New to backyard chickens

[N England Chic]

We are excited to have our hens and the coop up an running! We have two sex links, and 4 aracaunas (I think...i'm not sure if i'm right on that?). They have been laying about 5 eggs per day. We lost our little bantam because she got out of the pen and our bull dogs got out and thought she was a play toy We have five children and they love the hens but that was a sad day and the chicken funeral was new for me. Now we introduced two new hens last night that are silkie's and they are all fighting. One of the new hens is strutting around like a rooster and crowing??? My other hens cornered the other new one and was pecking it like crazy. Now the white silkie that keeps crowing is fighting with everyone, my 11 year old son went in the coop to get eggs and the white silkie flew at him and he ran out? They all settled down to sleep last night but they started in fighting this morning. I separated the two new ones for now. Do hens crow? Will they ever get along? Trouble in the hen house

 

[Kevin565]

 

[drumstick diva]

Usually you separate new birds with a cage or wire division of the run, so that new and old get to check each other out without bloodshed. How old are your silkies? If one is running around crowing it's probably a rooster. Silkies are very difficult to sex when they are young. You don't want to keep aggressive roosters - they can be a danger to you and your children. Maybe he is just riled up by the outbreak of fighting and feels defensive regarding the silkie hen.

 

[redsoxs]

Howdy from Kansas, N England Chic, and

! Pleased you joined us! I like drumstick's advice. Best of luck and hope your hen house calms down!!

 

[N England Chic]

Thank you for your advice. I have separated them now. I looked up ways to identify the differences between a hen and rooster silkie. They say it can be difficult to tell them apart. We definitely do not want roosters. Now the other new silkie is crowing? Yikes!

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

Welcome to BYC!!!

Glad you joined us!!

 

[liz9910]

can you take pictures of their combs up close and also full body shots? Then post on this forum: https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/15/what-breed-or-gender-is-this and we can try to help.

 

[sourland]

If they are crowing, they are roosters - sometimes hens crow, but it is a rarity. Good luck at sorting this out, and welcome to BYC.

 

[weimarmama]

&

from Alabama. Glad you joined us.

 

[N England Chic]

We checked the box the "hens" came in and....it says Roosters!!! Haha well I guess the mystery is solved!