Zenzilicious
Chirping
Hi Everyone!
I bought a Silkie & Silkie/Mille De Fleur mix from someone local.
The Silkie is Lady.
The Mix is Madam.
Lady is SO SWEET. Madam is MEAN.
Since we brought them home, we tried to integrate them with the chicks in our brooder. I know there is pecking order, but she was REALLY going after the other chicks, and eventually corralled them into the corner. When they tried to move, she would go after them and peck them. A couple tried fighting back, but she would absolutely peck the crap out of them. She was 2-3 weeks older than the chicks, but not much bigger. So, I figured okay- let me allow them to grow up a little and we will try this again.
Madam is outside, doing fine. Lady is with the chicks, totally sweet as can be. But I felt bad, so I put Lady outside with Madam so she would have a friend. We put the chicks out 2 weeks later. (So, Buffs are 5 weeks, and the Silkies are 8-9 weeks).
This time, I read online and purchased some netting and put the 5 week old buff chicks into their own netted pen so that Madam could see the buffs and get to know them. So, I get rid of the netting after a few days, and Madam is still going after them! The chicks are allowed a small portion of the whole run (Per madam) again, a corner. We have 2 coops, so the buffs have their own and Madam literally walks in there and spreads her wings menacingly and starts pecking the buffs. The buffs all run into the egg boxes, and if they try to move, she pecks at them so they run back in! This is the same behavior that happened in the brooder.
I'm really about to re-home her, because I'm not sure this is going to work. The former owner said that Madam was bullied growing up by her flock, so she was surprised to hear that she was behaving that way. I currently have her in her own coop because I don't think it's fair to the buffs to have to live like that.
I'm also not sure if Madam is a rooster, please see pics if you'd like to give me your opinion.
Does anyone have advice? I am a new chicken owner!
I bought a Silkie & Silkie/Mille De Fleur mix from someone local.
The Silkie is Lady.
The Mix is Madam.
Lady is SO SWEET. Madam is MEAN.
Since we brought them home, we tried to integrate them with the chicks in our brooder. I know there is pecking order, but she was REALLY going after the other chicks, and eventually corralled them into the corner. When they tried to move, she would go after them and peck them. A couple tried fighting back, but she would absolutely peck the crap out of them. She was 2-3 weeks older than the chicks, but not much bigger. So, I figured okay- let me allow them to grow up a little and we will try this again.
Madam is outside, doing fine. Lady is with the chicks, totally sweet as can be. But I felt bad, so I put Lady outside with Madam so she would have a friend. We put the chicks out 2 weeks later. (So, Buffs are 5 weeks, and the Silkies are 8-9 weeks).
This time, I read online and purchased some netting and put the 5 week old buff chicks into their own netted pen so that Madam could see the buffs and get to know them. So, I get rid of the netting after a few days, and Madam is still going after them! The chicks are allowed a small portion of the whole run (Per madam) again, a corner. We have 2 coops, so the buffs have their own and Madam literally walks in there and spreads her wings menacingly and starts pecking the buffs. The buffs all run into the egg boxes, and if they try to move, she pecks at them so they run back in! This is the same behavior that happened in the brooder.
I'm really about to re-home her, because I'm not sure this is going to work. The former owner said that Madam was bullied growing up by her flock, so she was surprised to hear that she was behaving that way. I currently have her in her own coop because I don't think it's fair to the buffs to have to live like that.
I'm also not sure if Madam is a rooster, please see pics if you'd like to give me your opinion.
Does anyone have advice? I am a new chicken owner!
