advice please.. silkie flock PICS

[rufflemyfeather]

I have 5 silkies that are 12 weeks old.. I am 95% sure I have 4 roos and 1 lonely hen.. I know that 3 of the roos will have to go but I wanted to wait until after the winter as they get along great.. will the 4 roos be too much for the lonely hen?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

If you want to keep all the boys I'd give them a one roo to five hens ratio. Normally it is a one roo to ten hens ratio, but I had a silkie breeder tell me once that the 1:5 is what she does.

There may not be a problem until they try to all mate the hen at once. I'd not allow that. So you can just wait until you see mating. When you do, I'd get the hen out of there with another boy for company.

Silkie boys get along pretty well from my experience...just some pecking order adjustment. If you want to keep them all and hatch out some more, you can put the hen and one boy in a pen by themselves, and keep everyone (fix a bachelor pen for the boys).

 

[rufflemyfeather]

thats actually a great idea.. i didnt even think of a bachelor coop.. at about what age should i keep an eye out for mating?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Anytime now they should start trying to engage in mating behavior, maybe not for real but just trying to pin her down and holding onto her neck feathers. But they are all individuals, and you might have to wait longer. I have some roos now that started at 3 months. Some roos wait longer, some shorter than others. But definitely by the time of the point of lay for the hen, they will be mating with her. Then she will squat.