Question- why does my rooster attack a certain hen the most?

[Jaggedbadge123]

Is he actually attacking her or is she just his favorite?

Im pretty sure attack, but I’ve never seen him actually do it at least on her. Any ideas why he would be attacking?

 

[Jaggedbadge123]

Can you describe how he is attacking her? Are you sure he is not mating her?

im pretty sure he’s not- I means I’m no expert. But when he attacks, he puffs up his hackle feathers and chases her around, and when he catches up he like pecks or some sort of her tail feathers. You think it’s just mating or like getting annoyed?

 

[Jaggedbadge123]

This^^^
..and how old are the birds in weeks, or months?

the roosters (silkie) almost about a year, the hen (barred rock, DONT know how to spell it-) two years

and the rooster will chase her around with his hackle feathers all puffed up, and when he (something)catches up with her will start attacking her tail feathers- at least what I see. And he does this whenever she tries to come over to her fellow hens

 

[Jaggedbadge123]

There could be different reasons. The more you can tell us the more likely we can hep you. In addition to the other questions can you tell us some recent history. Have you recently integrated them? It sounds like you just noticed it happening. Is there a specific time or place this happens.

they have been near each other since I introduced the rooster to them, he’s a silkie, we thought to get this since it’s least likely to you know actually get the chicks, and the hen he keeps chasing is a barrier rock (don’t exactly know how to spell it-) the rooster is about a year or two (somewhere in between) and the barrier rock about 2+ Years

I first saw it a while ago, about a month or two, and kindof kicked it aside thinking it’s probably”mating” and all, but as I kept watching it seemed he did it whenever she was trying to get back into her “herd” or flock. He would chase her around with his hackle feathers all puffed up until I’d break it up, I don’t know if I should stoptrying to break it up or not? But once I did that and I put him back with the other silkies he would be fine that she was in the flock, just seems when she’s trying to join.I think it’s either mating (and him getting mad he can’t I guess get it) or territory, and how he sees her as a threat?... any ideas

 

[aart]

they have been near each other since I introduced the rooster to them

How long ago was that?
Is the hen molting?
She may not want his attentions and he's not accepting that.

 

[Ridgerunner]

At those ages they are mature, it's not juvenile issues. It just started a month or two ago. Sometimes the pecking order changes. For whatever reason one chicken decides it has a chance to become top dog, the flock master. Maybe it senses a weakness in the current flock master. Maybe that Silkie rooster is so slow to mature that this has something to do with it, they have to mature to a certain point to try to take over. When I've seen this it's over in a few days, not weeks. Until it's over he would not let the other hang with the flock.

That hen is a Barred Rock, by the way.

Chasing her with hackles raised is not mating. I don't understand him pecking at her tail. Usually I'd expect him to go for the head, either to hold on for a forced mating or pecking the head to try to kill. To me it sounds like he is trying to run her off, but you say he's OK once she is in with the flock. It's when she approaches the flock that he goes after her. That part's really confusing me.

Sometimes the flock or maybe one chicken will try to run off a chicken they consider a danger to the flock. An injured or sick chicken can attract predators which puts the entire flock at risk. That does not sound like what this is. I've had one chicken just take a strong dislike to another to the point of trying to kill them. That doesn't sound right either, he's OK once she is in the flock.

I've never had Silkies. I don't know how much the headdress might cause vision problems. This doesn't sound right either, more that I'm grasping at straws. If his vision looks like it might be obscured maybe trim a few feathers?

I don't recall ever seeing anything quite like what you describe. Part of me says as long as no blood is drawn just let it go, they will work it out. But I really don't know what is going on.