Frustrated Silkie Roo troubles

[MykaMom]

Ok, needing some advice here. My bachelor boys accepted and integrated all 17 pullets with absolutely no drama for an entire month.

Until now.

The Silkie Roo is frustrated: none of the girls are quite ready for breeding. He chases them constantly, but no one is 'assuming the position'.

Yesterday, he caught one and mounted - but it was our super tiny bantam white japanese black tail roo.

He bit chunks out of Squeaky's comb, pulled feathers at its base, and ripped the heck out of skin at the base of his tail, but miraculously missed the cloaca.

Squeaky is inside recovering nicely. He gets along great with all the girls. Until this, he's gotten along fine with Hearty for over a year. Plus he was here first.

Do I find the Silkie a new home or will things calm down? It's too late this season for a new coop and run. I dont want a flock of silkies. I can keep him separate in the coop in a roomy pen with safety bars, so they can see but not really interact with the others.

What should I do?

 

[Hei 20]

Ok, needing some advice here. My bachelor boys accepted and integrated all 17 pullets with absolutely no drama for an entire month.

Until now.

The Silkie Roo is frustrated: none of the girls are quite ready for breeding. He chases them constantly, but no one is 'assuming the position'.

Yesterday, he caught one and mounted - but it was our super tiny bantam white japanese black tail roo.

He bit chunks out of Squeaky's comb, pulled feathers at its base, and ripped the heck out of skin at the base of his tail, but miraculously missed the cloaca.

Squeaky is inside recovering nicely. He gets along great with all the girls. Until this, he's gotten along fine with Hearty for over a year. Plus he was here first.

Do I find the Silkie a new home or will things calm down? It's too late this season for a new coop and run. I dont want a flock of silkies. I can keep him separate in the coop in a roomy pen with safety bars, so they can see but not really interact with the others.

What should I do?

Maybe he was just frustrated because he had such a hard time getting one and took his frustration out on the one he finally got to. Give him another change but keep an eye or two on him. LOL

 

[sourland]

I would separate him until the pullets mature.

 

[Oncoming Storm]

More than likely he needs to be separated. I had a rooster that had it out for his dad and would attack him nonstop. A few weeks to a month in solitary straightened him out and now I don’t have any issues.

 

[Ridgerunner]

You are not dealing with mature hens and roosters, you are dealing with immature pullets and cockerels. The behave differently. When their hormones gain control, they have little to no self-control. While those hormones are in control it can get really messy. As someone on here once said, watching pullets and cockerels go through puberty is not for the faint of heart.

Usually things calm down when they all mature but sometimes they don't. How much room you have has a lot to do with that but even with total free ranging and no fences it still might not work out. With living animals you don't get any guarantees as far as behavior.

So what are your options?

You can let them go and see what happens. That works for some people but it sounds like you could wind up with dead chickens if you try it.

You can create a bachelor pen and house the boys in there with no girls. I don't know how many boys you have. If they can't get to the girls they can't bother them and if they don't have girls to fight over they usually don't fight that rough. They will still determine a pecking order among themselves and need a fair amount of room just like an all-girl flock. After they al mature you can try re-integrating them with the girls but I'd expect that to get pretty wild if you try.

You can get rid of all but one of the boys. Puberty may still be hard to watch, there is a pretty good chance any one you keep will keep chasing and forcing those pullets against their will until they and he grow up. But once they all grow up it will probably get peaceful.

You can get rid of all the boys. Lots of people have all girls flocks and are quite happy with them. The only reason you really need a boy is if you want fertile eggs.

 

[MykaMom]

Thanks, everyone, for your advice. The Roos are both a year and a half old. Squeaky is very, VERY tiny, half the size of a banty Silkie roo.

We put Hearty in a time out pen where they could all see each other. 24 hours later, they are all very calm.

When Squeaky goes back in on Monday, we'll put Hearty back in to the time out side for 24 hours. If there's any aggression towards Squeaky, we'll go the bachelor flock route.

If that doesn't work, Hearty will get a rehome.

Thanks again!