Rooster issues, advice needed!

[Emmasmom]

I have two silkie roosters. They aren't too much of a threat to most of my hens (I have 8) but three are getting picked on pretty heavy. They keep pecking them in the head and comb. Would it be better if I removed one of the roosters? I know they should typically be in a 1:8-10 ratio but the two roosters seem pretty close.

Also, there is a woman who LOVES one of my roosters, he seems to adore her too - he'll hop up in her lap and cuddle with her. She really wants to take him. I would let her have him, but I was wondering if he would be unhappy on his own. If I could convince her to take both roosters would that work, or would they get too "hormonally challenged"? Can a rooster be happy on his own?

Advice greatly appreciated, thanks so much!

 

[Stiggy]

Chickens are flock animals so to speak, they need company and don't like to be by themselves. if you were to give this lady the rooster then she should have a couple of hens or pullets as well ( think trio) some roosters who are by themselves rage with hormones and become quite aggressive, but in saying that some are fine. When I first started breeding Silkies I had 3 roosters ( 2 somehow avoided the chop) and 7 pullets and 2 hens. the boys were quite randy to start with but after they had done their thing they calmed down and there were no problems. funny thing was because the 2 hens were Orpingtons ( a much larger breed) the 3 boys would work together to get to them. If you want to keep both the roosters then it should be fine, and as long as there is enough space for them to roam and climb ( Silkies cant fly, so having a branch, pallet or table) that the hens can get onto if the boys are bothering them also works well)
I hope this helps

 

[Emmasmom]

Thanks Stiggy for the reply! At times they are pretty calm and they are all free to run the yard. There's one hen in particular who's getting the worst of it, she's starting to lose weight and sometimes hangs out in the coop. They do seem to tag-team one another, it doesn't help that the other females will come and peck her too when she's squatting.

 

[Stiggy]

well its good that they've got plenty of space. she must be the bottom of the pecking order. unfortunately not much can be done about that, especially if she is the most docile / shy . if this is not the case you could try removing a couple of hens ( if you have the facilities) just not the one at the top of the order or all hell will break loose in their family. if you remove the hens for a few weeks then re add them they may go back to the bottom or they may not ( its just a thought) otherwise you could get another little hen ( like a Silkie or Pekin) and have the 2 together and there shouldn't be any problems. ( Silkies and Pekins are incredibly docile and 'soft' so other breeds will often beat them up if they are not separated)