[Oneeyedhen]

My 10/11 week old cockerals have started pecking each other at the top of their tail feathers. We've already had to dispatch one because of this but ideally wanted to keep them until they're more worth while eating! Can I clip their beaks? And if so how do I go about it? Any advice would be great, thanks.

[Fowlman]

You need to look at their set up and ask yourself why are they doing this, could be a number of reasons, boredom, lack of space, diet. Please don't debeak your birds it's cruel and unnecessary. Separate if needed.

[Oneeyedhen]

Um, they dont have a lot of space although there were 15 in their little pen. Six girls are now outside and the last two go tomorrow leaving 6 boys inside (one having been dispatched already). It seems funny that space is more of an issue now although I appreciate they aren't getting any smaller.
Should there be more protein in their diet? I've been cutting back the pellets as we have loads of wheat? They also get house hold scraps and hand fulls of grass and clover each day.

[plumseverywhere]

You can get anti peck spray or those little things that you can put on the beak to prevent pecking (not sure if they are cruel or kind though?)
try hanging lettuces or CD's up for them to peck at 

[Fowlman]

It probably started a while ago when you had more birds in the pen, its a habit that is hard to break. Hang some veg up for them.

[Mammyshaz]

Just a couple of things we do to help with boredom for our adult chooks.
A couple of logs to jump on and off and find crawlies in and we hang open leaved type cabbages up on the mesh fencing for them to stretch and work at.

No experience of chicks so hope this is useful info and not    of me

I don't know how successful rasping the tips of a hens beak, like an overgrown pet bird beak, would work to reduce the severity of the injuries.  I think debeaking, as often illustrated for poultry, seams a  cruel means of controlling a problem.

Hope you can find something that helps before any others are too badly injured   

[in the hills]

Agree with other posts.


More space if possible, dust bath, hanging veg., branches ...... anything to give them something to do.


Anti peck spray as soon as possible to try and break the habit.


Good luck 

[Polished Arrow]

My 8 ladies and Marv the Cockerel are being utterly beastly to the three 5 week old chicks we have.  The chicks, though, just fly out of the electric fence as soon as someone is nasty to them, spend the day free ranging unlike their portly elders, and then fly back in at bed time.  I have decided to not try to upset this delicate but seemingly effective arrangement, and am also feeding the cat extra every morning to hopefully stop him from seeing them as juicy elevensies...

[Sylvia]

You must, also. cover any sight of blood as they will keep pecking at it. I swear by Sudocrem which covers the wounds and heals quickly.

[Oneeyedhen]

Thanks everyone, I've got sudocrem so will try that on the one they were pecking. He's been on his own all night but I've let him back for food and water so hopefully   he's ok until I go back out for a look . They do have 2 logs and a branch to perch on but I'll definately try hanging up some veg for them.
I've just hatched another 8 out yesterday and as my Hubby knows someone who might be able to sex them I think we'll only rear the girls this time. I'm dissappionted though as I thought it would be good to have some for eating too but this too stressful for whats looking like very little reward. Not to mention all the feeding they eat.

[Castle Farm]

Forget trying to cover up the problem with sprays or cream it won't work.

Either cull or allow them total freedom to get out of each others way. Once they have started pecking you won't stop it as one will teach another and they will kill each other without doubt.

Your youngsters are totally reliant on your husbandry and stockmanship and not doing anything about the amount of space they are in is neglectful.

Why are you keeping all the males are they for tablebirds/breeding or just to be found homes after they grow on a bit ?

My advice would be to cull, as allowing this situation  to continue is cruelty.

[Oneeyedhen]

Thats a bit strong Castle farm! If I think for a minute they are in pain or distress we will cull them, hence one being away already. I'm only trying to give their lives a little purpose and put them to some use. If your right and nothing works they will all be disspatched, I think a few things are worth a try first. They arent meat birds just a by product of hatching out and selling a few females. They are welcome to go to a new home but I think most people end up with too many boys.

[Castle Farm]

I tell it like it is I'm afraid, no point beating about the bush. This problem crops up every time a batch of chicks out grows the coop they are in.

The longer to put off dealing with a problem like this the more damage the birds inflict. I have had it happen myself, within an hour of a bird showing blood they can be eaten to death.

Not having a go at you OEH.

[Oneeyedhen]

Two girls away to their new home, one boy ready for the pot tonight and the others have settled down and seem content again in their enriched pen  . Thanks for all your advice  .

[chrismahon]

So Oneeyedhen. Much more space and consider Bumpa bits from Omlet. Fit them with 'external' circlip pliars. Very easy, very cheap, re-useable and most importantly painless. They get used to them in a day and thereafter eat normally. Target the pecker, not the pecked. Anti-peck spray is horrible stuff (and expensive) and stops the poor victim from preening.