Two chickens suddenly fighting violently out of nowhere...

[Mara Lee]

Short version: Two of my chickens, a hen and a rooster, who have gotten along just fine for the last 7 months, have just recently started constantly and viciously attacking each other. I don't mean the minor pecks and scuffles, I mean the puffing, jumping, tearing at each other with claws, pecking at the head and drawing blood, biting onto and holding the neck... I have had to separate them because I am afraid one will lose an eye or worse. It doesn't seem to be instigated by one more that the other - it just seems to be a mutual thing - when they see each other, they both puff up and go at it. If I had to identify one that seems more intent on fighting that the other, it would be the hen. Any ideas to what the reason for this could be, and what I should do?

Long version: I live in Alaska, and two years ago got my first hens - three beautiful, fluffy little Silkies I rescued from a student who had to give them up. They all went broody in the spring, and I had built a large coop, so we got ahold of three fertilized eggs, and my little girls hatched three big, beautiful hens (all three from a Welsummer rooster and three different moms, probably RI Red, Buff O, and Barred Rock). All six hens were doing great, until last spring an ermine (like a tiny weasel) got into the coop and killed all three of my Silkies So when the same student said she had another Silkie she needed to re-home last summer, I said yes! But this Silkie is a rooster. I am allowed to keep roosters in my neck of the woods, so I figured I would give it a try. He was not easily accepted, but after about a month of him living in a sectioned off area of the coop, they begrudgingly accepted him. We have had him for 8 months now. He still gets pecked quite a bit, so it's clear he hasn't climbed to the top of the pecking order (he's much smaller than the hens). In fact, it has seemed that he has made his way up to second in command, or maybe tied for second, with my girl Bella refusing to give up her position on the throne. The smallest of the three hens, Dora, had always seemed to be at the bottom of the pecking order, and was the first to accept the rooster, and until this week, seemed to be on the best terms with him. In fact, she is the only one of the hens I have actually witnessed being "mounted" by the rooster. Which brings me to why I am confused about their sudden, violent fighting. Is there any chance that he has been "overusing" her and she is fed up with it? That's the only thing I can think of.

Any advice as to what I should do? I keep thinking I should just let them fight it out, but once they start it is painful to sit back and watch. Right now I am leaning toward keeping them separated for a while longer and hoping this blows over. Also I am wondering if I need more hens, as I know only three hens to one rooster isn't ideal. But as a Silkie, he is small and relatively harmless. These fights are the most violent I have ever seen him. He lets me pick him up and carry him around, and sits in my lap and eats out of my hand. He's very chill. He is definitely the loser in these battles with the hen. I really feel like she might kill him if I let them keep fighting.

Any help would be much appreciated. I have only had chickens for two years, and any knowledge I have comes almost exclusively from this website. But I am definitely at a loss right now.

 

[aart]

Also I am wondering if I need more hens, as I know only three hens to one rooster isn't ideal.

Usually it's the hens that suffer from a small ratio.
Doubt more hens would solve the issue, but maybe....it might be a diversion for awhile anyway.
Sometimes a bird just doesn't fit into the flock.
Sorry, not much help.
Might be good to separate the male so he doesn't get killed.

 

[Mara Lee]

Usually it's the hens that suffer from a small ratio.
Doubt more hens would solve the issue, but maybe....it might be a diversion for awhile anyway.
Sometimes a bird just doesn't fit into the flock.
Sorry, not much help.
Might be good to separate the male so he doesn't get killed.

Thanks anyways, I appreciate any input. It has definitely been a struggle including him in the flock, as our three hens are sisters and have a lot of spunk (they are free-range during the day, and up here in Alaska they have had to fight off/run from hawks, bears, and lynx - they are tough) so I don't think they have an excessive amount of patience for this little Silkie rooster. But they seemed to have completely gotten used to him - with the exception of a little peck here and there to put him in his place, they had settled into a seemingly comfortable little group. They weren't able to free-range all winter long (snow) and were literally cooped up for the last 5 months and there was zero fighting. Now that it is spring and they are roaming our four acres, suddenly these two are fighting? It just doesn't make any sense.