Silkie rooster getting ripped to shreds. . .

[TwinkleCake]

Speed bump, lol! Thank you for the info on the crate.

Just a quick update on Leonard:

So my husband and I took a chance yesterday and introduced him to the lowest on the pecking order. She didn't even look at himSo we felt lucky and took out another to be introduced . . . Same reactionWe took another, and another! A total of four hens are okay with him today! The other dominant four are locked in the run pacing. They remind me of the two rival gangs in the music video Beat It by Michael Jackson.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Speed bump, lol! Thank you for the info on the crate.

Just a quick update on Leonard:

So my husband and I took a chance yesterday and introduced him to the lowest on the pecking order. She didn't even look at himSo we felt lucky and took out another to be introduced . . . Same reactionWe took another, and another! A total of four hens are okay with him today! The other dominant four are locked in the run pacing. They remind me of the two rival gangs in the music video Beat It by Michael Jackson.

Maybe introduce the bullies one at a time him too. Good to hear you are getting somewhere.

 

[JeanR]

A Silkie is "not a chicken" to your older large hens! You did well to get them to live together without doing the same to each new addition. A rooster may protect a flock somewhat, but a Silkie would never be expected to do so. In many years, I had only ONE that was aggressive --and that was with other Silkies. Protection is not guaranteed with any rooster--and depends upon what threats you may have at your location. For instance, Raccoons kill everything that moves....Bobcats take one chicken and carry it off. Foxes may take kill one or more and take one away, unless hunting with a family of foxes. I free range rarely and only when I am at home and plan to be outside working.
You are responsible for the care and safety of your birds, not a rooster! Haha! They will not get used to him via fenced nearby, but will simply be "just waiting to get him" when the fence is removed! A large breed rooster (not a cockerel or young fellow) could work with this plan, but not a Silkie.

You are doing well with your work with the birds,. I could never risk harm to a Silkie. Every flock is different--hope yours will cooperate!

 

[TwinkleCake]

Maybe introduce the bullies one at a time him too. Good to hear you are getting somewhere.

A Silkie is "not a chicken" to your older large hens! You did well to get them to live together without doing the same to each new addition. A rooster may protect a flock somewhat, but a Silkie would never be expected to do so. In many years, I had only ONE that was aggressive --and that was with other Silkies. Protection is not guaranteed with any rooster--and depends upon what threats you may have at your location. For instance, Raccoons kill everything that moves....Bobcats take one chicken and carry it off. Foxes may take kill one or more and take one away, unless hunting with a family of foxes. I free range rarely and only when I am at home and plan to be outside working.
You are responsible for the care and safety of your birds, not a rooster! Haha! Good luck and enjoy the Silkie--separately. They will not get used to him via fenced nearby, but will simply be "just waiting to get him" when the fence is removed! A large breed rooster (not a cockerel or young fellow)
could work with this plan, but not a Silkie.

Wow! That's really discouraging to hear. In my nativity I thought a rooster is a rooster- to protect and serve the ladies(to an extent anyways). The breed was chosen for my children's safety. And as much as I love him, maybe this whole thing is a waste of time if he can never incorporate or protect (again, to an extent). Thanks though.

 

[Leighe]

A Silkie is "not a chicken" to your older large hens! You did well to get them to live together without doing the same to each new addition. A rooster may protect a flock somewhat, but a Silkie would never be expected to do so. In many years, I had only ONE that was aggressive --and that was with other Silkies. Protection is not guaranteed with any rooster--and depends upon what threats you may have at your location. For instance, Raccoons kill everything that moves....Bobcats take one chicken and carry it off. Foxes may take kill one or more and take one away, unless hunting with a family of foxes. I free range rarely and only when I am at home and plan to be outside working.
You are responsible for the care and safety of your birds, not a rooster! Haha! They will not get used to him via fenced nearby, but will simply be "just waiting to get him" when the fence is removed! A large breed rooster (not a cockerel or young fellow) could work with this plan, but not a Silkie.

You are doing well with your work with the birds,. I could never risk harm to a Silkie. Every flock is different--hope yours will cooperate!

Well I guess I have the other side to your story....my friend, Judy, has Silkies and regular hens. There is only one rooster and it is a Silkie rooster. Roosters usually "watch out" for the flock. They make a call when a hawk flies over or they see/sense something that shouldn't be there. I have a Buff Orpington rooster that I saw (with my own eyes) make a stand to a coyote. No doubt he would have lost the battle but there he was making his stand after warning the hens to get in the kennel (which they all did). But Judy's Silkie rooster does watch out over all the hens and makes warning calls. However, I have never seen him mate with anything but a Silkie hen. Silkies are definitely different, lol. I call them the "diaper patrol" (hers are all white) and I've told her they remind me of movie stars wearing fur coats, lol. But probably the best mothers I have ever seen.

 

[Leighe]

Wow! That's really discouraging to hear. In my nativity I thought a rooster is a rooster- to protect and serve the ladies(to an extent anyways). The breed was chosen for my children's safety. And as much as I love him, maybe this whole thing is a waste of time if he can never incorporate or protect (again, to an extent). Thanks though.

Just so you know a Silkie rooster can be mean just like other roosters. Judy has had come Silkie cockerels come out MEAN, from her own hens and rooster. Really a shame cause her Silkie rooster is incredibly sweet.

 

[TwinkleCake]

Well I guess I have the other side to your story....my friend, Judy, has Silkies and regular hens. There is only one rooster and it is a Silkie rooster. Roosters usually "watch out" for the flock. They make a call when a hawk flies over or they see/sense something that shouldn't be there. I have a Buff Orpington rooster that I saw (with my own eyes) make a stand to a coyote. No doubt he would have lost the battle but there he was making his stand after warning the hens to get in the kennel (which they all did). But Judy's Silkie rooster does watch out over all the hens and makes warning calls. However, I have never seen him mate with anything but a Silkie hen. Silkies are definitely different, lol. I call them the "diaper patrol" (hers are all white) and I've told her they remind me of movie stars wearing fur coats, lol. But probably the best mothers I have ever seen.

Thank you for sharing that. Very heartwarming to hear how incredibly brave they can be. I was trying to find something in the middle- a guy that stands up for his ladies but doesn't tear my child's face off (so to speak). But let's be honest, I don't know what I'm doing. And perhaps they don't need a "man". My kids are already attached to him though.

Wow, this is hard.

 

[Leighe]

Thank you for sharing that. Very heartwarming to hear how incredibly brave they can be. I was trying to find something in the middle- a guy that stands up for his ladies but doesn't tear my child's face off (so to speak). But let's be honest, I don't know what I'm doing. And perhaps they don't need a "man". My kids are already attached to him though.

Wow, this is hard.

I would at least give it a go. If it doesn't work out your children have seen you try. Hens don't "need" a rooster, except for fertilizing eggs. However, if you get a great rooster, they will "watch over" the flock and warn them. Hens are usually too busy eating, sunbathing, gossiping or whatever to even notice a hawk, owl, coyote, etc.

 

[TwinkleCake]

I would at least give it a go. If it doesn't work out your children have seen you try. Hens don't "need" a rooster, except for fertilizing eggs. However, if you get a great rooster, they will "watch over" the flock and warn them. Hens are usually too busy eating, sunbathing, gossiping or whatever to even notice a hawk, owl, coyote, etc.

Thank you, Leighe. You're right about not quitting. I'll update what we do. Thanks for being there.

 

[chickennducksqueen]

This is extreme aggression. What are your hens breeds? (The ones that attacked him) some are more aggressive then others definitely try placing him with other silkies the same age as him and slowly try to put them with more docile breeds (like buff orpingtons)