Hen excluded from others

[Three Silkies]

Hi. I'm new here and a new chicken owner. I have three silkies, two hens and one rooster (who was meant to be a hen - surprise!) who are 3.5 months old). Until tonight, the three have all slept cuddled together on the floor of their upstairs sleeping quarters. Before bedtime, the rooster and more dominant hen were roosting close to each other on their perch downstairs and the weaker hen (Honkers, my favourite) was lower down on the perch being left out of the cuddling session. I just went to check on them (late at night) and the roo and dominant hen are sleeping on the perch together (which they've never done before - always go up to their sleeping quarters and cuddle together in a pile) and Honkers is sleeping in their usual sleeping spot all alone. I'm worried that they are excluding her, and also that she is cold and lonely. Am I overreacting or is this normal? Any advice would be very much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Judy]

Welcome to our forum!

It's certainly not unusual. You might want to keep an eye on the flock to be sure Honkers isn't being kept away from food and water by the others, and isn't being pecked to the point of injury.

 

[Three Silkies]

Thanks so much for your reply. It's a relief to know it's not unusual. Honkers is getting plenty of food and water (though less than the others because she is not as quick as them), but I make sure she has enough. But she is scared of the roo (Petunia - I kept his original name) because he gives her some sharp pecks. But he also pecks the dominant hen (Henrietta), so I figured that was just him getting ready for the mating ritual (though he is a bit young for this)?

 

[Three Silkies]

I should also point out that he hasn't injured them. He just gives them a sharp peck occasionally and they yell and run away, but there's no injuries that I can see.