# One month old chicks pecking each other



## Chans_Farm (Apr 27, 2014)

Hi,

I am having an issue with five week old chicks pecking each other. Some of the flock have bare spots on their skin where feathers used to be?

I notice some of the birds will just walk up to them and peck them, while they are laying down in the dirt or ash. The chicks that are being attacked are not doing anything aggressive toward any other bird when this occurs. 

Does anyone know what to do to stop this, or what causes it?

Thanks,


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

One or more of these things may be occurring. Boredom, crowding, or diet lacking something they need. 

Take a look at your set up, do they have plenty of space? Chickens are almost non stop doing something, most of that activity is finding food. Do they have enough food? 

Then feed. You're in another country so its hard to address what your feeds are like. It needs to be fresh and provide all of the vitamins and minerals they need.


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## Chans_Farm (Apr 27, 2014)

Thanks, Robin. 

Yeah, they have enough food. They get plenty of greens, watermelon, and chicken feed. Vitamins are provided 3 to 5 times per week, in their water dispensers. They were recently moved from a 2m x 2m enclosure, to a 4m x 3m enclosure. I will add a run for them soon.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

If their feed is complete they shouldn't need the added vitamins. 

What protein percentage is their feed? If they are not receiving enough protein they will search for it in other places.


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## Chans_Farm (Apr 27, 2014)

I am not sure how much protein is in their feed. 

What can I add to their food supply to supplement it with protein?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

First find out what the protein is in the feed. Too much is just as bad as too little.

As chicks they should be at 20% protein in their feed. Obviously adding protein outside of their feed can be tricky since you want enough but not too much. 

If you find their protein level is lower than 20% you can add hard boiled chopped egg to their diet. Or some cooked ground meat, stay away from poultry. You won't need much to up their protein intake. 

My first choice would be to see if the place you get your feed from offers a higher protein option. BTW, you don't have them on layer do you?


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## Chans_Farm (Apr 27, 2014)

robin416 said:


> First find out what the protein is in the feed. Too much is just as bad as too little.
> 
> As chicks they should be at 20% protein in their feed. Obviously adding protein outside of their feed can be tricky since you want enough but not too much.
> 
> ...


I will look at the bag and see what it shows.

The feed I have on them is (here it comes, the newbie in me) what the feed supply house recommended me to feed them. They offered me two types of feed. One was starter, and the other for maintenance when they got older.

This is the first flock of chickens I have ever raised.

Anyway, it is 9pm here now. It will be tomorrow before I can check with the feed company to see what percentage of it is protein. I will do that and report back here, though.

Thanks, truly, for your assistance.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Starter here in the states is typically the higher protein. Maintenance can be 16 to 18% here. 

If you have the starter then try this, since they know what veggie treats create a way they have to work to get at it. Here they will hang heads of lettuce or cabbage.


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

Chans_Farm said:


> Hi,
> 
> I am having an issue with five week old chicks pecking each other. Some of the flock have bare spots on their skin where feathers used to be?
> 
> ...


i just had this same problem with a young english orpington cockerel

he was only about 5/6 weeks old but already had a large pink comb

oh him. the older cockerels must have thought he was a threat

because he is missing about 15% of his feathers

i removed the older cockerels & now everyone is doing well

you need a grow out pen for some of your boys

i put some in with my lone female turkey 
(she didn't say a word about it so i guess she is fine with the extra company) 

good luck
piglett


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## Chans_Farm (Apr 27, 2014)

robin416 said:


> If their feed is complete they shouldn't need the added vitamins.
> 
> What protein percentage is their feed? If they are not receiving enough protein they will search for it in other places.


21% Protein
4% Fat
5% - Fiber
13% Moisture Content


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

well have they stopped?


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## Chans_Farm (Apr 27, 2014)

No. Sorry about the delay. I had to wait until I went back to the farm again to take more feed. 

Anyway, we went to the farm yesterday and noticed some with almost no feathers because of all the pecking. 

I did something that I REALLY did not want to do. I had her scramble five eggs and gave that to them. I do not know what interval they need "protein". But, I hope it works before they start getting the taste of blood in their systems.

I just do not know what else to do, in order to stop this.


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

Chans_Farm said:


> No. Sorry about the delay. I had to wait until I went back to the farm again to take more feed.
> 
> Anyway, we went to the farm yesterday and noticed some with almost no feathers because of all the pecking.
> 
> ...


have you looked to see if they have some sort of "bugs"

could be tiny lice

they can pick up a few things from just being outside

just a thought

it could be that they are pulling their own feathers out

i just don't know


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## Chans_Farm (Apr 27, 2014)

I wanted to give it some time before posting an update here. I felt it important to do something for a while, prior to posting my findings here. After all, I didn't want to have to come back and eat my words. 

Apparently, it was a lack of protein causing the birds to peck each other, as some have mentioned to me. It was a bit awkward - to say the least, I was a bit hesitant to try it. But, giving the flock (60 birds) four scrambled eggs, three times per week, seems to have stopped it. Nothing else has changed in that time, aside from them growing larger. I did separate the peck-ies from the peck-ers, though, when we first began feeding them the eggs. (I still feel really weird about doing that.) Anyway, all the pecking on each other has stopped. No blood, no cannibalistic birds, nothing but happy days!

Some images from the 16th are attached.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I wonder if there is a problem with the protein source your feed mill is using. From what you've listed in the past that should have been an adequate amount of protein. 

Don't get all wigged out in the cooked eggs. They are the most convenient, easily attainable, excellent and usually unadulterated source of protein going.


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## Chans_Farm (Apr 27, 2014)

piglett said:


> have you looked to see if they have some sort of "bugs"
> 
> could be tiny lice
> 
> ...


