Chook Me!

What causes Baby chicks to peck eachother?

We have gotten 35 baby chicks and keep them in two coops that are 5 feet by 3 feet wide and about 2 1/2 feet deep. This morning we discovered one that the others were pecking and it was bleeding. My grandmother told us this is normal chick behavior, what causes them to do this? They have plenty of food and water the other difference is 25 of them are yellow chicks and the other 10 are brown chicks.

Public Comments

1. either stupid or suicidol
2. Baby birds will often pick each other if they are too hot, too crowded,or without fresh air. Occasionally bright light also causes them to pick. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure when it comes to picking. Sometimes, however, they pick for no apparent reason. To stop it try putting in fresh green grass clippings several times a day and darken the room. As a last resort, debeaking might have to be done. Try cutting off about one-third of the top bill. Do not cut the lower bill, just the top one. To treat birds that have been picked, smear pine tar or black grease on the area injured. Poultry Need: Feed, Water, Heat, Light & Space.
3. Have you ever heard the story about the ugly duckling? This is the same concept. The chick may be smaller than the others, sick, or different in some way. In the bird world it is survival of the fittiest.
4. Do not cut their beaks!! It's so cruel! They are babies!! They usually do that to the sick or weak ones...they sense it. Just make sure you stop the bleeding and there is no sign of blood when you put that one back in the coop/nursery. They love the blood!! It should pass with time. Sometimes..I think it just starts when one of them scratches unintetionally the other and he bleeds...then they go crazy his the blood. Make sure they are not to hot. I think the recomemdations of 100 degrees and then taper down weekly are too extreme...chicken have chicks free range and they survive...so you know what I mean....cool it down. May be yours are too crowded...35! I have 17 and I think mine are crowded in the same space aprox.. Sumary: Need more space and less heat.
5. This problem usually begins by innocent pecking during the establishment of a social order or by pulling of the feathers in certain cases. Then it starts a frenzy when one of them bleeds. Other causes: Over crowding of birds, poor access to feed and water for all birds, lighting too bright, house too hot, insufficient diet (deficiencies of nutrients like methionine and salt will increase a craving for feathers and blood), and external parasites. Also, remove all sick, weak, and awkwardly small chicks. Birds will attack and kill these chicks as a survival instinct, resulting in widespread cannibalism throughout the flock.