how should i introduce a bantam???

[five is my dog]

i have found a silkie!!! i am going to pick her up next week. how should i integrate her into my flock? i have never had a bantam other than my mille fleurs. but my mille fleurs are in a different pen. how should i add her in. once i add her and she is used to everything im going to get her broody in the broody house i have. how long should i give them to get used to each other before getting her broody. im hoping not too long because im hatching eggs and want her to raise some.

 

[teach1rusl]

You have a few issues...

Adding a single bird into an existing flock can be VERY difficult, and the new bird is often heavily bullied (sometimes to the point of injury). Silkies are among the most docile of breeds, so you are taking some risks if you are trying to introduce her into a LF coop. Why not introduce her into the bantam coop instead???

Wherever she goes, it needs to be very gradual, and it needs to be closely supervised. Do a search on "introducing new chickens into my flock" here on BYC...you'll get several ideas.

Also, you cannot MAKE her go broody. Broodiness is a hormonal thing. You will know she is broody when she stays on the nest more than a day, and she fluffs up and growls or screeches at you when you go to touch her...

 

[five is my dog]

You have a few issues...

Adding a single bird into an existing flock can be VERY difficult, and the new bird is often heavily bullied (sometimes to the point of injury). Silkies are among the most docile of breeds, so you are taking some risks if you are trying to introduce her into a LF coop. Why not introduce her into the bantam coop instead???

Wherever she goes, it needs to be very gradual, and it needs to be closely supervised. Do a search on "introducing new chickens into my flock" here on BYC...you'll get several ideas.

Also, you cannot MAKE her go broody. Broodiness is a hormonal thing. You will know she is broody when she stays on the nest more than a day, and she fluffs up and growls or screeches at you when you go to touch her...

my fleurs dont lay eggs and are very old and not very social. they have never been separated or had new chickens added to the flock. and i am not going to make her broody i have a dork dog house that i put in the pen and set the broody breeds i have in there once a day with the door open. and it seems to work. i might just leave eggs in the box too.

 

[troy4]

i have dutch bantams. i just threw them in there they may fly somewhere or fight back if they find the coop they will go in and cackle and set somewhere high probabably.