Can I introduce a chick to a flock of 4 hens?

[silkydragon]

i introduced some silkys to my flock at about 3months old and now that they are almost 4months old 2 of my red sexlink hens have started sitting on them spreading there wings over them and the 2 hens are actually helping keep the chicks under the wings by overlapping there wings its funny becouse at 4month the silkys are basicly adults but i think since my hens have never seen a silky the think the fluffy little things are baby chicks they still cheap instead of cluck too

 

[Mahonri]

Quote:
That is sweet... and extremely rare.

 

[ArizonaDesertChicks]

I agree with the others - you need more than 1 chick. It would be extremely lonely by itself and even when you add it to the others at around 16 weeks, it will still be picked on quite a bit while the older hens establish pecking order. I never sell my extra hens by themselves for this very reason - I sell them in two's to make the introduction to the new flock less traumatic.

 

[cackilacky]

Just to add my two cents...I would also say get at least 2 babies. (Or more, because you might lose some.) They will stick together even when they have joined the big flock. That has been my experience. Also wait until they are roughly the same size as the older chickens before moving them, usually around 4 months or so. If they have seen each other regularly (i.e. housed in adjacent pens), things will go more smoothly. If you free range, you can let them do that a few days together before moving them. The little ones will get picked on for a few days but it won't be so vicious. Good luck!

 

[Hens4Fun]

Adding my two cents for more than one chick to add. I added 3 when my others were about 5 months old. They had a month to get to know each other through wire before I put them together. Never any fighting, but the others never, ever accepted the three I added. They lived together, yet apart. So if you only add one, poor thing may spend it's life alone

I would get 2-3.

 

[math ace]

I just tried to put my 7 week olds in with my 15 week olds.

It did not go well. I ended up pulling the two 15 week olds out and putting them in the bitty coop and letting the 15 - 7 week olds have the regular coop. Now they are ALL HAPPY. The 15 week olds calmly watch the 7 week olds jump and play. Nobody is getting picked on and EVERYBODY seems happy.

Make sure you get extra chicks.

One for the company, two just incase your feed supplier can not sex the chicks worth a toot, and lastly, just encase somebody dies : )

You can always sell the extra pullets on Craigslist once they are bigger.