MANAGING SILKIE PULLETS AND ROO?

[Georgia Nana]

Hi, I have 7 Silkie pullets and 3 Silkie Roos about the same age as the pullets. My problem is the hens have not begun laying, but the Roosters are ready to breed them! I separated the roosters (2 roosters had 3 hens that they had been raised with, and one rooster has 4 hens) My 3 pens are not large enough to keep them all together, plus my 2 white boys hate my blue Roo!
Should I put roosters in with the hens again and just let them continue to mount (forgot the term!) them, even though they are not ready? What should I do? My roosters aren't eating well...They just pace back and forth at the wire. The hens are fine and much more relaxed. I really need some help here. My 3 pens are 8X12 each.
Thanks in advance!

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

Were the girls submitting to the roosters? (Squatting for them, so the boys don't seem like they are 'raping' the girls against their wills?) If they are agreeable to the males attentions they are okay to be together. I would suggest splitting your girls up 2-3 girls to each boy. 2 boys in a pen together with the girls will probably cause problems right now, especially at this hormonal stage they girls might be too over bred by 2 of them competing with each other.

If the girls were not aggreable to the males attentions I would keep them seperated for a while and re-introduce them in a smaller more confined setting instead of the 8X12 pens when you re-introduce.

 

[Georgia Nana]

No, they are not submitting at all...just screech and try to run!
Thank you for the information!

 

[donrae]

What's your plan for long term management of these birds? Sounds like you have too many roosters for the number of hens--what's your plan for the extras? Do you plan to breed? If so, which rooster fits your breeding plan best? You need to make some decisions as to who is staying and who is leaving, or who is going to live in a bachelor pad. One rooster with those hens is plenty, and I'd try putting him (just one) back in with them and see how things go. But expecting all those birds to live in harmony is unrealistic, so you need to decide what your longer term plan will be.

 

[Georgia Nana]

Congratulations! Good luck and prayers headed your way!
I have one blue and one white rooster that I planned to keep. The other roo will be leaving the week after Christmas. I plan to breed some of these sweet (albeit dumb) babies, but I would like to use the blue and the white at different times and see what I get. Would one Roo for 3 hens be too hard on the hens? I have the pens for that if 3 to 1 won't be too hard on the hens. Otherwise, I will do it one roo at a time. Which would be best?
Thanks for taking the time to respond!

 

[donrae]

Thank you!

With silkies, you might be good with two pens of 3:1. You just always have to keep an eye on your birds and make sure what you're doing is working. There are no hard and fast rules, living creatures and all......

I'd just leave them separated for now. How old are the pullets? The roosters might be stressed and not happy, but bummer imo. They never like change and it just takes a while for them to get used to being apart from birds they've been in with since hatch.

 

[Georgia Nana]

Thanks so much! Again, wishing you a quick recovery. Beat that evil disease!!! I'm pulling for you!