Chicks fighting

Pep · « **on:** May 13, 2008, 19:39 »

Hi everyone,

My three chicks are now just over nine weeks old (or so I'm led to believe). The other day two of them (white and brown) started to "front up" to each other and jump with claws out front. This usually happened when one ran to the other two and I thought it was just one being startled by the sudden movement of the other and was a defensive action. However, today they've had three or four fights - pecking and clawing.

Is this normal chicken behaviour establishing the pecking order, is it that I have two cocks or just that they don't like each other!! Most of the time they are fine. The black speckly one never gets involved - that one's the largest and appears to have a different tail shape.

I would really like advice here as to what to do about the fighting, if they are, in fact, just over 9 weeks old and can any of the more eagle eyed of you out there tell whether they're girls or boys? Also what breed you think they are would be an added bonus.

Right, I'm now going to try and attach photo's!!!

Thanks in advance for any advice anyone can give me.

Pauline

Sorry, 40 minutes later and finding attaching a photo impossible so just advice on fighting for now please until I get my head around photobucket!!

Wildeone · « **Reply #1 on:** May 13, 2008, 19:50 »

if you managed to get them onto photo bucket you want to copy the IMG code. HTH

Pep · « **Reply #2 on:** May 13, 2008, 20:08 »

Think these may be the pictures but I won't hold my breath

Pauline

Pep · « **Reply #3 on:** May 13, 2008, 20:10 »

Thank you wildeone.

Pauline

agapanthus · « **Reply #4 on:** May 13, 2008, 20:12 »

Yup...that's what they do

Mine are almost 5 weeks old and they've been doing it from birth!!!

Wildeone · « **Reply #5 on:** May 13, 2008, 20:13 »

Yay i helped!

I'm just off to have a little lie down i'm in shock!

Pep · « **Reply #6 on:** May 13, 2008, 20:40 »

Thank you Agapanthus, although that really isn't what I wanted to hear :shock: !! Still, if it's natural, I'll let them get on with it until it gets serious, then have a re-think.

Pauline

kimT · « **Reply #7 on:** May 13, 2008, 21:13 »

They are just sorting out who is going to be boss!!

blulagoo · « **Reply #8 on:** May 13, 2008, 22:21 »

I think the white one is def a boy - not too sure about the brown one though. (But then again I'm new to keeping chickens but it looks just like my white cockerel!) See pics in thread on breed identification.

GrannieAnnie · « **Reply #9 on:** May 13, 2008, 22:30 »

My meat chicks are nearly 9 weeks old and the cockerals have a much more pronounced comb than those ones, but that could be becasue they mature earlier. In fact, they've even started to crow, and I've never had cockerel crow at 9 weeks before!

And like Aggy says, yes they do square up to each other. I think its partly pecking order stuff, but also seems to happen when one chick suddenly runs forward flapping its wings and another chick feels threatened by the action, but it doesn't last long and they just suddenly stop and walk away from each other. Usually!!!!!

blulagoo · « **Reply #10 on:** May 13, 2008, 22:45 »

Thought I'd send you their pics - see what I mean about the likeness -

they were 7 weeks old here.

Pep · « **Reply #11 on:** May 14, 2008, 08:11 »

Thank you for your help and yes, blulagoo, I do see the likeness - they could be twins

Bit disappointing if I have 2 boys as I was rather hoping for eggs and not early morning calls!!

Pauline

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