Loner silkie :(

[paddyg84]

I have a flock of 4 hybrids 2 silkies and 2 welsummers. The 4 hybrids have been here for nearly a year and the rest are only here 2 months. 7 get on well but the smallest silkie is a little loner and won't go much more than 10 yards from the coop. The others wander round the fields happily together. Is there anyway to try and get the shy silkie to join in with the others. Worried about her being unhappy and never laying.

 

[cackleberrycam]

She is probably being picked on by the others (also known as the pecking order.) You could try introducing her to the others at night so when they all wake up she is apart of the group. You could also make a section of the coop for her and fence it off. Then the others could interact with her through the wire and get to know her a little better.
Good luck!

 

[paddyg84]

Well they free range so is hard to bring her to the rest of them. She has her own little corner of the coop that she sticks to and has no problem going in to sleep at night she interacts well with the three other newbies (two of which are the biggest of the lot). Tho you are right she does get chased when she tries to go to the feeder. Will just take time i suppose. She and the other silkie came from
The same farm and the other silkie has no problem exploring with the others.

 

[cackleberrycam]

I hope she eventually starts to fit in with the rest of the group!

Good luck!

 

[terrybizz]

I wouldn't worry. I have a flock of Silkies, 18 right now in the winter, but it can be as many as 40 in the spring after chicks hatch.
One of my black hens, Violet(shy Violet, that is), has always been a loner. The flock goes left, she goes right, all by herself. She's the last one to go to the coop at dusk. She'll wander the yard all by herself and hang out by the porch steps while the others are off doing 'chicken things'. She's healthy, lays fine, goes broody, raises chicks. But she prefers to be alone.

My only fear is that if there is 'danger', she's all by herself. But, otherwise, no problem for Violet. She seems happy and healthy.
As long as your 'loner' isn't being brutalized by the other hens, I wouldn't really worry about it. It's not the normal behavior for a chicken, but hey! To each their own. Including my Violet and your loner.
Terry

 

[paddyg84]

Thanks very much terry. I'm now less worried about her, my only worry was she would be unhappy and wouldn't lay etc. if that's just her personality then hey I shall let her do her thing. She isn't being physically attacked by the others so is safe in that respect.