Introducing silkies to flock??

AwlOrganikLizz · Jul 28, 2014

First chicken owner here. We got chicks about 2 months ago, two rhode island reds, a barred rock, a white leghorn, two araucanas, two ducks (cayuga and blue swedish) white crested black polish, silver laced polish, and the two silkies. Everyone but the silkies have moved into the coop, and they're massive compared to the silkies. I kept the silkies inside because of their size compared to the others (the silkies are a couple weeks younger than the others and didn't feather out as fast as the others did) Since the others are so big compared to the silkies, is it a bad idea to move them out yet? They've just been inside so long and they're completely feathered now, I'm just concerned the big girls will give them a good butt-whoopin'. Should they grow a little bigger or is it okay for them to go to the coop with the rest?

I feel kind of silly asking since all the others are out and my fiance thinks I'm crazy for keeping them inside and I can't say he's wrong, I just don't want to go to the coop in the morning and find beaten up little fluff balls..

gander007 · Jul 29, 2014

AwlOrganikLizz said:
First chicken owner here. We got chicks about 2 months ago, two rhode island reds, a barred rock, a white leghorn, two araucanas, two ducks (cayuga and blue swedish) white crested black polish, silver laced polish, and the two silkies. Everyone but the silkies have moved into the coop, and they're massive compared to the silkies. I kept the silkies inside because of their size compared to the others (the silkies are a couple weeks younger than the others and didn't feather out as fast as the others did) Since the others are so big compared to the silkies, is it a bad idea to move them out yet? They've just been inside so long and they're completely feathered now, I'm just concerned the big girls will give them a good butt-whoopin'. Should they grow a little bigger or is it okay for them to go to the coop with the rest?

I feel kind of silly asking since all the others are out and my fiance thinks I'm crazy for keeping them inside and I can't say he's wrong, I just don't want to go to the coop in the morning and find beaten up little fluff balls..

Well Silkies are not known for fighting ...........

The youngest in the yard is three weeks old and the oldest is 12 years old ...

You need to put you Silkies in the coop in the evening and let them wake up together ......

Chicks that do not have a mommy in the yard go into a introduction cage for a week or more .......

This is all up to you but you will need to watch closely and if you cant you need to use the introduction cage for safety ..........

gander007

Stiggy · Jul 29, 2014

Gander007 is right, you need to have them in an introduction cage for a week at least, where they can see, smell hear but not touch them. Silkies are wussy in that sense, although they can fight ( they use the 5th toe like a spur) they are generally docile and thus they will get a butt wooping. So you cant just through them into the flock. If they had grown up together and moved outside together then it would have been different, but since a flock pecking order has been established and by throwing them in it will upset the balance and that's when the pecking/ attacking/ bloodshed begins. When you finally put them with the others keep a close eye on them to make sure they are ok and aren't being bullied, also have at least 2 feeders and waters so that the Silkies can get water and food even if the others try to get them away.

Introducing silkies to flock??

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