We have a silkie roo...he's pretty good...although we let a mama silkie hatch out an egg recently and that chick has come into his own (yup HIS own...he cockadoodle dooed for the first time this morning confirming what I had suspected) ANYHOW, our dog got to our flock and so it's pretty teeny...can he remain until the baby chicks we have in the brooder are older? Or will he start to fight with his father in the very near future??? What is left of the flock: Silkie roo (dad) Silkie hen (mom) Silkie roo (son) Silver laced Wyndotte hen a RIR & a GLW in the brooder (so far pretty convinced they are girls) Right now he (the teenage roo) is a loner...he's not really chasing the hens yet...and he steers clear of most of the flock...although they don't peck him or make him steer clear...he comes to the feeders when they feed and he snuggles up with them at night, but for the most part he likes to hang out in the coop and on the edge of the coop door...where the others like to hang out on the ground. When they are out of the run free ranging he forages at a distance from the other three, but when I toss some leafy greens or fruit he comes running with the rest of them. I guess my questions are: 1) how long until he might start fighting his father for rights to the hens? 2) is it possible to have two roos and only four hens? (two hens for a while...only two are mature now and two that will come into their own around Dec/Jan I think) 3) should I start looking for a home for him, wait it out, cook him up, get rid of his father (or whoever ends up being the more aggressive?) NOT SURE WHAT TO DO NOW??? Advice please
It has been my experience that Silkies are pretty mellow birds and quite possibly you can make this happen. If the young roo has been raised with big daddy from the beginning there is already a pecking order established... and if the son is smart he won't try to outdo his dad. If not, then I would keep the better roo and get rid of the other one. Good luck.
I''d devise a plan of action and then wait to see how things shake out. Silkies can be pretty mellow. If it were most breeds, I would suggest getting rid of the young cockerel; however silkies? who knows.
So far the younger (son) roo seems to stay in the back ground and on his own (with the flock, but still at a slight distance) so he seems (at this point) to know his place. The father roo is pretty mellow, almost a bit dorky really...I guess like you all say Silkies are just more mellow...when he does try to show his dominance (to me) he is like a bouncy ball hopping all over the place trying to say "hey this is MY flock" and the second you say BOO, he runs back to the coop...LOL The flock dynamics have changed a lot over the past year and seems to always be in a state of change one way or another...but he seems to keep the peace amung the other birds.... I sure hope it all works out!!!
Update ~ both roos seem to be working it out...the son does stay back if the dad is working on a specific hen...but I have noticed the son going after his mother...I'm guessing it doesn't matter in the animal world? Or does it? What if later down the road we want to hatch out some of her eggs...would that be a problem? Also, I have noticed the father give a minor peck to his son, saying hey my lady there boy...and the son keeps out of the way...so far...I hope he remains submissive to his father. It seems both roos mate with both hens each morning...and both hens are laying eggs again (whoo hoo, because one of those girls was broody and not laying for a while there) We have 4 girl chicks in the brooder waiting to join the flock...I'm guessing once there are 6 girls and the two roos it should be fine...I hope we can make it until then...and I hope my hubby doesn't keep pushing the 'your first meat bird' topic with my baby roo.
