Hi, I have 3 silkie chicks that are 13 weeks old. I am hoping to introduce them and 2 slightly older easter eggers ( 20 weeks) with my other chickens and wondering when it would be ok. I purposely held off on adding the easter eggers as I thought it might be easier for the silkies to go in when they do. I only have 2 sussex girls and 1 sussex rooster in the main run. The easter eggers are both pullets. The silkies I have no idea. The sussex hens are super calm. The rooster is pretty good but he is huge. I am concerned that even if I watch, one peck might damage my silkies and I imagine that they would be squashed if he tried to mount them. Does anyone have any experience with introducing silkies of this age to large roosters?
Introducing 13 week silkies to large rooster
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Thank you so much Ridgerunner for your very details reply. I though about everything that you said and decided to just put the easter eggers in for now. They were in an small pen just next to the sussex so they would have already been aware of each other. The silkies were still in the brooder and really needed to be moved on. I have now put the silkies where the easter eggers were so that they can at least see each other and take it from there. The easter eggers didn't have any issues at all going in with the sussex. They are not laying yet so perhaps that is why the rooster is not interested. The hens gave them a few pecks but are now leaving them alone. It's all pretty calm so makes me think that I might be able to put the silkies in soon. I will make some silkie only safe places for them like you suggested and its a fairly big area for 8 chickens so that shouldn't be a problem. Thanks again!
Ridgerunner
At ten months that Sussex boy is probably old enough to act more like a mature rooster than an immature hormonal driven cockerel. That's to your advantage.
Are the two EE pullets laying yet? Are the two EE and the three silkie chicks integrated yet or have they been kept separate? I'll assume the silkies are bantam. They can be hard to sex. It could help to know if there are any boys in them so you'd know something else to look for.
What do your facilities look like? How big, in feet or meters, are your coops and runs? How are they tied together? Some photos could really help with this, both outside and inside the coops. It is easier to respond if I know what you are working with. Where are you located so we have an idea about your weather?
A good mature rooster should not try to mate the silkies. If they are not laying he probably won't the EE pullets either, but if he does they can handle it. An immature cockerel can be unpredictable but not all mature roosters are good either. If they were young enough a good mature rooster would assume they are his and not likely to harm them. The hens would be more of a danger, even the calm sweet ones. Usually the hens aren't that bad either but they do not think those chicks are theirs. If the EE's are laying they may be accepted into the mature pecking order without drama or they may fight for status in the pecking order. If they are not laying they are basically older chicks and will probably keep their distance from the older ones. I assume the older girls are 10 months, same as the boy, and are laying or have been.
If one or more of the Silkies are boys the Sussex boy may see them as a rival and could be a threat to them, either now or later as they continue to mature. Something to watch for.
When they mate the girls squat. That puts their body on the ground so the rooster's weight goes into the ground through the body instead of the legs. That's nature's way of protecting them from leg injuries. Some people have large roosters with bantam hens and don't have problems, but the more difference in weight between the two the more risk there is. It's not real common but some people do have injuries from that. I can't give you any guarantees of what will happen. It could go either way but probably not a worry until they start laying.
Without knowing what you have to work with and whether the EE's and silkies are integrated it's hard to get too specific. There are some generic things that can help, not sure how any would apply to you. Housing them across wire to get them used to each other can help. Having multiple feeding and watering stations can help. The more room you can give them the better. You can improve the quality of what room you have with clutter. Clutter is giving them places to hide under, behind, and over. You might be able to use the 'safe haven" concept for the silkies, the EE's are too big for that. That's where you provide a safe place for the silkies with openings big enough that they can get through but small enough that the others can't.
If you have a lot of room this might not be that bad. If it is as tight as your smaller number of chickens imply it might be then it could be more challenging. But it is still probably doable.
Are the two EE pullets laying yet? Are the two EE and the three silkie chicks integrated yet or have they been kept separate? I'll assume the silkies are bantam. They can be hard to sex. It could help to know if there are any boys in them so you'd know something else to look for.
What do your facilities look like? How big, in feet or meters, are your coops and runs? How are they tied together? Some photos could really help with this, both outside and inside the coops. It is easier to respond if I know what you are working with. Where are you located so we have an idea about your weather?
A good mature rooster should not try to mate the silkies. If they are not laying he probably won't the EE pullets either, but if he does they can handle it. An immature cockerel can be unpredictable but not all mature roosters are good either. If they were young enough a good mature rooster would assume they are his and not likely to harm them. The hens would be more of a danger, even the calm sweet ones. Usually the hens aren't that bad either but they do not think those chicks are theirs. If the EE's are laying they may be accepted into the mature pecking order without drama or they may fight for status in the pecking order. If they are not laying they are basically older chicks and will probably keep their distance from the older ones. I assume the older girls are 10 months, same as the boy, and are laying or have been.
If one or more of the Silkies are boys the Sussex boy may see them as a rival and could be a threat to them, either now or later as they continue to mature. Something to watch for.
When they mate the girls squat. That puts their body on the ground so the rooster's weight goes into the ground through the body instead of the legs. That's nature's way of protecting them from leg injuries. Some people have large roosters with bantam hens and don't have problems, but the more difference in weight between the two the more risk there is. It's not real common but some people do have injuries from that. I can't give you any guarantees of what will happen. It could go either way but probably not a worry until they start laying.
Without knowing what you have to work with and whether the EE's and silkies are integrated it's hard to get too specific. There are some generic things that can help, not sure how any would apply to you. Housing them across wire to get them used to each other can help. Having multiple feeding and watering stations can help. The more room you can give them the better. You can improve the quality of what room you have with clutter. Clutter is giving them places to hide under, behind, and over. You might be able to use the 'safe haven" concept for the silkies, the EE's are too big for that. That's where you provide a safe place for the silkies with openings big enough that they can get through but small enough that the others can't.
If you have a lot of room this might not be that bad. If it is as tight as your smaller number of chickens imply it might be then it could be more challenging. But it is still probably doable.
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