# Mean chicks?



## bluejeanprincess (Mar 25, 2013)

Sorry for two posts in a row--new to this... 

This morning I went outside to my gararge to check on my chickens and found 1 dead, it was mauled and eyes pecked out as well as the feathers. There was no reason for it to happen its not like it was stuck or without water/food.Maybe it's my fault for putting too much of an age range in there? 5 weeks-1.5 weeks. They've all been together since the beginning though. I don't know what happened for sure but when I went to do my last check for the night I had to stop a older one from attacking another older one. Earlier i moved the littles into their own bucket was well as moving them inside. I don't know what to do...anyone please shed some light? I don't want this to happen again... Thank you


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

The chick probubly died from failure to thrive and the rest ate it. Chicken are cannibals when another dies or is sick, its a suvival instinct. If they eat it before it rots then a predator wont come. Your chicks arent mean just doing what nature told them to.


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

Grass is always greener it seems. Lol


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## Pathfindersfarm (Sep 6, 2012)

It sounds like several issues: too big an age spread, and too little space. Can you increase the amount of room your chicks have? Bored chickens will peck each other. Also, can you put a red light on them so there is less likelihood of them seeing something interesting to peck on each other? And perhaps give them something to play with? A head of cabbage or lettuce hung from a string perhaps, or some grass clippings to eat? Or even put them in a pen on grass itself, always a very good thing to do, chicks on grass during the day really thrive. 

Pecking almost always has to do with not enough space, IMO.


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## bluejeanprincess (Mar 25, 2013)

I think I fixed the problem... The coop is finally done and they're in there now...much happier!! I have a red light on them and I also went out and bought a video baby monitor so I'm watching them from the house at all times. What can I say...they are my babies<3 they still fight sometimes but I think as they're getting older it is rooster-rooster fight and they stop in like 2 seconds lol but once I weed a few out cause I know that we have too many for the amount of hens, the fighting should slow down


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