how well do silkies do with larger chickens?

[sheeshshe]

recipe for disaster? OK together in a coop? I want one badly, DH says NO NO NO... but IDK, maybe I could convince him one day so I figure I'll learn and see if it would work and then I'll already have all the info, right?

I want one SOOOOOOOOOo bad.

I have 3 buff orpingtons and 2 cinnamon queens.

 

[jerseygirl1]

they do fine

 

[sheeshshe]

how hard would it be to introduce one silkie to an existing group?

 

[ShaggysGirl]

I don't have silkies but I do have bantam Polish. They were supposed to be standard size and My Pet Chicken got the order wrong.

Anyways until last week the Polish were in the small coop and the standard chickens in the large they each have a run separated by chicken wire so they could see each other all day. Two weeks ago I opened part of the wire and they all did OK. The standard ones went right in the Polish coop ate their food even laid a few eggs in their nest box lol.
Last week I put the Polish in the standards side of the run and closed the wire so they couldn't go back to their area. There was a bit to squawking and we watched to see if they would go in the big coop ( one did go it there the week before on her own)
They all went in just before dark the Polish all settled on a lower roost except one who got up to the big girls and went right next to our Rooster lol. They all seem to get on fine. I do worry about the roo mating them he is rough and I have a few girls wearing saddles because of it. But so far so good.

Introduce them slowly and all should be good for you.

 

[ShaggysGirl]

Quote:
Just my opinion, I would get one more silkie just because they seem to hang out with their own a lot and she'd have someone her size to hang with.

 

[JayDe]

My silkie rooster has wry neck because of being mixed with my EEs--but that's only during free ranging. They sleep seperate.

He tried to "saddle up" to them and one attacked him, pecking him on the head until he flopped on the ground squealing. I rushed to his aid and he seemed ok a few minutes later. Slowly his neck seemed to bend down and now, two weeks later, he's curled up in a ball and we're treating him in hopes that he makes it.

Just a warning. If they are raised together, I don't think it's as much of a problem. Mine are two different flocks of different ages.

On Brown Egg Blue Egg they mention that it happens more with the more aggressive breeds--

http://www.browneggblueegg.com/Article.html

"The symptoms first show as a crook in the neck. It usually rapidly progresses to your bird tucking her head, then tucking her head between her legs, then backing up, and tumbling over. It usually hits young birds but can happen at any age. It often happens when Silkie chicks are crowded, especially with more aggressive breeds (like Araucanas) in the mix."

Just something to consider.

 

[sheeshshe]

If I am able to convince him to get a silkie I'll only be able to convince him to get one. no way will he allow me to get more than one. never. he hates the idea of me even considering getting another chicken... but I lost one this week and I want a silkie so bad. I've wanted one for a while... thought that perhaps now would be a good time.

I'm going to keep reading up on silkie stuff and see if I can get it to work.

 

[Jasper_899]

They do fine, I have one silkie pullet with my EE rooster and his flock of Buff Oprs, Wandottes, RIR and sex links(16 standards). They don't bother her at all. My other Buff Orp roosters would grab her neck, but they are gone now and she is much happier. Sometimes my broody BO hen thinks thinks the way she walks is threatening and she is extremely protective of her chicks and will attack my silkie, but its pretty rare, but other than that they all get along great. I was worried at first so I kept her in my house for a few months, but I figured she needed to learn how to be a chicken and not a house pet and I just put her with my other chickens at night and the next day she was part of the flock.

 

[sheeshshe]

wow! that sounds like a positive story! I don't have any roosters... just 3 BO hens and 2 cinnamon queen hens. they are a year old now (awww I just realized that I missed their birthday! hmmph!)

 

[silkieowner]

Hi i have 6 silkies in with 2 light sussexs,3 buff orpingtons and 2 rhode island reds and they get along pretty good might be a peck here and there but nothing bad. My guys are all roughly the same age so i guess that helps.