Silkie Tidbitting Question

KCD

Songster
Aug 17, 2018
57
73
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My husband and youngest brought home some chicks in the early spring (1 silkie, 2 red breasted old english game bantams, 2 d’uccle, 1 EE and 1 barred rock). The silkie turned out to the cockerel and I had some issues with him and the 2 standard pullets after integrating them into my main coop and flock. (There hadn’t been any issues before that transition). Things eventually worked themselves out with that and the new crew pretty much stuck to themselves and the big girls did the same. The EE pullet had made her way into the bantie flock first and the barred rock was eventually accepted but definitely more the outcast.
A couple weeks ago a hawk got the EE pullet. The barred rock seemed to pull herself away from the bantie flock, which didn’t surprise me. I’ve been keeping an eye on her and the silkie to make sure things didn’t escalate again.
Today I noticed that the silkie was tidbitting and doing his little dance only for the barred rock. When he would tidbit and the other banties would come over, he’d eat it before them, but if the barred rock came over, he’d dance for her and let her eat. Given the history between the two, it surprised me.
He is not tidbitting or dancing for the banties or the big girls (he still runs from them). Is he now choosing the barred rock because they similar sizes and the rest are so much smaller? Will he ever attempt to approach the big girls? He’s about the same size as some of my smaller adult hens, but I also have giants and he’s much smaller than those ladies.
I’m just curious about his behavior. I’ve never had silkies or bantams before so this is all new to me!
Thanks!
 
He's only tiddbitting to her only because right now she's his best/only friend. My young phoenixes have been with my big flock for like 3 or 4 months now and the roo still only mates with and tidbits to my 2 phoenix pullets.
When they get older they'll be completely accepted into the flock, and he he (your roo) will probably mate with your bantys and even your big girls. My jap roo breeds my Rhode island reds and he looks like a racehorse jockey on them. Best wishes to you and your chickens.
 
He's only tiddbitting to her only because right now she's his best/only friend. My young phoenixes have been with my big flock for like 3 or 4 months now and the roo still only mates with and tidbits to my 2 phoenix pullets.
When they get older they'll be completely accepted into the flock, and he he (your roo) will probably mate with your bantys and even your big girls. My jap roo breeds my Rhode island reds and he looks like a racehorse jockey on them. Best wishes to you and your chickens.
Haha! I love the jockey visual!!!

The odd thing is that the silkie is part of the bantie flock (they were all purchased together) and the barred rock has been an outcast (specifically because of the silkie pushing her and the EE who the hawk got out of the bantie flock). They were all purchased together and him pushing the 2 standard girls out of the bantie flock didn’t start until I integrated them into the main coop with the big girls. He accepted the EE pullet before the barred rock but up until the day the EE pullet died, he was still somewhat shunning the barred rock. I’m happy that things have apparently completely turned around, and he’s very much a part of the bantie flock, but just seems to only have a thing for the barred rock now! It’s just interesting! But good to hear that he will eventually make his way through the whole flock! Can’t wait to see the little jockey do his thing with the big girls! Haha!!!
 

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