Silkie attacking other chickens

[DarthVeta]

I have a Silkie in a mixed flock. It has been very caring and motherly to all the chicks it was raised with. One of our two straight run chicks was a rooster, so he and his favorite hen went to live on a real farm. I live in suburbs, I can’t have roosters.
Suddenly my motherly wonderful Silkie is crowing and attacking the hens, jumping on their backs and ripping at feathers. She hasn’t gotten feathers out, the girls all look ok, but they’re so stressed!
I gave her a time out yesterday away from the flock and she was so docile and quiet with me. This morning I was out with the chickens when they woke up and she’s right back on the attack.
Any tips?
There’s 10 chickens total. I think there’s some space issues in the coop but I’m free ranging them all day and that helps a ton.

 

[aart]

Suddenly my motherly wonderful Silkie is crowing and attacking the hens

Guessing you have another male.
How old in weeks?

 

[sourland]

Surely sounds as if the silky is a cockerel. Can you post a picture.

 

[Folly's place]

It's a cockerel, or if an older hen, she has a tumor and raging testosterone, and is acting like a rooster. Either way, he/she needs to be separated from the hens for their comfort and safety.
Mary

 

[chickens really]

Sorry it sounds like a Cockerel with a bit of an aggressive streak..

 

[jas humbert]

It sounds like roo behavior to me too. Probably the rooster you just rehomed was top of the heap and this one didn't get to act like boss until the other had left. I've had new roos who never crowed before start the day after the more dominant roo from their age group was removed.

 

[DarthVeta]

That was our theory. I’m in denial!! I just don’t want it to be a rooster.

 

[DarthVeta]

16 weeks.

 

[jas humbert]

I'm sorry. its always disappointing to lose a favorite. But it is a sad fact of life with keeping chickens. Either you can't keep roos at all or you end up with more than it is sensible to keep. Even a batch of sexed pullets can end up with the occasional unexpected roo. I cried when I had to rehome my first silkie roo. I hatched him from shipped eggs and he was beautiful and an absolute sweetheart. He went to friend whose child adored him, along with a silkie pullet to sweeten the deal. He's 5 years old and daddy to most of their silkies but he still lets the kids pick him up and carry him around. Don't even think about keeping a bad tempered one.

 

[member 158781]

That was our theory. I’m in denial!! I just don’t want it to be a rooster.

That was our theory. I’m in denial!! I just don’t want it to be a rooster.

That picture looks like a rooster to me.