Best way to add to flock?

[Hholly]

Hi all! I have a bantam hen with 8 chicks who are about 8 weeks old. And 5 silkie chicks who are about 10-11 weeks. It took a while to integrate the 2 groups, mainly because there was another hen that was vicious toward the silkies. She has been rehomed. Finally, everyone is getting along reasonably well with the original hen as the dominant one. I know I will end up having too many roosters (at least 5), and will rehome the extra boys. I plan on keeping one rooster.

So my question is, when and how would i introduce about 5 new pullets? Should I wait till everyone is mature? Should I get adult birds or chicks? Could I get a larger breed?

My setup is an indoor coop that is 10x10x6ft.tall with an outdoor run that is 10x30x6ft.tall.
When the silkies were smaller they had a coop within the coop for protection, so I can set that back up if needed.

I hope there is an easier way than it was when the vicious hen was here. Since she's been gone it is sooo peaceful. I hate to upset the balance.

Thanks for any advice!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I would definitely get chicks, and integrate between 8-10 weeks or when they are feathered enough not to need a light, and definitely start them in that separation pen. You need to be careful about picking large fowl breeds to add, you could go straight bantams or even a mix, picking gentle breeds, the larger ones can be more aggressive, where bantams are a bit more easy going, I keep mine separate, but one year I did raise a pair of australorps with some bantams and they stayed docile.

 

[Hholly]

Thanks for the advice. It's very helpful. I was thinking of the Brahma breed. I'm a little gun-shy since the one hen was so nasty.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Are you talking about the large or bantam Brahma, and sometimes source of your chickens can have a lot to do with personally.

 

[Hholly]

I kinda would like a few large Brahmas, if they would be peaceful in my flock. But bantams would be nice too.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I guess you won't know until you try, but have a backup plan if you choose the large and they don't work, I've not had the large but I think they are more docile, introducing chicks is easy in my opinion, adults are near impossible. I don't think you said what the nasty one was. Silkies are very quiet non aggressive chickens usually. I have bantam cochins and I adore them, my large chickens will chase them, so they have their own coop and run they can withdraw to.

 

[Hholly]

Yes my silkies are so sweet. The nasty one was a Nankin. She earned the name Velociraptor. I'm sure she would have killed one of the silkies if left to it. That was after keeping the silkies confined within the mini coop, where she could see them, for three weeks or so. Hopefully she's happy in her new home.

I'm thinking if I get large breed chicks, I'll introduce them when they are slightly smaller than the bantams and silkies.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

When they are younger they are seen as someone's chick, so as young as possible, depending on weather, I put mine in a separate pen, or a sectioned off part, and let everyone get a good look at each other for a few days, then away they go, I pen them separately at night for a bit as well, never had any trouble this way, older birds are near impossible to integrate without a lot of space and time, they are intruders, to be run off. Chickens keep you on your toes, always something, but that's what keeps it interesting.

 

[Hholly]

OK sounds like a plan. Thanks!