Can Silkies and LF chickens live together?

[bamitsbrittany]

I have 8 large fowl and 2 bantams that live together right now peacefully. I had a silkie and she died. I want to try again but should I have a separate coop for my silkies? I was told that the larger birds will kill the silkies and that is what likely happened to my last one. Thoughts? I dont want to kill more birds.

 

[ChickenCurt]

They could, I have two silkie roosters that live with my RIRs (35 in that flock and 4 are RIR roosters) and are doing fine.

 

[Shalom Farm]

They can get along good. Mine mix just fine. The only issue is generally that they are a lower rank in the pecking order, which may mean more bullying. Among hens though, it isn't usually deadly and roosters really don't kill their hens but readily accept them. Even ones that look a bit different. To them, its all good! And aside being bottom hens, all my past silkies got along great. (That was with a game roo and RIR).

 

[ChickenCurt]

True. My roosters rarely bully, then hens however have had a couple incidents that were readily solved by moving the misfit to my menagerie flock where Peter, extremely large RIR rooster, doesn't seem to allow fighting and quickly ends all disputes. Darnedest thing I've ever seen, especially from a RIR.

 

[LTygress]

Same here. I can't put anyone in the main pen anymore because all four of my sumatra hens bully them. The other breeds are mostly okay, and the roosters definitely don't care. But those sumatra hens are hell in feathers!