Sorry for not replying to this sooner, *piglet*. They are pretty clean and no lice. I give them wood ash to have a bath in.

It was pretty obvious, watching the more dominant birds peck at the more submissive birds, when it first began. I was just concerned that I would not get it to stop. Fortunately, it has ended.

I just need to come up with an idea (other than scrambled eggs) to provide them with the protein they obviously need.


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## Chans_Farm (Apr 27, 2014)

robin416 said:


> I wonder if there is a problem with the protein source your feed mill is using. From what you've listed in the past that should have been an adequate amount of protein.
> 
> Don't get all wigged out in the cooked eggs. They are the most convenient, easily attainable, excellent and usually unadulterated source of protein going.


I don't know. Living in the Third World, you learn (pretty fast) that everything isn't necessary what it should be. Apparently, that holds true with my current feed. So, I think I will start working on making my own feed for the chickens. That way, there will be no doubt as to what nutrients they are consuming, on a regular basis.

I have been doing some serious research on Black Soldier Fly Larvae as protein for chickens. I am going to try to see if I can attract some Black Soldier Flies with a compost pile, and make a harvester for them.


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

Chans_Farm said:


> Sorry for not replying to this sooner, *piglet*. They are pretty clean and no lice. I give them wood ash to have a bath in.
> 
> It was pretty obvious, watching the more dominant birds peck at the more submissive birds, when it first began. I was just concerned that I would not get it to stop. Fortunately, it has ended.
> 
> I just need to come up with an idea (other than scrambled eggs) to provide them with the protein they obviously need.


no worries , i get caught up at times doing other things at times.

good looking bunch you have there

how many do you have?

looks like plenty of roosters for the stew pot in another month or two

i like to say breed the best , eat the rest


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## Chans_Farm (Apr 27, 2014)

piglett said:


> no worries , i get caught up at times doing other things at times.
> 
> good looking bunch you have there
> 
> ...


In this chicken house, we have 60 birds. Actually, here, they will be good to sell at any point from this point forward, at the local market. The largest ones are 1.4 kg, now. The smallest are at 900 grams.

We were looking them over yesterday. There seem to be quite a number of roosters in the mix - more than I would like to see.


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

Chans_Farm said:


> In this chicken house, we have 60 birds. Actually, here, they will be good to sell at any point from this point forward, at the local market. The largest ones are 1.4 kg, now. The smallest are at 900 grams.
> 
> We were looking them over yesterday. There seem to be quite a number of roosters in the mix - more than I would like to see.


how many egg layers are you looking to keep ?


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## Chans_Farm (Apr 27, 2014)

piglett said:


> how many egg layers are you looking to keep ?


Hey,

Um, maybe none - from this flock. At this time, I am thinking all of these will be sold at the market, oh, in the not too distant future. I think all of the black and white ones are meat birds, if I am not mistaken.

There again, I am very much a newbie, still. So, quite a bit of learning yet to go.


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

Chans_Farm said:


> Hey,
> 
> Um, maybe none - from this flock. At this time, I am thinking all of these will be sold at the market, oh, in the not too distant future. I think all of the black and white ones are meat birds, if I am not mistaken.
> 
> There again, I am very much a newbie, still. So, quite a bit of learning yet to go.


grow them out some more & see what you have

good luck
piglett


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## fleabite (Feb 8, 2015)

*older birds peck too.*

This being my first post on this site; I have read a lot of things on different sites. But never really found a good solution. 
I have raised chickens off and on most of my life. I have found that certain breeds just do not tolerate other breeds very well. I have seen my "Red Stars" or "Golden Comments" kill other breeds w/in a few hours. 
My Australops seem to do well w/other breeds.
The birds I have now are a mix of the above, and whatever the neighbor has. Wyandotte and something else that I can't remember. Hope this is the right place to post this?

My problems has always been pecking. Young or old they always seem to be picking at one or more birds. ALWAYS! Feed is limited, as I live in S.E. Alaska, and can only get what the local hardware store orders. I have tried several things to keep them from pecking; the blue stuff. clipping beaks, hanging reflective shinny things, and even throwing meat to them. Nothing has ever seemed to work. I am tired of putting birds down because they have a social issues. And am to the point that I am ready to give up having birds.

Would take all the help you could give me on this...

Thanks,

Ralph


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

How many birds in how much space? Do they have things to keep them occupied when they have to be up? Chickens can get bored and will resort to some nasty stuff if their attention can't be diverted.

What feed does your local guy get? What are the ingredients and protein percentage? If you think its too low you can always boil up some eggs, chop them up and feed back to the birds. You can try small kibble dog food. 

My red star got along with every bird in my flock. This is liable to be more an atmosphere issue than breed specific.


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## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

I only had a problem with red layers when there was a big, older, established flock of them and you put a new bird in. I did find they ("they" being the established flock of old biddies) grouped up on new birds worse than the mixed breed established flocks I have do. I keep them in a mixed flock fine, currently though. Adding new ones each year without issue. 

I'm going to assume you mean feed variety is limited at the store, not that feed is limited to the birds. There is an utterly endless amount of things you can feed your birds as treats to give them a nutritional boost. Robin suggested a few things, I'm a bit fan of cat kibble for adding protein. I also feed mine suet cakes which adds protein and works as a boredom buster.

Hens peck when stressed. Yours seem to have been stressed for a while since this is an ongoing problem experienced through all life stages. You need to rule out causes: how many birds do you have in how much space? How much food is available for the birds? What is the quality of the food? Do they have anything in their coop/run that would give them some entertainment? When was the last time they were wormed/deloused? Do you leave lights on 24/7? 
There is a reason for this behaviour, hopefully it can be figured out.


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