Silkie thread!

[Girlywelder]

I have a Silkie cockerel.  He is about 9 months old and has been successfully covering two old silkie hens and a small bantam cochin hen.  Their run is about 12' x 14'.   

I've two young pullets (at least I am hoping they are pullets - no combs or waddles developing thus far) that are in a run inside that run so I can introduce them into my small flock.  The pullets were hatched 4 1/2 months ago.  They are not laying or doing anything that definitive that tells me they are boys or girls.  Right now, I really feel they are girls.

So, today, it was observed that the cockerel and the sizzle were throwing themselves at each other through the fencing that is separating them.  By the time I was able to get out to the chicken run, they had stopped.  I've been putting them next to each other for about a week now and have never seen ill behavior.  I watched them for a while and they never started up again.

Is this normal??  My intention was to integrate them with the others in the near future - probably when they show signs of sexual maturity.  May be a few months before they are completely together.

Advice??  Thank you

I have 2 boys (almost 4 months old) they do the chest bump with each other, they don't hurt each other
I also have 2 babies (around 2 months old)
2 big girls, Queenie & a rooster.
*NEW TO CHICKENS*
I just rehomed Ash, a rooster who was around 11 months old. He hit the teenage stage & was being abusive to all my babies & hens. He was pulling their head feathers to the ground stomping on their heads. He was even trying to force the male rooster to mate with him. (he wasn't ever in a flock with an older rooster) All my kids were terrified of him....
Snaps (my rooster now) came in & took charge. Everyone (except spoild Queenie) took right to him. None of my kids are no longer scared, he nips & plays with the little ones as if they were his. He even makes little nests for them to play in.
I have had Snaps for only a week & 3 days & my flock is soooo happy & drama free....
I learned the difference between a bad & good rooster the hard way.
Snaps gets & gives respect.
Put them together & see how they do, just do allow the to get abusive, like Ash was being.

 

[kellyloveschad]

they usually raise them together

just making sure because they are broody right now witch here its to cold for babies!! They must be mean at that time because the are fighting with each other and everyone else cow/moo attacked my dog she was scared and didn't know what to think!!! cow is never mean now bunny is alfa somehow gets to the top perch shes a fighter!!!

 

[kellyloveschad]

I am sure he was in a cage in a cage!! my breeder friend came and looked at him once it was cleaned up it was allot better!! he was scraping his head on the cage because the other rooster was by his hens!! I put his hens in the big cage around his little cage and he is acting allot better!! I will take updated photos when I go out!!




Quote:

 

[generaldsherman]

Gender guesses? This one is about 4-5 months old.

 

[Girlywelder]

Is there any hard feathering in the tail? Or is it all fluff?

 

[generaldsherman]

Is there any hard feathering in the tail? Or is it all fluff?

Fluff as far as I can tell...

 

[Girlywelder]

Fluff as far as I can tell...

I would guess Girl
My 2 boys around that age has some harder feathers where their sister Queeie is pure fluff butt

 

[LadyVictorian]

Here's the little one I'm talking about. This is Luna. Yes, she's actually tiny, that's my 2 year old she's sitting on

Hate to say but that doesn't look much like a silkie at all. Maybe a mutt of some sort?

These are my silkies currently at 8 weeks of age so i think younger than yours and they are all fluffy and have crests.

 

[moomoodiddy]

Do silkie chicks usually have a crest from the start? I'm asking because I have a little blue chick that has no crest yet. I'm not sure of her age, the person I got her from said she was between 4 - 10 weeks, (this was 2 weeks ago) but I think she's younger. She only weighs 4.5 ounces...compared to my other chick, a partridge who weighs in at 11 ounces. Her wings seem a bit long too, they hang past her butt.

How old are they probably from their sizes?

Some show quality silkies have a more prevalent vaulted skull when they hatch that will lead to a bigger crest when they feather out, but it is also more sensitive. Other silkies can still develop a nice crest as they feather out, all depends on the quality.

 

[kellyloveschad]

Is there any hard feathering in the tail? Or is it all fluf