Stopping Chickens Pecking Each Other: Tips And Tricks

Chickens are social animals that establish a pecking order, with dominant chickens pecking to show power or bully lower-ranking members of the flock. Pecking can be dangerous, and chicks can easily kill each other. Chickens may also peck at each other due to poor diet, lack of space, stress, moulting, illness, or boredom. To prevent pecking, chicken keepers should ensure their chickens have enough space, are well-fed, and are kept entertained.

Provide distractions to reduce boredom

Boredom is a common cause of aggression in flocks. Chickens can become aggressive when they are cooped up for too long and are unable to go outdoors. Therefore, it is important to maximise the amount of time they spend roaming outdoors rather than being stuck in their cage.

If you are unable to let your chickens outside, there are several boredom-busting products that can keep them occupied. For example, you can place a block in the coop for the chickens to peck at. This encourages their natural pecking instincts and can also provide nutrients that contribute to their wellbeing.

You can also provide your chickens with interactive objects to make their coop more complex and exciting. Logs, sturdy branches, and chicken swings can provide unique retreats for hens that are lower in the pecking order.

Another way to reduce boredom is to regularly change their bedding and type of feed. It is also important to ensure that your chickens have 24-hour abundant access to food and water so that the process of consumption does not become competitive.

In addition, you can provide distractions to prevent chickens from pecking at each other. For example, you can throw feed or treats in the opposite direction to distract them from pecking. However, this is only a short-term strategy as chickens will begin to associate their pecking habit with extra goodies.

Ensure a clean, spacious environment

To ensure a clean, spacious environment for your chicks, follow these steps:

First, prepare a brooder area with a heat source before the chicks arrive. The brooder area should be set up inside an enclosed building, such as a barn or garage. It should provide a warm and safe environment for the chicks, with a temperature of around 95 degrees Fahrenheit for the first week. Use a heat lamp to maintain this temperature, ensuring it is securely fastened to prevent fires. Place a thermometer at floor level to monitor the temperature.

Next, cover the brooder area with bedding. Use absorbent and odour-free bedding, such as pine shavings or chopped straw, to a depth of 3-4 inches. Avoid using sand or cedar shavings, as these are not safe for chicks.

Provide ample space for your chicks to move around and interact comfortably. For the first few weeks, allocate at least 0.5 to 1 square foot of space per chick in the brooder. As they grow, increase their space to 2 to 3 square feet per chick. This will allow for more movement and exploration while reducing the risk of overcrowding and aggression.

Keep the brooder area clean and tidy. Turn the bedding once a week to prolong its use, and ensure you always have clean water available for your chicks. Clean the water dispenser daily, and use a shallow waterer to prevent potential drownings. Keep feeders and waterers away from the heat lamp.

Finally, include enrichment items such as roosting bars and safe toys in the brooder area. These items encourage natural behaviours and help minimise stress and injuries.

Maintain a balanced diet

Chicks can be violent and fragile creatures, and if you don't intervene, they can easily kill each other. Pecking is a natural chicken behaviour that allows them to explore their surroundings and establish a pecking order. However, boredom, aggression, and poor chicken coop conditions can bring out changes in behaviour, such as pecking.

To prevent your chicks from pecking each other, it is important to maintain a balanced diet. A hungry and undernourished chick will peck at anything in sight, including its fellow chicks. Make sure to always feed your chicks protein along with grains to keep cannibalistic tendencies at bay. A dietary deficiency of protein, sodium, phosphorus, or the amino acid methionine can cause chickens to engage in feather pecking. If the chickens are pulling feathers and eating them, it may be a good indicator that the habit is caused by a deficiency in their diet.

Supplemental snacks and treats can be added to your chicks' diet, but these should be balanced with their daily feed consumption. Dietary needs, such as protein and calcium, change as a chicken matures and reaches reproductive age. For example, good laying hens will often have ratty or broken feathers as they put more energy into laying eggs rather than healthy feathers. Ensure that your chicks always have access to clean, fresh water, and change their water at least once a day to prevent any bacterial growth or mildew build-up.

In addition to a balanced diet, there are other ways to prevent your chicks from pecking each other. Firstly, make sure that your chicks have enough space. As a rule of thumb, give each chick 0.5 square metres of room in the coop and 0.75 square metres in the run. If you have space, more room is always better. Chicks can get bored, so give them something to peck at besides each other, such as a small mirror in the brooder or a boredom-busting product like the Chick Jungle Gym. If one chick is particularly aggressive, you may need to separate it from the others with a section of chicken wire or mesh, ensuring it still has access to heat, food, and water.

Separate the offender

If one of your chicks is pecking the others, it's important to separate the offender from the rest of the flock. This will prevent further injury to the other chicks and give the aggressive chick a chance to calm down. It is recommended to place the aggressive chick in a separate cage or area where they can still see the other chicks but cannot reach them. This will help to reset the pecking order and establish dominance.

When separating the offender, it is important to ensure that they still have access to essential resources such as food, water, and heat. You can use chicken wire or mesh to create a barrier between the offender and the rest of the flock. In most cases, separation is only necessary for a few days until the aggressive chick learns what is acceptable to peck and what is not. However, some chicks may require a longer separation period if they continue to display aggressive behavior.

It is important to provide the separated chick with alternative pecking options to redirect their behavior. You can offer them boredom-busting products like the Chick Jungle Gym or create DIY distractions such as drawing stick figures on cardboard with a sharpie. Additionally, providing a big pile of hay or suspending vegetables in the coop can keep them entertained and reduce boredom-induced aggression.

In some cases, you may need to permanently separate the aggressive chick from the flock if their behavior does not improve. This may involve rehoming them with a new flock or finding other long-term solutions. However, separation should only be used as a last resort, and it is important to try other methods to reduce aggression before resorting to separation for an extended period.

If you have a rooster in your flock, you can try temporarily separating him to see if the hens' behavior improves. Roosters can help enforce peace and reduce in-fighting among hens. However, if the rooster is the source of aggression, you may need to consider de-spurring or rehoming him.

Increase the flock size

Chickens are highly social animals that live in small flocks with a social structure. They compete for dominance and establish a hierarchy to prevent aggression. This is done through subtle warnings, submissive gestures, and occasional pecks or chasing. Once the pecking order is determined, the birds usually live together peacefully.

However, if the flock is disrupted by unfamiliar birds, aggressive pecking will resume until a new ranking is settled. This can be dangerous if unfamiliar mature roosters are put together. Aggressive pecking is characterized by sharp downward attacks toward the head of the rival.

One way to prevent aggressive pecking and establish a peaceful flock is to increase the flock size. By having a larger group, the chances of unfamiliar birds being introduced and disrupting the pecking order are reduced. Additionally, with a larger flock, there is a greater likelihood of having a diverse range of personalities and temperaments, which can help balance out any aggressive tendencies.

When increasing the flock size, it is important to ensure that there are no more than 80 chickens, as this is the limit to the number of identities that chickens can remember. It is also crucial to provide ample resources, such as food, water, space, and entertainment, to prevent boredom and aggression.

In conclusion, increasing the flock size can be an effective strategy to reduce aggressive pecking among chickens by minimizing disruptions to the pecking order and promoting a diverse range of temperaments within the flock. However, it is important to carefully manage the size and resources available to maintain a peaceful and healthy environment for the chickens.

Frequently asked questions