Why do my young chicks kill and eat each other? When I go out in the morning there are numerous dead and the others are pecking the dead carcasses. Help!

I had this problem many yrs ago.
Your looking at either boredom or a deficiency in something.
The solution that worked for me was letting them run outside.
Giving them grass clippings and dirt to eat.

Also once they start, others follow what they see, and you sometimes can't stop them, except to kill the ring leaders, and that sometimes is hard to figure out, and don't work either.

I'd start by giving them lots of grass and dirt, (if you can't let them outside) otherwise if that don't work, get the ring leaders or kill them and start over new,

Just like egg eaters, if you don't stop it quick it goes through the whole lot soon and you can only stop it by killing all and starting new.
So the more quick you get this under control the better chances of actually being able to stop it.

Also any that may have a sore butt or blood showing anywheres, Remove them from the lot till it heals.
Chickens can't help but pick on anything shinny and won't stop until they kill that chicken,

I say jokingly say, because they like chicken too,.

although strangely enough, from a medical stand point, usually cases show lack of nutrition. Not saying you don't feed them well by any means, simply put, more time and space for small bug hunting and rocks. On close exam, witch only weird geeks like me would notice up close and personal is they weren't actually eating the chicken, they were eating the bugs that were attracted to the cadaver. CHIC made a great suggestion by more room, more space more bugs. Why they kill each other is, less chickens more room=more bugs.

I can hear them chanting now ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE YEAH ME! In chicken voices. Good Luck!

Wish I could do the chicken dance

FUNNY! Por chicks!

I saw rooster's dance.. well the cute ones trying to pick up a chick

The way to overcome the chicks killing each other is to use an infra red light in the area they are situated, it may not be possible to keep them all confined but if it is possible use an infr red light and you will find there is a drastic increase in chick mortality as they can see what they are doing instead of picking at the toes which starts of an attack and possible cannibilism

If a chick is cut then you must remove it from the pen as the chicks will attack it and kill it and start eating it if they get the taste for blood it can get very hard to stop...

Also I think they may be lacking in protein in the diet so substitute with mealworms or mini mealworms, place them on the bottom and let them peck about for them , also add shiney things to where they are as the shiney objects attract the chicks and keep them occupied I use marbles with mine...
Marbles in the drinkers and feeders also to encourage them to peck their and not each other... cocks need to be separated from hens as soon as possible as they start to mature quickly and try to take pride of place..

The chicks need room to move and their own space so make it regular practice if confined to let them have a run somewhere, maybe a patch enclosed on the outside grass with a mesh lid so they can't escape this will enable them to play with the grass get protein from insects found in the grass and keep them occupied for a while...

Katie

There are a few things I've done to solve my chicken problems.They love to eat foam,which keeps them from pulling each others feathers out.It works,and my chickens are old,so it won't kill them.There is also a shell you can buy to help with the egg eaters.It works also.It is sold at feed stores.