Northwest_Wannabe
Songster
I don't know if this belongs here, I'm sorry. Let me start this by saying this is NOT my birds and I cannot change the situation, I would like to make a suggestion to the person who owns this bird, I just wanna make sure that when I do it's a final and complete thought/idea.
A friend has a small flock of adult chickens as well a sectioned off area inside the coop leading to a separate run, housing 3 hens, a bantam hen and two silkie hens.
Until two weeks ago when bantam has decided she wants to try to be a 'real bird' despite spending the last year or so raised by and living with the silkies. She's now broody in the main coop. His silkies were like sisters, best friends, and this morning one died. I'm not sure what happened, I can ask, but it didn't sound good, something like a possible head injury? But now he's left with one silkie.
Let me preface this by saying this particular silkie is not motherly, has never gone broody, and doesn't like baby chicks.
My friend is hoping to break the bantam hen and move her back into the side coop with the silkie. But he's told me before that the bantam doesn't really like being there and wants to try and integrate with the larger flock.
I want to suggest that maybe they buy some chicks/younger pullets and raise them then try to integrate the new birds to the silkie. OR that they try to integrate the silkie into their normal flock, but like me I believe he's got a lot of hawks in the area, that's why the silkies we're separate to begin with. Honestly if I was in this situation I don't know what I'd do, I'd probably ask you guys, so before I give them my opinion or advice I wanted to ask what you guys would do? Thanks :'(
A friend has a small flock of adult chickens as well a sectioned off area inside the coop leading to a separate run, housing 3 hens, a bantam hen and two silkie hens.
Until two weeks ago when bantam has decided she wants to try to be a 'real bird' despite spending the last year or so raised by and living with the silkies. She's now broody in the main coop. His silkies were like sisters, best friends, and this morning one died. I'm not sure what happened, I can ask, but it didn't sound good, something like a possible head injury? But now he's left with one silkie.
Let me preface this by saying this particular silkie is not motherly, has never gone broody, and doesn't like baby chicks.
My friend is hoping to break the bantam hen and move her back into the side coop with the silkie. But he's told me before that the bantam doesn't really like being there and wants to try and integrate with the larger flock.
I want to suggest that maybe they buy some chicks/younger pullets and raise them then try to integrate the new birds to the silkie. OR that they try to integrate the silkie into their normal flock, but like me I believe he's got a lot of hawks in the area, that's why the silkies we're separate to begin with. Honestly if I was in this situation I don't know what I'd do, I'd probably ask you guys, so before I give them my opinion or advice I wanted to ask what you guys would do? Thanks :'(
