Old hen attacking new rooster, viciously

[manta8ray]

I started with four hens from my neighbor who didn’t want to care for them anymore. Two are left, both RIReds. In March of this year (days before the world shut down) we purchased five new chicks, two of which were not sexed. One Silkie and one Frizzle. The chicks have grown and are starting to lay, and the Silkie turned out to be a rooster. He is smaller than the rest, except for the Frizzle hen. He’s doing his best to figure out how to mate with the hens, but one of our older hens (Louise) just wants to end his very existence, any chance she gets. We keep him in a separate coop at night but during the day, all of the chickens are free roaming around our large yard. Louise will run full speed across the yard just to attack Georgie, and until yesterday she hadn’t done any damage that we could see. However yesterday she injured him, tearing his cushion and earlobe, which bled profusely. The other hens seem fine, though the one other older hen (Linda) will show aggression towards him occasionally. The hens he grew up with do not show him aggression.

So, any ideas on how to keep Louise from killing him?? Right now she and Linda are secured in an outdoor run while the new hens roam the yard with Georgie. This is not ideal.

 

[Sonya9]

Never had a frizzle but does he have feathers obscuring his vision?

 

[manta8ray]

Never had a frizzle but does he have feathers obscuring his vision?

My Frizzle turned out to be a hen, thankfully, and so far her head feathers are very short. But she’s still pretty young, maybe 20 weeks. The rooster is a Silkie and he has a cushion that kind of flops to one side, so his vision on his left side isn’t great, I would imagine.

 

[Sonya9]

My Frizzle turned out to be a hen, thankfully, and so far her head feathers are very short. But she’s still pretty young, maybe 20 weeks. The rooster is a Silkie and he has a cushion that kind of flops to one side, so his vision on his left side isn’t great, I would imagine.

Sorry got the two mixed up. Anyway you might want to trim the feathers around his face so he can see well, that gives him the chance to run if the older hen is coming for him.

Sorry don't have any other advice other than maybe he needs to grow up a bit and he can handle the older hens better?

 

[manta8ray]

No worries. He also has only very short feathers around his head, so there is nothing to trim. His cushion (Silkie version of a comb) is what she attacked and what was bleeding. And I fear he’s close to full grown, but Silkies are naturally smaller and docile. So he might just be doomed. I just don’t know why she is the only one that feels the need to kill him on sight. Even the other OG hen isn’t nearly that angry. Ugh.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

but Silkies are naturally smaller and docile. So he might just be doomed. I just don’t know why she is the only one that feels the need to kill him on sight. Even the other OG hen isn’t nearly that angry. Ugh.

Hi there, hope you are enjoying BYC!

Smaller, yes.. docile.. not nearly as much folks claim, according to my experience.

It's simple.. as a cockerel he want to take top spot and rule the flock.. She may be the top hen and not willing to let him have that position.

NONE of my large fowl hens would mate with a bantam cockerel or have anything to do with them. Pullets, the ladies he grew up with are usually more accepting as he will have already set his dominance over them early on.. but the actual hens (ladies over a year old) think those short stacks of fluffy hormones are not up to snuff for siring her progeny.

They may work it out or not.. your set up can impact this as well as individual personalities.

Out of all the roosters I have kept.. Silkies have been some of the biggest jerks ever...

You might keep him in look but don't touch while he gains some maturity and see if he can earn her respect through treat calling etc.

There are many options but it depends on your goal. Are able and desire to keep a cockerel/rooster in your flock?

 

[manta8ray]

Hi there, hope you are enjoying BYC!

Smaller, yes.. docile.. not nearly as much folks claim, according to my experience.

It's simple.. as a cockerel he want to take top spot and rule the flock.. She may be the top hen and not willing to let him have that position.

NONE of my large fowl hens would mate with a bantam cockerel or have anything to do with them. Pullets, the ladies he grew up with are usually more accepting as he will have already set his dominance over them early on.. but the actual hens (ladies over a year old) think those short stacks of fluffy hormones are not up to snuff for siring her progeny.

They may work it out or not.. your set up can impact this as well as individual personalities.

Out of all the roosters I have kept.. Silkies have been some of the biggest jerks ever...

You might keep him in look but don't touch while he gains some maturity and see if he can earn her respect through treat calling etc.

There are many options but it depends on your goal. Are able and desire to keep a cockerel/rooster in your flock?

He’s been very docile and sweet so far, and perhaps that will change. But the attacks occur without any mating attempt, as far as we have seen. He can just be standing there, feeding, preening, drinking water, doing anything really, and she will run at him and strike. I would understand better if both older hens did that, but nope...just the one.
And as far as keeping him...technically we’re in the city limits and aren’t allowed to have roosters. Luckily he’s pretty mellow and doesn’t crow much. When he does, it’s not super loud. My neighbors are cool with him as far as I know (one is from Hawaii and says it reminds her of growing up, one is a vet tech and loves all animals, but there’s one who could go either way) so we shall see how it ends up. He is supposed to be my sister’s pet once she moves here but that’s a few weeks away.