# Rooster acting crazy suggestions



## dmkrieg (Jul 11, 2017)

I have a light Brahma Rooster that keeps biting the hens in he neck and actually will have feather in his mouth. Why on earth would he start doing that. They actually scream!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Young bird? He's working into maturity and might have to be removed until and and the girls mature more.


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

It's a dominance thing esp if he's a young roo. They all do it. My BO has his faves and some that he picks on. You may need to separate him and let him chill a bit.


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## dmkrieg (Jul 11, 2017)

He was born June 15th and was supposed to be a pullet but we all know how that goes. Haha The bad thing is trying to figure out how to separate him. I could put a wire wall between them but if I’m not going to raise light Brahmas is there any reason really for me to keep him? My 6 Brahma hens are so incredibly sweet but honestly I worry he may try and injure one of my other hens or roosters. This morning I went out before the sun was fully up and my two silkie Roosters we’re outside in their run and my white silkie seems not herself. Im wondering what happened in the coop area last night to cause this behavior. I thought I had plenty of space for everyone’s I turned one side of my pole barn into a huge cage for my chickens with a large run in that is 30 x 16 with Hawk netting covering it. I may have to close him into one stall by himself or let
Him free range


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## Nm156 (May 16, 2015)

That's what they do , bite them by the neck and force them to mate.


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## dmkrieg (Jul 11, 2017)

Nm156 said:


> That's what they do , bite them by the neck and force them to mate.


Thank you all for always being there when I have a chicken meltdown! Hahaha I couldn't imagine doing this without you guys. I do love my chickens!


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

Young roosters can be very aggressive with the hens and cause injuries,including fatal injuries.I confine those roosters for a few weeks/months(depends on the rooster)until they mature a little more and quit acting like teen-aged boys.LB's are usually docile.If you can separate him for a little while,I'm sure you'll be glad you did.


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## dmkrieg (Jul 11, 2017)

chickenqueen said:


> Young roosters can be very aggressive with the hens and cause injuries,including fatal injuries.I confine those roosters for a few weeks/months(depends on the rooster)until they mature a little more and quit acting like teen-aged boys.LB's are usually docile.If you can separate him for a little while,I'm sure you'll be glad you did.


Im definitely going to do that tonight. I really worry about my favorite Brahma hen that he has been bullying.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

I would get rid of him and get a silkie rooster. Makes an even playing ground. I'm not a fan of hens hiding from a roo.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

You all need a hen like I had. She would take him to school for his behavior. She put him in a corner more than once. By the time she was done he was never a concern again.


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## dmkrieg (Jul 11, 2017)

Well I came home after work ready to separate my Rooster and I think he killed one of my Blue silkie.


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## dmkrieg (Jul 11, 2017)

dmkrieg said:


> Well I came home after work ready to separate my Rooster and I think he killed one of my Blue silkie.


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## dmkrieg (Jul 11, 2017)

I did get him separated from the rest but not sure if I'm keeping him or not after that. I have. Little silkie Rooster and he is the sweetest little guy. I think I actually have 2 silkies that are Roosters. The only reason my friend told me that he may be good to keep around when he is older is for snakes that may come into the barn. What are your thought? Im so bummed about my silkie hen. Im not even 100% sure it was him but given how he's been acting it makes sense


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I doubt he's the reason. They do die for reasons we will never know without a necropsy.

I don't know why your friend thinks having a rooster is important for snakes. That doesn't really make any sense. You keep roosters because they are more alert than the females and tell them about potential danger, for fertile eggs, and for the pure entertainment roosters seem to provide.


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## dmkrieg (Jul 11, 2017)

robin416 said:


> I doubt he's the reason. They do die for reasons we will never know without a necropsy.
> 
> I don't know why your friend thinks having a rooster is important for snakes. That doesn't really make any sense. You keep roosters because they are more alert than the females and tell them about potential danger, for fertile eggs, and for the pure entertainment roosters seem to provide.


I think she was thinking he would maybe go after a
Snake if it got in there. Not that she would know that's why I thought I would check with you all since you all have WAYYYY more experience than her or I.

My Roosters are all still young since I just started with them in April of this year, so I haven't seen a lot
Of behavior that I would say is entertaining to this point. How do the older Roosters act that make them entertaining? Sorry if that question seems odd , but remember I'm still very new.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

If there are 2 roosters, they can fight to the death.


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## dmkrieg (Jul 11, 2017)

seminolewind said:


> If there are 2 roosters, they can fight to the death.


The one that died I believe was a hen. She was so pretty and was the color of ash where it is a Blue grey. She never crowed but I have heard my two black silkies crow. So I was really worried with having them around a Brahma Rooster. Do you think they could be together in the future or is it best that I just get rid of the Brahma Rooster. He was guaranteed to be a pullet so I could bring him back to where I got him


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I think you've confused yourself now on what you want to do. Time to back up and think about what direction you'd like to see things go.

Yes, multiple roosters can live together. Those that don't have "I am the King of the Hill" attitudes can live comfortably with another rooster. I had a Silkie Rooster, d'Uccle, and faverolle free ranging with their hens all the time without issues.

Can an over rambunctious rooster hurt a hen? Yes, they can. Is it common? No. Did two six month old roosters go at each other so hard that one died? Only if the one had congenital abnormalities that caused heart failure. There would be blood and feathers every where if they had gotten into it that hard. 

If you want to have a better idea on whether your Silkies are male or female get some good side shots that are not too far away.


