Pullets pecking at cockerel’s comb

[abosman]

Hello! We got a silkie cockerel not too long ago for our ladies. We just introduced them today and they all seemed to get along fine until our girls started checking out his comb and blue earlobes! They keep coming up to him, looking at his face for a moment and pecking his comb, and once they do that, he will peck at them back and start a fight. There hasn’t been any blood so far- but is this because they’re trying to assert dominance or do our girls just think his comb is food? They’ve never been around a silkie roo before so maybe that has something to do with it..? Is there anything i can do right now or should i let them work it out?

 

[333113]

Chickens don't have fingers, they "feel" things with their beaks. So, this is normal.

Except, you will have to watch to make sure they don't get carried away and injure him.

"See-don't-touch" caging may help here. If you have to take your eyes off them, it will give you peace of mind that nothing is going the wrong way. After a while they will lose their curiosity and move on to other things.

 

[abosman]

Chickens don't have fingers, they "feel" things with their beaks. So, this is normal.

Except, you will have to watch to make sure they don't get carried away and injure him.

"See-don't-touch" caging may help here. If you have to take your eyes off them, it will give you peace of mind that nothing is going the wrong way. After a while they will lose their curiosity and move on to other things.

thank you! how long should i keep him in a cage for?

 

[333113]

Just to make sure we are in the same page, I mean that when they are caged separately, they can all see one another, to get used to one another.

Sometimes it takes a day or two. You can put them back together periodically to see how they get along when you are supervising. You will be able to see by their behavior when it has worked.

BTW, "see-don't-touch" caging is one of the most useful methods you can learn as a chicken person. It solves so many problems, from injuries to new introductions. Just today I finished a twelve-hour session of see-don't-touch between two siblings from the same incubator who hatched two days apart. The older one was the aggressor, but now they are pals.

 

[aart]

Hello! We got a silkie cockerel not too long ago for our ladies. We just introduced them today and they all seemed to get along fine until our girls started checking out his comb and blue earlobes! They keep coming up to him, looking at his face for a moment and pecking his comb, and once they do that, he will peck at them back and start a fight. There hasn’t been any blood so far- but is this because they’re trying to assert dominance or do our girls just think his comb is food? They’ve never been around a silkie roo before so maybe that has something to do with it..? Is there anything i can do right now or should i let them work it out?

How long ago did you get him and where has he been living before you introduced them?
How old are these birds?
How big is your coop and run, in feet by feet?
Dimensions and pics would help here.
How many 'ladies' do you have...any other males?

Here's some tips about....
Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.
Good ideas for hiding places:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/