Why so mean??... roosters that is!

[todtrac]

Alright, I hatched out nine silkies back in July, now I realize that most of my flock are roosters...ugh!.. they have been bickering amongst each other but no real trouble.. but now a friend of mine ask me to take his one and only chicken into our flock. I agreed, it is not a silkie but a little white hen (breed unknown to me) around the same age as my silkies. The issue is that my roosters are trying to kill it, what should I do?

I kept it in a cage in the coop for a week now thinking that they would get used to one another, I had left her out yesterday and wow the feathers went flying, I actually had to put the little hen back into the cage. I cannot keep doing this, Help!!

Todtrac

 

[Mahonri]

I've found when you add it's always best to add more than one...

And roos? Well it's their instinct to protect their flock... it's what they do.

Sounds like you need to send a few birds to freezer camp.

 

[todtrac]

Quote:
Do you believe that I should seperate the roosters to new homes? Would that help keep the little white hen safe?

 

[Southernbelle]

Many roosters can get along beautifully as long as there are no hens around. As soon as you add a hen to the mix, they all want to mate her, so are probably chasing her down trying to convince her to let them mount her and if she doesn't want them to mate with her, she's probably screaming and running while they're holding her by the neck feathers. The roosters are probably fighting among themselves for mating rights, too. I imagine it's been utter chaos.

You have a few options:

1. Keep the hen and get rid of all but one rooster
2. Get rid of the hen and things will go back to the way they were
3. Get a lot more hens (but you'll still probably have to get rid of a few roos)

 

[Judy]

Quote:
X2

 

[crawfordmama]

As Mahonri stated, it's very difficult to integrate one chicken into an established flock. I'd get a couple more to add in. Strength in numbers! Also, sooner or later, all of those roos are going to give you trouble. Once the testosterone starts flowing through them, they're going to become violent with each other. If it were me, I'd rehome or send them to freezer camp, and get some pullets to go along with your new gal.

 

[todtrac]

I appreciate all of your words of wisdom. I have noticed that the roosters are all becoming very aggressive even towards me, they do there little war dance around me all the time. The first one to jump me gets a free ride to freezer camp.. but why, why does it have to be this way?.. I raised them all from peeps, but they forgot about that.

 

[PepsNick]

It's called testosterone.

At least it protects the hens.