Hello, I have an ayam cemani hen (Olive) and a bantam silkie rooster (Ivory). They are currently the only two birds we have, they have been our "house pets" in a way for several years and during the warmer months they are allowed to follow us inside and hang out in the house with us as long as they have their diapers on. During the winter they are exclusively outdoor pets as I don't want their systems to be shocked from the temp changes. The two have them have gotten along perfectly fine with this set up and have enjoyed eachother's company for nearly 2 years with no issues.
A week ago, seemingly out of nowhere the hen began to attack our silkie when I let them out of the coop for the day. I thought not much of it and assumed they'd sort it out on their own. Unfortunately in the following days she continued attacking him at every oppurtunity to the point his head feathers had been plucked out bald and his comb and eye had been pecked bloody. I had the vet check him over to make sure he didn't lose his eye (he did not thank goodness!) and have the two seperated but ensure they can still see eachother. I try to mediate slow reintroduction but she's still out for blood for him!
Will they ever get along again like they used to? They still must share the same coop at night as I haven't been able to find a solution to split it up yet, it's a bit tricky. I've had to sneak her in and out while the sun is still down. I am considering trying pinless peepers on her, are they known to help suppress aggression after they are removed? Also I understand their "flock" dynamics are unusual. I am considering hatching and raising a few chicks this spring to balance things out a little, but I am not comfortable adding adult birds to our family any time soon with the threat of bird flu.
A week ago, seemingly out of nowhere the hen began to attack our silkie when I let them out of the coop for the day. I thought not much of it and assumed they'd sort it out on their own. Unfortunately in the following days she continued attacking him at every oppurtunity to the point his head feathers had been plucked out bald and his comb and eye had been pecked bloody. I had the vet check him over to make sure he didn't lose his eye (he did not thank goodness!) and have the two seperated but ensure they can still see eachother. I try to mediate slow reintroduction but she's still out for blood for him!
Will they ever get along again like they used to? They still must share the same coop at night as I haven't been able to find a solution to split it up yet, it's a bit tricky. I've had to sneak her in and out while the sun is still down. I am considering trying pinless peepers on her, are they known to help suppress aggression after they are removed? Also I understand their "flock" dynamics are unusual. I am considering hatching and raising a few chicks this spring to balance things out a little, but I am not comfortable adding adult birds to our family any time soon with the threat of bird flu.