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## dmkrieg (Jul 11, 2017)

robin416 said:


> I think you've confused yourself now on what you want to do. Time to back up and think about what direction you'd like to see things go.
> 
> Yes, multiple roosters can live together. Those that don't have "I am the King of the Hill" attitudes can live comfortably with another rooster. I had a Silkie Rooster, d'Uccle, and faverolle free ranging with their hens all the time without issues.
> 
> ...


Robin416- I honestly don't know what I would do without you guys!! Makes perfect sense to me. I absolutely love my silkies and it was quite devastating to lose one of my favorite hens. I have 2 black silkies that were crowing up a storm this morning. One more than the other but the other black and my little white silkie are so calm and never make a sound. In taking photos is there a certain angle you are looking for to be able to tel. They look like major fluff balls to me. Hahaha


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Not great pics but the first one looks female, the partridge looks female, the guy in the tub is well, a guy. I can't tell with the white one next to the tub or the one that is doing some chicken hunting. 

And you're going to have to do hair cutting on that white. If you can't see the eyes when looking face on at them, they can't see. I always hated that chore because it worried me they'd move at the wrong moment. Never had any accidents, luckily.


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

I use mustache scissors.They're small and slightly curved.Perfect for cutting back cheek puffs around the eyes.I hate the butt trims,though.I'm always afraid I'm going to cut them when removing the dried clumps of poo against their body.


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## dmkrieg (Jul 11, 2017)

robin416 said:


> Not great pics but the first one looks female, the partridge looks female, the guy in the tub is well, a guy. I can't tell with the white one next to the tub or the one that is doing some chicken hunting.
> 
> And you're going to have to do hair cutting on that white. If you can't see the eyes when looking face on at them, they can't see. I always hated that chore because it worried me they'd move at the wrong moment. Never had any accidents, luckily.

























Maybe these pics are a little better. I personally think the black and the Grey looking one may be Roosters


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I can't see anything with that first pic. The second looks like it could be a cockeral. See those long legs? That's usually a strong indicator of a boy.

I can't see enough of the last pic but first glance says male. Is that one you're calling black? I don't think so, that looks like a dark blue. Best way to test that is to put that bird with a white, if black chicks hatch then you know it's a black.

Too many crossed blue with black and really muddied the black genetics for Silkies. If peeps hatch black then you have a true black which is much coveted by Silkie breeders.


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## dmkrieg (Jul 11, 2017)

robin416 said:


> I can't see anything with that first pic. The second looks like it could be a cockeral. See those long legs? That's usually a strong indicator of a boy.
> 
> I can't see enough of the last pic but first glance says male. Is that one you're calling black? I don't think so, that looks like a dark blue. Best way to test that is to put that bird with a white, if black chicks hatch then you know it's a black.
> 
> Too many crossed blue with black and really muddied the black genetics for Silkies. If peeps hatch black then you have a true black which is much coveted by Silkie breeders.


I never thought of breeding them and hatching them out. What a great idea. Im having a hard time finding breeders for silkies right now in Missouri and would love to get more. To have some I hatched out myself would be absolutely amazing and hopefully would be an awesome experience. I just need to do a TON of research first.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Right now they're not breeding their birds, they're getting them ready for shows. Breeding will start again in the Spring and that's when you'll find more availability. 

Just be careful, they are very addictive and multiply like rabbits.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Silkies are easy. They love sitting on eggs-anyone's eggs.

I have one pure black hen and a "muddied" black rooster.


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## dmkrieg (Jul 11, 2017)

seminolewind said:


> Silkies are easy. They love sitting on eggs-anyone's eggs.
> 
> I have one pure black hen and a "muddied" black rooster.


Stupid questions- is it easier to let them hatch them out? Maybe I should wait for that or should I get an incubator? Also if they do hatch them out do I need to separate them from other chickens or just let them do their thing.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I let my girls do most of the hatching, it just is so much easier and the hen teaches peeps a ton of stuff.

There is no one right answer to your second question. I never had to worry about my girls raising peeps with others around. What I did have to worry about was the overly protective hen that would light into anything that moved. Adults, other chicks were targets from over protective mommas. Those girls with chicks were isolated not to protect the peeps but to protect the others from the Momma.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Someone told me once that you can sex silkies by a dent where their comb grows. But I can't remember if a male or female is deeper. But it worked for her all the time.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

There is a V notch. It's been so long now I don't remember exactly how it went. It was either that a right side up notch was whatever sex or that the males had a squared off bottom on the V. Who knows, by the time that notch is really visible you can pretty much tell what they are.


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

I raise the chicks myself because of snakes,feral cats and raptors.Chicks don't last long in my yard but mine free range.Mama hen took her babies out in the yard and they were gone.So I raise them for their own protection and other selfish reasons.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

silkies are way easier for hatching than incubators. Silkies will sit on any chicken eggs. They are really good moms. They do well with chicks and other silkies together as like team sitting and raising. I don't think I would let a hen hatch eggs with other chickens in the pen. Sometimes Polish are okay with them. I thought it was interesting that from week old on, the chicks would run around and play in the pen in the cold, with occasional naps under mom. Certainly not kept at 90 degrees.


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## Shorty22366 (Jun 25, 2018)

dmkrieg said:


> I did get him separated from the rest but not sure if I'm keeping him or not after that. I have. Little silkie Rooster and he is the sweetest little guy. I think I actually have 2 silkies that are Roosters. The only reason my friend told me that he may be good to keep around when he is older is for snakes that may come into the barn. What are your thought? Im so bummed about my silkie hen. Im not even 100% sure it was him but given how he's been acting it makes sense


He would be gone if he killed one of my hens. There are a lot of good roosters out there and evidently he isn't one of them.


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