I brought my new silkie home and I'm nervous

[ChickenChik]

So I finally picked up my silkie (yay). I put her in the run with the others (3 cornish, 2 barred rock, and one not to sure rooster). When she went in they initially started pecking her and pinned her in the corner of the coop. Then they all laid down beside her. They aren't pecking right now and have all started to ignore her just checking her out every now and then. She is nervous and won't get out of the corner. Is this normal?? Please help. Is this ok or do I need to remove her?

 

[Break an Egg]

She is new and she looks different, plus she is a bantum. I would keep he aside and introduce slowly like when free ranging.

I had a silkie I tried to introduce too soon to others and she got pecked in the head which lead to wry neck.

 

[CoopCrazy]

I ahve never just thrown a new bird in with my excisting flock .. I always place the new bird in a safe cage inside the run or coop for a few days so the excisting birds can get used to her .. If they are laying with her then she may be ok .. I would worry about tonight during bed time , that seems to be when my girls squabble more.. Next time maybe try to integrate slowly or introduce them on Nuetral ground(ie someplace your girls havent claimed as thier own) .. i would just watch really well and pull her out if they get too nasty . thier will always be some picking at first

 

[ADozenGirlz]

How'd you keep her warm, did you use the sock trick?
The behavior is normal, the pecking order needs to get re-established, so they need to show her who's boss. What I like to do when one of them gets picked on too much is to make a "Chicken Condo" I'll keep either the one offender or the victim segregated WITHIN the area of the others so that they can still see each other but not peck at one another. I did this most recently in my brooder with my three Cochin Frizzles. Here's a picture of the box brooder, but you can do the same thing anywhere.


I taped two boxes together and cut out windows in between the two boxes, stapled some window screening on each side and a week later, reunited them and voila! no more pecking!

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

I would take her out for sure...when your not there they may peck her head and that would be bad. She is all alone and scared so she needs to have a safe place for a while to not only get used to you but to slowly get used to her new "friends" as well. Just putting her in is not a good idea at all. Plus she may be sick so you should always keep a new bird seperate for 30 days before adding to your flock.

 

[ChickenChik]

Ok she is removed! Does anyone have any ideas or pictures of temporary home to put her in and put in the run?

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

ADozen those are cute frizzles you have there

 

[ADozenGirlz]

This is the temporary pen we use either alongside the run or inside the run to keep newbies safe from the big girlz:

 

[ADozenGirlz]

Quote:
Thanks! I love them (Monica, Rachel and Phoebe)! Rachel (the red one) was the fresh girl when they first arrived at 6 weeks old, she pecked Phoebe mercilessly (the white one) so I thought she might be a roo, and I put her in behavioral segregation until she straightened up. Now I think she's the only hen among them!!