Lost a silkie hen, now what do I do with her rooster??

[alliecat2886]

I had gotten a pair of silkies from a sale barn mid feb. They were happy and healthy, but my layers didn't approve of them and pecked them all the time. My other silkie rooster (he was raised with the hens) also pecked at them. So they started retreating to the goat side of the coop. I noticed a week or two ago the hen was getting peed on...I think she was sleeping under the goats. I kept trying to intigrate them back to the chicken side but they always ended up on the goat side. So last night I noticed she wasn't doin well. Eyes kinda bubbly, head retracted to her body, droopy wings, wouldn't walk...barely breathing. Anyway, I washed her off (all the pee) dried her and moved her and the rooster to the garage with fresh water, food, and a heat lamp. Needless to say she did die. Now what do I do with her rooster? I'm thinkin she either got kicked or jumped on by a goat or the ammonia killed her, but not possitive. I've got two seperate brooders inside with chicks either 2 weeks old or 5 weeks old. I'm also getting new silkie chicks that were shipped yesterday. Should I keep him quarenteened to make sure he isn't sick, bring him in and put him with the babies, or wait and put the new silkies with him? He's very gentle and seems very sad she's gone. He was jist laying by her and nudging her this morning. :-( I don't want the others to pick on him...so what to do??

 

[alliecat2886]

Anyone?? :-(

 

[cafarmgirl]

It's hard to say without knowing for sure what the hen died of, although your young birds are going to be exposed to him eventually. I'd probably either try him with the 5 week old batch and see how it goes or wait and give him the new silkies when they are old enough. He's just going to be one lonely little bird for a while though. It sounds like he needs his own coop/run with his own flock where he can be safe from the other birds and not getting attacked all the time.

 

[alliecat2886]

I plan on reworking my coop soon. The goats will be moving out to a bigger fenced in pen, with their own new house. So that will open that side of the coop back up and I planned on making it a "grow out" pen/silkie coop. But until then I don't know what to do with him. Its funny cuz he is much bigger than nigel (my silkie rooster) but since nigel grew up he is the king of the coop. I probbably won't make them their own run, just let them free range with the rest during the day. The two seemed to prefer staying in the coop on free run time anyway. If I keep him seperated, how long before I figure out if he is sick or not?