Are Silkies good with other breeds of chickens?

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SilkieQuack

SilkieQuack

In the Brooder
Apr 18, 2016
15
1
26
New Jersey
I'm getting my first chickens tommarow at Agway, but my mom keeps saying this: "I don't know if we should mix Silkies with the other breeds." Looking to get 2 Silkies and 2 pullets that will not cause a problem with the silkies. The reason I'm asking this is because the silkies are smaller than normal chickens and they might pick on them. Did my research :caf so please give a decent reply!
 
So much of compatibility is dependent on the individual birds so there is no way to predict whether or not it will go well for your silkies. Some folks have great luck having them in a mixed flock and in other situations it turns out disasterously. What I would suggest is that you go into it with a solid "plan b" ready to go so that if you do see things starting to sour you are ready and able to address the situation - whether that means constructing a second/separate housing unit for the silkies or another option that would provide all the birds a safe, happy life. If you do want to house them together initially to see how it goes be sure that you design things to be "silkie friendly" with regards to their abilities to navigate up onto roosts, etc that can differ from other breeds -- possible points of issue in mixing them reach beyond just being behaviorally compatible.
 
I have a silkie in my flock and for the most part she does well. She's broody right now and sleeping in the nesting box. I do need to add another roosting bar for her because the big girls don't like her on their top bar. She's definitely lowest in pecking order and the big girls do put her in place if she comes around when eating or drinking. They have never hurt her but they do peck her from time to time.
 
I have decided that my silkies won't go into my main pen and am builing a seperate space for them. I may put a couple other easygoing girls with them but these silkies won't be able to climb into the big pen's coop too well anyways nd their vaulted skulls make me nervous . I will let them out during "free range" time. They are big enough to be out now so I am planning a more permanent structure for them soon.
 
I put my silkies with my others for a few days and now one was injured and has wry neck. I was not going to but O thought I would try. My hens are not even grown yet and I am sure they pecked its head. Nope building their own pen. Hopefully this one recovers. It was turning into a nice bird.
 
One thing I found with adding birds to a flock .leave them cages around the flock to protect both and observe .give them time to warm up and not have high stress
 
I am wondering the same thing. But I do think it truly does depend on the bird. I probably won't get a Silkie. But I really would like one
hit.gif
 
Yes I indruduced properly but after a week my silkie got pecked in the head and ended up with wry neck. I treated her and she got better and is now almost 100% but now I am building a second enclosure. However if I was do do it all over again I might have just gotten silkies. But I am also attached to the other birds now and they are all quite pretty.
 

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