Silkies being the bullies?

[Henschickspups]

I have 13 silkies, all about 8.5 weeks old. They are in a 10'x20' run during the day with 3 hens and 12 other chicks that are between 5 weeks and 9 weeks old. Integration went great, and we are going to have their run space doubled by the weekend after next. There's some clutter, but honestly, I'm genuinely impressed with how well it went. No blood, no chasing, and everyone goes to bed with full crops.

I've noticed some of the silkies pretty much walking up to other silkies and... for lack of better word, cockfighting. Jumping, flapping, claws out for grabbing. Then they stand there and see who can stand the tallest, then go back to scratching and eating and whatever. I'm assuming that is normal pecking order among teens.

But then I've also noticed they will randomly jump up as high as they can to grab the LF pullets and chicks and to drag them around by the back of the neck, without challenging. Just now I noticed one pull a feather out of my EE pullet who was minding her own business. I think the culprit(s) is just one or two, but I'm pretty sure it's just one. The same one who was sizing up my husband the one day, which, while a hilarious image, is concerning. The problem is, once I lose sight of him, I can't find him until he acts up again.

How much of this is bullying/hormones/completely normal? Where do I draw the line with him being so young? The only thing I can find are the silkies being the victim of bullies, not the other way around.

 

[Henschickspups]

After watching the 9 week old cockerel trying to mount the pullets and looking terribly confused about what and why he is doing it, perhaps the silkies are trying to do the same?

I think I'll just leave the suspects in for now and keep an eye on things.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I've noticed some of the silkies pretty much walking up to other silkies and... for lack of better word, cockfighting. Jumping, flapping, claws out for grabbing. Then they stand there and see who can stand the tallest, then go back to scratching and eating and whatever. I'm assuming that is normal pecking order among teens.

Yes, this sounds familiar.

But then I've also noticed they will randomly jump up as high as they can to grab the LF pullets and chicks and to drag them around by the back of the neck, without challenging. Just now I noticed one pull a feather out of my EE pullet who was minding her own business. I think the culprit(s) is just one or two, but I'm pretty sure it's just one. The same one who was sizing up my husband the one day, which, while a hilarious image, is concerning. The problem is, once I lose sight of him, I can't find him until he acts up again.
How much of this is bullying/hormones/completely normal?

At 8.5 weeks that sounds like a precocious cockerel. It is a little rare at that age but not unheard of for it to happen even younger. Sometimes the hormones can hit cockerels at a pretty young age. Some people have had them start crowing at 2 to 3 weeks.

Where do I draw the line with him being so young?

I draw the line when someone gets hurt, physically injured. Or if I see a chick consistently pecking at another chick's head. I don't worry about an occasional peck. It's when they are trying to drill through the other chickens head to get to the brain, whether a baby chick or a mature adult. That's how they kill each other. I had a two-week-old chick kill it's sibling that way and the broody hen didn't pay any attention. The victim just stood there, did not try to run away.

The only thing I can find are the silkies being the victim of bullies, not the other way around.

As much as I may occasionally tease about Silkies being waking toilet brushes, they are chickens. They act like chickens. No matter what breed you are talking about (Silkies, Rhode Island Reds, Barred Rocks, Orpington, even the Cornish X hybrids) you can find stories on here where they are either the sweetest things possible or they are horrible brutes. I understand many people on here think any chicken of the same breed is going to behave exactly the same as every other chicken of that breed. I don't believe that. To me each is an individual and can act like a chicken, good or bad.

To me that doesn't sound like what I'd call bullying. To me that sounds like a cockerel whose hormones have hit a little early. There can be a fine line between normal behavior and threatening behavior though. If you feel a chick is threatened with bodily harm don't hesitate to separate them. They can injure or even kill each other.

At that age he should be fully feathered out but could soon be going through a juvenile molt. To mark him keep something you can put on his feathers down there so you can grab him and immediately mark him. That could be food coloring already mixed in water in a squirt or spray bottle. One time I had a can of baby blue spray paint handy when I needed something quick so I put a very light blast from that on some feathers. It did not take much and lasted until she molted. It's not something I normally recommend because most people are going to overdo it and it can turn feathers brittle, but a quick light mist on a few feathers did not hurt her. Food coloring does not hurt them at all.

 

[Henschickspups]

Yes, this sounds familiar.


At 8.5 weeks that sounds like a precocious cockerel. It is a little rare at that age but not unheard of for it to happen even younger. Sometimes the hormones can hit cockerels at a pretty young age. Some people have had them start crowing at 2 to 3 weeks.


I draw the line when someone gets hurt, physically injured. Or if I see a chick consistently pecking at another chick's head. I don't worry about an occasional peck. It's when they are trying to drill through the other chickens head to get to the brain, whether a baby chick or a mature adult. That's how they kill each other. I had a two-week-old chick kill it's sibling that way and the broody hen didn't pay any attention. The victim just stood there, did not try to run away.


As much as I may occasionally tease about Silkies being waking toilet brushes, they are chickens. They act like chickens. No matter what breed you are talking about (Silkies, Rhode Island Reds, Barred Rocks, Orpington, even the Cornish X hybrids) you can find stories on here where they are either the sweetest things possible or they are horrible brutes. I understand many people on here think any chicken of the same breed is going to behave exactly the same as every other chicken of that breed. I don't believe that. To me each is an individual and can act like a chicken, good or bad.

To me that doesn't sound like what I'd call bullying. To me that sounds like a cockerel whose hormones have hit a little early. There can be a fine line between normal behavior and threatening behavior though. If you feel a chick is threatened with bodily harm don't hesitate to separate them. They can injure or even kill each other.

At that age he should be fully feathered out but could soon be going through a juvenile molt. To mark him keep something you can put on his feathers down there so you can grab him and immediately mark him. That could be food coloring already mixed in water in a squirt or spray bottle. One time I had a can of baby blue spray paint handy when I needed something quick so I put a very light blast from that on some feathers. It did not take much and lasted until she molted. It's not something I normally recommend because most people are going to overdo it and it can turn feathers brittle, but a quick light mist on a few feathers did not hurt her. Food coloring does not hurt them at all.

Thanks for this! I knew I couldn't have the only "bully" Silkies in the world. I do appear to have 2 precocious cockerels - no crowing yet, but Lucky (not a silkie) has been... idk if it's practice mounting, since he stops and looks confused about what and why prior to actually standing on someone.

Food coloring won't work - the silkies in question are black. But I may stick some spray paint out there, to at least mark him long enough to give him a leg band