a new 8 week old blue silkie

[Billy-jean]

I picked up my new 8 week old silkie chick today...and would like to introduce her/him to my flock of:
4 white silkies
1 partridge silkie

2 of the whites and the partridge are all 12 weeks old,,and the other 2 whites are adults.
I have the new 8 week old in a cage inside the coop separated from everyone, and they are all gathering around her to see and check it out, is this the best way of introducing them? I feel bad for the little newbie because she seems to want to be with the others,but I'm afraid of them picking at her being smaller than the rest. I plan on keeping her in the cage for about 2 weeks,till they become used to her,and she grows a bit more,,is this the best way? thanks,!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Yes it is good for them to see each other through the fence/cage wire.

What I would do is to remove your nicest 12 week old and put her in the cage with the new one. Stay around for a couple of hours and watch. Leave them in the cage together and they will become friends hopefully. Then when the new one joins the group in a couple weeks, she won't be the only new one.

It would be ideal to wait until they are close to the same size as the silkie adults to release them, but given that you have 12 week olds in there already, plus the fact that these are silkies (more laid back I have found with getting along with younger chickens), I'd say you have a good plan.

On the other hand, if you want to quarantine (which I recommend wholeheartedly) it would be prudent to remove the new one entirely and put her/him in the garage or far away from the others. A quarantine ideally should last a month. There are diseases that make chickens asymptomatic carriers, too, so they can pass quarantine and still cause problems.

There are many on BYC who have had to cull their whole flock because of a sickness brought in from a new addition. Some diseases are even difficult to clean up after (or impossible). So use your judgement and think it over carefully.

 

[Billy-jean]

ok,sounds good,,I have nowhere else to put the cage,,so I will take my chance,,this baby came from inside someone's house and was handraised/hatched.. so I know she's healthy. although I'm not sure that some other diseases can happen either way! Hoping not!!!

 

[Billy-jean]

I had to take the baby out of the cage and release her with the others this am,,she hadn't touched her food or water,and was chirping all night that it exhausted her,,I was afraid she would be too lonely or become ill/stressed. she doesn't seem to mind running around and hiding if one of the other silkie's peck at her,,theres' a lot of places to hide for her,,I'll keep checking in on them,but I had a bad feeling about the cage she was just too stressed in it. Since she's been in with the others she is relaxed and I saw her nodding off to sleep finally...so hopiing this goes well,,,

 

[Billy-jean]

nevermind,I took her inside the house with us,,she's set up and safer in here,,till she grows ,

 

[mtnhens4]

Beeliz, That sounds better to me since you really need to watch them for problems for atleast a week or two and then introduce them to the flock, good luck.

 

[Billy-jean]

Thank you!! will post pics soon

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Thank you!! will post pics soon

That is one spoiled chicken, LOL! I can't wait to see her pic!

 

[Billy-jean]

And Here she is


And quite content in the house with us,,perhaps she may just stay in with us? lol

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

AWWW! Thanks for posting her picture! She is cute!