3 Roos and 8 hens

[chickencrazylady]

In Sept 2010 I got a Silkie roo, kept him in the woodshop attached to the back of our house,

Early this spring finally was able to build an inclosed run that is attached to our garden shed which I turned into a coop. The spring received 5 more chickens ( thought they were hens) turns out 3 hens and 2 roos. In Sept 2011 received 5 more hen (all hens this time) My Silkie roo being an year older took control over the flock right away.
In middle of Oct the 2 younger roos started to crow and strut their stuff. A couple of small dusts up with my Silkie. A few days ago I noticed my Silkie acting differently, but still the leader of the flock, yesterday I noticed him acting weird and picked him up (I hand raised him) and noticed for the first time and felt his breast bone, took him into the house and gave him a good feel of the body and he is nothing but skin and bone!!!

Could he be stressing out because of the younger roos coming into their own now and although he is eating lots could he be not able to maintain his weight with having the other roos in with the flock and always having to be the dominate roo! Should I get rid of Hawkeye and Magoo, I don't have the space to separate they from the flock yet, next spring expanding and adding a second and third run. Hawkeye is 3 times my Silkie's size right now, but if I am in the run he just leaves Silkie alone. Really concerned for my Slikie , love Hawkeye and Magoo and all the girls but if I take Silkie away I'm afraid he will lose his position as #1 Roo.

 

[Ksane]

Has he ever been wormed with Valbazen/albendazole or Safeguard/Fenbendazole? Not Wazine, Wazine only kills one kind of worm. Safeguard is easier to get & kills all but tapes. Valbazen kills tapes in addition to all the other worms but you usually have to get it online as it's harder to find.
I would worm all of them with one of the 2 above mentioned wormers and then repeat 10 days later. A pea-sized glop right on their tongue, don't shoot it down their throat because we don't want it to go down the wrong tube.
Being stressed (if he even is) shouldn't cause him to turn into skin and bones.

 

[scratch'n'peck]

You say he is eating lots, but is skinnier than before. I would want to rule out parasites like mites and worms which can rob nutrients from the birds and make them lose weight.

I think if there is no outright fighting and silkie in maintaining his status, then I don't think stress is causing weight loss. But I agree that if you remove him from the flock you will put his head of the flock status in jeopardy.