Two roosters and 4 hens with children around

[stacedawn]

Seems like the more I learn the less I know.. I have 6 month olds and just realized my silky is a rooster, maybe even both of them. I only have 4 hens, they were all pullets from tractor store which I thought meant 99% chance of hens (so far wrong because I have gotten 8 and 3 were male).

My question, do I really need to get rid of one rooster, separate them, or get more hens?
Is one rooster for my four hens too many? Or does that depend on behavior and breed

Another question is, despite my 2 and 4 year old daughters and I handling these silkies and loving on them everyday from the start, the one rooster is super aggressive and has already attacked my 2 year old a couple times (eye lid and nose and ankle) my girls held them daily and they were so calm And gentle and this aggression just happened over night so the attacks were all a day apart until I could figure out a way to lick them in and her out. so now they have to be fenced in the backyard and my toddler locked out. But wondering if silkie bantam roosters are usually like this? The best solution for most would probably be to get rid of that rooster but I’m not going to do that just yet. What’s the best way besides just getting rid of him (I read through some other threads) to keep our flock together and toddler safe.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Silkies and bantam breeds are almost always sold unsexed, did it actually say "sexed Silkies" on the bin?

Number of roosters to hens can vary, I know there's a lot of different opinions on here. Number of roosters that can be kept together varies wildly too, depending on the disposition of the actual birds, and space.

I'm more concerned that one of the roosters has already attacked your toddler but you don't want to get rid of him. Unless you can lock up the rooster in question so he's 100% away from the kids (that means a fully child proof lock or latch, so it cannot be accidentally opened in any way, and a fully enclosed pen), there is no way to guarantee that he won't attack again.

 

[neo71665]

Aggressive birds will be aggressive no matter how much they have been handled or by who. You have way too many roosters for hens and that will tend to make both roosters aggressive trying to be the lead bird. Frankly for even one male I would want more girls. You want the hens to keep him worn out not him wearing the girls out.

As for the kids, I'm in the camp of liking a rooster for my flock it's a different story around kids. You don't need a rooster to have a healthy flock and small kids tend to bring out the worst in animals. When my son was small I didn't keep a roo.

 

[3KillerBs]

he one rooster is super aggressive and has already attacked my 2 year old a couple times (eye lid and nose and ankle) my girls held them daily and they were so calm And gentle and this aggression just happened over night so the attacks were all a day apart until I could figure out a way to lick them in and her out. so now they have to be fenced in the backyard and my toddler locked out. But wondering if silkie bantam roosters are usually like this? The best solution for most would probably be to get rid of that rooster but I’m not going to do that just yet. What’s the best way besides just getting rid of him (I read through some other threads) to keep our flock together and toddler safe.

No chicken is worth your child's trauma much less the potential facial mutilation and permanent blindness if the toddler is attacked again. Roosters go for the eyes on purpose.

If he were mine he'd have been dead as fast as I could get the toddler's wounds bandaged and the bird caught.

 

[Mrs. K]

The attacks will most likely get worse, considerably worse, and you yourself, will eventually be attacked. Many inexperienced people vastly underestimate the violence of a rooster attack. Every time, for most aggressive roosters, he gets bolder and more determined.

Do not keep him with little ones around. No rooster is worth a kid's face.

MRs K

 

[stacedawn]

Silkies and bantam breeds are almost always sold unsexed, did it actually say "sexed Silkies" on the bin?

Number of roosters to hens can vary, I know there's a lot of different opinions on here. Number of roosters that can be kept together varies wildly too, depending on the disposition of the actual birds, and space.

I'm more concerned that one of the roosters has already attacked your toddler but you don't want to get rid of him. Unless you can lock up the rooster in question so he's 100% away from the kids (that means a fully child proof lock or latch, so it cannot be accidentally opened in any way, and a fully enclosed pen), there is no way to guarantee that he won't attack again.

No, I only bought egg laying pullets. The silkies were marked as pullets. But I also ended up with a Cornish cross rooster.. I’m sure the signs and the chicks get mixed up so much.

My childrens safety obviously is priority. Im just not going
To be able to have a rooster in my flock because if handling them at a young age is the best way to keep them from attacking, we gave it 110% and it did not work. Just last week these girls were literally swaddling the rooster in a beach towel in there playhouse and petting him.

Thank you for you reply

 

[Tonyroo]

Rehome the roosters, you'll have a peaceful flock for it.

 

[Sussex19]

To be able to have a rooster in my flock because if handling them at a young age is the best way to keep them from attacking

If I'm looking at keeping a rooster, I purposely avoid handling them to much. As I want them to keep their distance from me until they are grown up, and only then do I make friends with them.
But it largely just depends on individual temperament, and if you get a nasty one however you raise it isn't going to make much difference.

 

[stacedawn]

Rehome the roosters, you'll have a peaceful flock for it.

What is the best way to do that?

 

[3KillerBs]

What is the best way to do that?

Craigslist -- offered for free.

But be honest about the aggression problem.

The only people likely to take an aggressive cockerel are likely to eat them, but that's what's needed here.