Large individual differences between adult laying hens in their propensity for feather pecking are known to exist. However, not much research has been carried out into the individual differences concerning the development of feather pecking behaviour. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether contrasting levels of feather pecking, observed among adult birds from two lines of laying hens, already occur at an early age. Furthermore, an important question to be discussed was whether different behavioural systems may be related to the occurrence of feather pecking. Therefore, this study consisted of studying and comparing the behaviour of White Leghorn laying hens from a high (HFP) and low feather pecking (LSP) during the first 8 weeks of life. Chicks were reared in litter-floor pens and were kept in groups of five animals per line (12 groups per line). HFP chicks showed significantly higher levels of gentle feather pecking than LFP chicks at the age of 14 and 28 days. Furthermore, HFP chicks spent significantly more time preening than LFP chicks on day 14, 28, and 41. Duration of foraging behaviour and feeding behaviour was significantly higher in the LFP line compared to the HFP line. HFP chicks showed a negative correlation between gentle FP and preening. In the LFP line duration of feeding correlated negatively with gentle FP. In conclusion, differences in feather pecking behaviour between HFP and LFP chicks can already be observed at a very early age during development. Furthermore, the results indicated that HFP and LFP chicks differ in the way pecking behaviour is targeted. This difference could be related to the existence of a difference in underlying motivational system controlling the development of feather pecking between the two lines.