Is my roo sad?

[kurby22]

Yes I did. Shame I didn't do it soonerI already have a cockrell that is a bit special needs after falling into the pool

This is why my chickens can’t free range. We have a big in ground pool with very poor fence that needs replacing and I worry they would fall in and drown! We already have a 17 year old puggle that’s blind in one eye that has fallen in the pool a couple times since going blind she isn’t allowed outside alone anymore either!

 

[Silkie Princess]

This is why my chickens can’t free range. We have a big in ground pool with very poor fence that needs replacing and I worry they would fall in and drown! We already have a 17 year old puggle that’s blind in one eye that has fallen in the pool a couple times since going blind she isn’t allowed outside alone anymore either!

We put up a high fence yesterday. The Sablepoots jump on it anyway but at least it keeps the Silkies out. We have one of those big plastic? covers the ones you can walk in over the pool. Georgie found a way to get in that anyway. I miss her a lot

 

[kurby22]

We put up a high fence yesterday. The Sablepoots jump on it anyway but at least it keeps the Silkies out. We have one of those big plastic? covers the ones you can walk in over the pool. Georgie found a way to get in that anyway. I miss her a lot

Yeah, that’s the other thing! Several of mine fly up and over fence already! But it would keep the silkies out at least. I’m so sorry you lost her :-( How is your boy doing? He seem any better? Poor guy!

 

[Silkie Princess]

Yeah, that’s the other thing! Several of mine fly up and over fence already! But it would keep the silkies out at least. I’m so sorry you lost her :-( How is your boy doing? He seem any better? Poor guy!

He is okay. He and another Silkie roo take turns when caring for the ladies Sadly they only have 3 girls because the week after Georgie died Marilyn got her head bit off by a fox and the week after that Crooksie got lost Those three weeks were really tough. Losing 9 birds in 3 weeks is especially hard

 

[Aunt Angus]

Sounds like it's been a tough time, my friend. I'm so sorry.

 

[kurby22]

He is okay. He and another Silkie roo take turns when caring for the ladies Sadly they only have 3 girls because the week after Georgie died Marilyn got her head bit off by a fox and the week after that Crooksie got lost Those three weeks were really tough. Losing 9 birds in 3 weeks is especially hard

Oh man!! That is really sad! I’m so sorry you were had so many issues with your babies I hope things get better from here!!

 

[K0k0shka]

He might be feeling vulnerable because of his head. Vaulted skulls are a deformity that compromises the health of the bird, I don't know why anybody would purposefully breed for that (and yet people do). The bulge of the vault has holes in it (in the skull) and the brain is unprotected in those areas. A good peck to the head in just the right spot can kill a vaulted chicken. Maybe that's why he freaks out if another chicken tries to peck him. Get him a friend if you can, but make sure the friend is lower ranking than him, to avoid him being on the receiving end of pecks - so definitely a female, and if possible smaller or younger to ensure she's below him in the hierarchy and won't be pecking his head.

Here's what some vaulted skulls look like:

And here's a normal skull - the bone covers the top entirely, protecting the brain as it should:

A lot of people don't realize what the vault really is, or the ethics of it. Now that you know, please consider not supporting this barbarity. There are normal-headed silkies which you can get instead, with crests and everything, and they look just as cute (but are normal and healthy).

 

[Silkie Princess]

He might be feeling vulnerable because of his head. Vaulted skulls are a deformity that compromises the health of the bird, I don't know why anybody would purposefully breed for that (and yet people do). The bulge of the vault has holes in it (in the skull) and the brain is unprotected in those areas. A good peck to the head in just the right spot can kill a vaulted chicken. Maybe that's why he freaks out if another chicken tries to peck him. Get him a friend if you can, but make sure the friend is lower ranking than him, to avoid him being on the receiving end of pecks - so definitely a female, and if possible smaller or younger to ensure she's below him in the hierarchy and won't be pecking his head.

Here's what some vaulted skulls look like:

View attachment 2883319

And here's a normal skull - the bone covers the top entirely, protecting the brain as it should:

View attachment 2883320

A lot of people don't realize what the vault really is, or the ethics of it. Now that you know, please consider not supporting this barbarity. There are normal-headed silkies which you can get instead, with crests and everything, and they look just as cute (but are normal and healthy).

Yes I have/had silkies that have beautiful crests without vaulted scull. He was a very lively chick that always attacked other chickens that were way biger! Thanks for the info anyway!

 

[Silkie Princess]

Here he is as a baby chick

 

[K0k0shka]

He doesn’t understand that attacking and provoking other chickens may lead to them pecking his exposed brain in response and killing him, that’s why he was lively and bossing others around. But maybe something happened to make him more aware of his vulnerability. Maybe he did get pecked on his head at some point - not hard enough to kill him, but hard enough to hurt him and scare him, and now he’s defensive with everybody as a protective measure.