I have some three week old mixed chicks, they are growing fine and seem to get along all right. I am still feeding them chick starter plus starting to supplement with a little crumbled whole wheat bread and chopped rinsed greens. This morning I awoke to a couple of screaming bloody chicks, apparently I have the beginnings of cannibalism in my happy chicken community. NOT! I am adding vinegar to the water supply, any suggestions on what I can do to eliminate this nasty little habit before it gets popular amongst my tiny natives? Thank you and happy homesteading, yall!

-- s killion (frugalredhead@mauryriver.net), February 11, 2002

Answers

seperate the bleeding ones,, or the sight of the blood will cause it to continue

-- Stan (sopal@net-port.com), February 11, 2002.

Are you keeping them under a light to stay warm, if so, is it clear or red. Red will discourage this type of thing.

-- Barbara (vozarbi@sensible-net.com), February 11, 2002.

I had this problem with my last batch of chickens. I have heard that an red light will help prevent the picking. I couldn't break the little guys of their bad habit. I had to separate the ones that were picking from the injured ones. I sprayed iodine on the wounds which I also read does help prevent picking because like don't like the taste of it. When I get my next batch in April I'm switching to a red light for heat.

-- Anita in NC (anitaholton@mindspring.com), February 11, 2002.

When I was a kid, mom and dad raised chicks under brooder. When they pecked like this, mom put some kind of black goo out of a bottle on the wounds. Stopped the pecking. Cant remember what it was, may have been sold for the purpose or it may have just been shoe polish. Remember it had a dabber attached to bottle lid like the old bottles of shoe polish did. You do either have to cover the wound or separate them though.

-- HermitJohn (hermit@hilltop_homestead.zzn.com), February 11, 2002.

feed them oatmeal, and when they are older, whole oats.

-- carol (kanogisdi@yahoo.com), February 11, 2002.

They may be overcrowded.

-- Mona in OK (modoc@ipa.net), February 11, 2002.

The black goo in the bottle was pine tar. It works.

-- Mary Zastowny (foxpawz@gamewood.net), February 11, 2002.

I have found that leaving a head of cabbage in with the chickens will give them something to peck at.It's usually a good idea to do before it starts.Once it starts it's hard to stop.I only had this problem with the cornish x.

-- SM Steve (notrealmail@msn.com), February 14, 2002.

I just finished brooding 20+ chicks and found that after a light mishap (I started with red, droped it while cleaning the brooder and had to switch to white for about a day) they seemed more aggressive toward each other and when I replaced it with a red one again they settled right down and had a wee nap...lol. All has been well since they went to the yard yesterday. Hope this helps

-- jh (jameshill88@yahoo.com), February 14, 2002.

Pine tar applied directly to the wound will put a stop to it. I've also used Vicks Vapor Rub (sp?) successfully.

-- oeb (obrowns@mochamail.com), February 14, 2002.