Silkie Roo with standard hens?

[nnheacox]

We have a sweet little silkie roo in our flock that has hit puberty and he’s a tiny fella (smallest in our flock). All of hens are standard size except one silkie and she’s still 2x his size. My question is, is he going to be ok with our bigger girls? Or is he going to need a smaller flock of his own? I’ve seen him do the little stompy dance and tidbit for the ladies, so I’d like to keep him around and happy since he’s proving to be a sweet little man!

**We have a Lavender Orp roo, too, and so far both boys are getting along**

 

[sourland]

As long as the flock is not abusing him, no need to worry. Have a 'Plan B' in mind in case he decides to challenge the large rooster.

 

[Ridgerunner]

We have a sweet little silkie roo in our flock that has hit puberty and he’s a tiny fella (smallest in our flock). All of hens are standard size except one silkie and she’s still 2x his size. My question is, is he going to be ok with our bigger girls? Or is he going to need a smaller flock of his own?

What do you mean "is he going to be ok with our bigger girls?" What are your goals?. What do you want to happen? And most important what are your specific concerns? I find it easier to respond to specific questions instead of general questions. That way I can better answer what is really bothering you instead of having to guess.

I’ve seen him do the little stompy dance and tidbit for the ladies, so I’d like to keep him around and happy since he’s proving to be a sweet little man!

You said he has hit puberty. How old is he? Is he trying to mate the hens? How are the girls reacting to that, if he is trying to mate? Are the girls mature hens or are they also immature pullets?

**We have a Lavender Orp roo, too, and so far both boys are getting along**

Again, how old is your Orp? Is he also an immature cockerel? Lots of different things can happen here. They will know which one is dominant. As one or both mature they may challenge each other for dominance. That could lead to a fight to the death or they may work out a way where they work together to protect the flock.

With any of this, the more room you have the better. Crowding them often brings out the worst behaviors but with room to separate things are more likely to work out.

Chickens can change personalities as they go through puberty. That applies more to males than the girls but don't discount the importance of how the girls behave to overall peace of the flock. Even if you answer all of my questions I still will not be able to tell you what will happen. There are all kinds of possibilities. Just give them as much room as you can and observe. Have a Plan B in case you need to separate one of them on short notice.

Good luck!

 

[nnheacox]

What do you mean "is he going to be ok with our bigger girls?" What are your goals?. What do you want to happen? And most important what are your specific concerns? I find it easier to respond to specific questions instead of general questions. That way I can better answer what is really bothering you instead of having to guess.


You said he has hit puberty. How old is he? Is he trying to mate the hens? How are the girls reacting to that, if he is trying to mate? Are the girls mature hens or are they also immature pullets?


Again, how old is your Orp? Is he also an immature cockerel? Lots of different things can happen here. They will know which one is dominant. As one or both mature they may challenge each other for dominance. That could lead to a fight to the death or they may work out a way where they work together to protect the flock.

With any of this, the more room you have the better. Crowding them often brings out the worst behaviors but with room to separate things are more likely to work out.

Chickens can change personalities as they go through puberty. That applies more to males than the girls but don't discount the importance of how the girls behave to overall peace of the flock. Even if you answer all of my questions I still will not be able to tell you what will happen. There are all kinds of possibilities. Just give them as much room as you can and observe. Have a Plan B in case you need to separate one of them on short notice.

Good luck!

Both roosters and most of the hens are about 4 months old. We have a few that are a couple of weeks behind them in age. I’ve noticed our LO mating (or trying) our hens but not the silkie roo. I basically don't want him to frustrated… not sure if that’s even a possibility.

I’m in the process of building a larger coop and run for them, so they’ll have plenty of space to spread out. The run their in now is spacious, but I want room for more With that being said, I’m not really interested in breeding other than to maybe hatch out chicks to sustain our flock.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Both roosters and most of the hens are about 4 months old. We have a few that are a couple of weeks behind them in age.

Thanks, good info. They are still juveniles. You won't know how it turns out for a while yet. It sounds like you are on the right track but be prepared for about anything.