and thank you very much
 
I agree with Chris, I think the advice you received was wrong. There is no reason why they can't go out on grass at 9 weeks old, in fact they do best in short grass at least during the day from about 5 weeks old so long as they have shelter from rain and shade from hot sun. However, at that age they are good flyers, so the run will need a mesh top, which will also protect them from cats and other predators, Also, as you have found out, you are dealing with two other issues here, ie effectively introducing a single bird, which is always difficult, and to an older and larger pair, which makes it worse. Space is also a problem, more is always better with chickens, and for three when they are grown up you will need a run which gives them a minimum of 6 sq. metres, again 8 would be preferable. The smaller the run, the less room there is to enable the chickens to get away from each other, and the feeder, drinker, dustbath etc take up a disproportionate amount of e space, though as Chris says, perches are brilliant at giving variety and a place to retreat to.
You are quite right to persevere with the divided run. If it is secure against predators, you can make her a little box to roost in, it doesn't need a perch, so long as it is waterproof. Then you won't need to take her in and out of doors at night. I always do this with new pullets that I'm trying to introduce to the 'big girls' and it usually works well.
I would provide a pot of grit, or get a proper grit feeder which won't be so inclined to spill, rather than adding grit to their food. Then they will help themselves to what they need when they want it.
 
Thanks again!
I think tomorrow I will move the coop and run onto the lawn (which I will mow tonight!).I can then make bigger but separate runs with plastic wire and mesh tops to keep them together but apart! What do you make your boxes for them to roost in out of Marigold? My cat carrier is too big-could only think of going to get a smaller one...
Will also do the grit pots, thank you
 
You could cover the cat carrier with something waterproof, such as plastic tarpaulin tied on, with the front not covered for good ventilation. Better too big than too small, shouldn't think this was a problem unless your cat is enormous!
 
Stockholm tar is another recommended product for treating pecked areas in cases like this, i believe. I work part time on a game farm, and with the young pheasants, we actually put plastic bits in the mouths of all of them for a few weeks so they can't quite close their beaks fully to prevent pecking - they can still eat/drink etc. When the feathers are fully developed after a few weeks all the bits are removed. It is only while the feathers are actually developing there seems to be a major risk of pecking in chickens, as there is a lot of blood in the young quills. However I don't know if there's such a thing as a chicken bit! ;)
 
There are plastic chicken bits Caradog but only for adult chickens -Bumpa bits. All about space with pheasants as well -they are kept in very small areas before release. But they breed so many the Commercial aspects prevent extra space as they grow. Not something a domestic keeper would contemplate. Commercial chickens have their beaks cropped which is far cheaper than bits- not something a paying shooter would want to see on their pheasants as they like to think they are 'wild'. A pretty ghastly practice which can be done poorly resulting in lifelong eating difficulties which I have seen first hand.

Stockholm tar is a thicker and far cheaper version of Nettex anti-peck spray. Best applied with a cotton bud.

Great advice from Marigold Bunny. Best of luck with a difficult situation. You can put grit in a simple plant pot tray -we put it in with the feed as if they don't want it they don't eat it. If it builds up you are giving too much. If there is none left, not enough.
 
Put them all out on short grass together, they will instantly start pecking and scratching around as nature intended. When you pop them back to bed, make sure the light is dim to encourage them to sleep.
 
Put them all out on short grass together, they will instantly start pecking and scratching around as nature intended. When you pop them back to bed, make sure the light is dim to encourage them to sleep.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top