So I ordered 6 standards last week from MPC, and they sent me 5 standards and one tiny little silkie. The silkie isn't getting picked on (yet) but she does get run over a lot by the much larger, more exuberant standard chicks. She looks lonely
Does anyone have flocks with 1 bantam among standards?
I am thinking that she will be happier long-term if I get her a silkie chick friend for her from a breeder locally. However, I can see some problems with that -
1. The silkie chick get I won't be sexed like the ones I got from MPC-
are silkie roosters loud like larger roos? Can the silkie roo mate with the standard hens? What are silkie roos like temperament -wise?
At what age can you tell the sex of silkies? At that age, I'm assuming it would be much harder to integrate her into the existing flock.
2. Are the chicks young enough at one week that they won't pick on a newcomer?
The best thing would be to isolate the newcomer for health reasons but being so young that's not possible. If I put the 2 silkies together in quarantine, the standards will probably go after both of them when I re-introduce. I only have one coop/yard and there is no way my DH will go for another at this point
Maybe it will just be easier to stay with the one silkie and hope for the best........ Any advice? I really wish they would have just gotten my order correct!
2 Turkens, 1 RIR, 1 EE, 1 BR, and one itty bitty silkie
I am thinking that she will be happier long-term if I get her a silkie chick friend for her from a breeder locally. However, I can see some problems with that -
1. The silkie chick get I won't be sexed like the ones I got from MPC-
are silkie roosters loud like larger roos? Can the silkie roo mate with the standard hens? What are silkie roos like temperament -wise?
At what age can you tell the sex of silkies? At that age, I'm assuming it would be much harder to integrate her into the existing flock.
2. Are the chicks young enough at one week that they won't pick on a newcomer?
The best thing would be to isolate the newcomer for health reasons but being so young that's not possible. If I put the 2 silkies together in quarantine, the standards will probably go after both of them when I re-introduce. I only have one coop/yard and there is no way my DH will go for another at this point
Maybe it will just be easier to stay with the one silkie and hope for the best........ Any advice? I really wish they would have just gotten my order correct!
2 Turkens, 1 RIR, 1 EE, 1 BR, and one itty bitty silkie
