Should I rehome?

[Hsantia83]

Looking for advice, I am a newer chick owner. I purchased this little one about a week ago and it was calm and friendly. Now, it’s pecking, chest bumping my other chicks, it’s also going after my sweet frizzle maran cockerel and pulling on his back feathers. It’s already ripped a couple feathers off of him. Will this behavior stop and is there something that can be done or should I go ahead and rehome? Thank you

 

[hysop]

How big is the brooder or area where all the chicks are in.

 

[Hsantia83]

How big is the brooder or area where all the chicks are in.

They’re in a large material dog pen, about 9 of them. They only sleep in there. During the day, they free roam the backyard. I sit back here with them all day and noticed the behavior today. I read about squirting with a water bottle. Hoping that fixes it, it’s a beautiful silkie. Below I posted an example of what they sleep in.

 

[hysop]

They’re in a large material dog pen, about 9 of them. They only sleep in there. During the day, they free roam the backyard. I sit back here with them all day and noticed the behavior today. I read about squirting with a water bottle. Hoping that fixes it, it’s a beautiful silkie. Below I posted an example of what they sleep in.

Try the squirt bottle approach. Hopefully that will help. At least they’re still young so you can stop the behavior. Is it a male or female?

 

[Hsantia83]

Try the squirt bottle approach. Hopefully that will help. At least they’re still young so you can stop the behavior. Is it a male or female?

Hopefully that does work. I’m not sure on sex. I’ve read that silkies are hard to sex this young. He/she is only about 5 weeks old.

 

[hysop]

Hopefully that does work. I’m not sure on sex. I’ve read that silkies are hard to sex this young. He/she is only about 5 weeks old.

Oh yeah they are pretty hard to sex. I was wondering maybe it’s picking in the cockerel because he (the silkie) might be a cockerel too but who knows.

Are they all the same age?

 

[Hsantia83]

I’m thinking it may be a male too but we’ll see. Whoops, I miscounted, I have 10 in the brooder. I have 4 that are 6-7 weeks, 4 silkies that are 9-10weeks and then 2 more silkies that are about 5 weeks. So the bully is younger. My cockerel is on the smaller side. I got him mixed up with my marans, he is a frizzle cochin. He is pretty small for being 6-7 weeks old. A lot smaller than my maran and silkies. Posted my little guy.

Oh yeah they are pretty hard to sex. I was wondering maybe it’s picking in the cockerel because he (the silkie) might be a cockerel too but who knows.

Are they all the same age?

 

[Hsantia83]

I’m thinking it may be a male too but we’ll see. Whoops, I miscounted, I have 10 in the brooder. I have 4 that are 6-7 weeks, 4 silkies that are 9-10weeks and then 2 more silkies that are about 5 weeks. So the bully is younger. My cockerel is on the smaller side. I got him mixed up with my marans, he is a frizzle cochin. He is pretty small for being 6-7 weeks old. A lot smaller than my maran and silkies. Posted my little guy.

View attachment 2104745

His feathers are taking FOREVER to grow in, he needs all of them