Will mating B.O. Roo hurt Silkie hen?

[Rathbone]

I've several silkie hens that I dearly love ... and a new set of B.O. chicks which I hope will be my new source of eggs and hopefully - chicks. But I need a B.O. Roo to get those chicks. I am worried as to whether the large rooster would hurt my silkie hens trying to mate with them. Anyone?

 

[sourland]

12-15# rooster mounting a 3# frail bodied hen? Seems pretty self evident.

 

[Rathbone]

Thank you for your factual reply.

 

[nuttyredhead]

I just rehomed my Scooby Roo (full size) for that very reason. Luckily he went to a wonderful chicken loving home (along with a few hens)!! He had taken a liking to my little Silkie and I couldnt bear him trying to mate her (and any of my little ones).

Good Luck, it wasnt an easy decision to make.

 

[Rathbone]

Thank you, it will be hard deciding who stays and who goes...I had been hopeful that the new B.O. roo wouldn't want to mate with the little silkies but it is sounding from other's experience that he will. sigh!

 

[silkiechicken]

I have free roaming silkie hens with my 11lb wyandotte mix rooster. However, there are no fences to get cornered at and my old rooster is a very gentlemanly rooster. So much so he doesn't even look at the silkie girls...or boys, as something to bother with.

I'd be careful if your BO roo is fiesty.

 

[MomMommyMamma]

I'm glad you asked. We're fairly new to chickens and our chicks are all getting to be near full size now. I have been pondering what to do with our 2 bantams. They're in the pen with the standard birds but my roos are getting a little frisky these days and I've been thinking that I probably need to set up a smaller pen just for my little hens. It may seem like an obvious thing, but when you're not sure - you have to ask!

 

[can you hear me now?]

My roos pay no attention to my silkies. They have their other favorite birds and they seem to stay.there as well.

 

[PatS]

My year-old BO roo went to freezer heaven after attempting to mate with one of his small 4-week old daughters. Everything I have read about BOs talks about how calm they are, but our roos have been uppity with me and not the gentlest of suitors to the girls. The females are wonderful to us, but have not been very welcoming to the new generation of pullets, who were raised by moms in the flock.

 

[Rathbone]

Since it sounds like a lot depends on the personality of the rooster - all those responses are making me think maybe I will just wait and see how it goes (closely monitored of course). My hope was to have everyone living in peace and harmony roaming about the yard (how utopian was that ?) I seriously don't want to have to keep a group penned - especially now that they are all used to free ranging.
I hate being a newbie and making foolish decisions before I am fully informed but all in all - this chicken learning experience is so fun. The person in the beginning who pointed out that it should have been obvious to me the difference in weights - what can I say? I am a novice and it didn't occur to me initially that such a large rooster would try to mount such a tiny hen. Just as it didn't occur to me that each hen would have such an amazing and individual personality and it didn't occur to me that what I had initially purchased as "just some hens to provide us with eggs" would become nearly as beloved as my children.
Thank you everyone for the input. I will keep learning and enjoying!