introducing a new hen and 2 sets of chicks to existing flock of 4.

ninja333pirate

Songster
Aug 3, 2020
247
368
141
Pacific Northwest, WA
So I have 6 chickens right now, 5 hens and one rooster (or nearly they are 11 months old)
I also am trading one hen for a silkie hen 1.5 years old, (going to quarantine first)
I also have 3 Silkies (one pullet and 2 cockerels 10 weeks old)
and on top of that I have a mix of 10 chicks in the brooder (3 are 4 weeks old and the rest are 5 weeks old)
The 10 chicks are, 3 EEs (hatched from my own EEs) 2 Sebrights, 5 silver duckwing OEGBs
3 of the silver duckwing OEGBs are cockerels and the other 2 are pullets.
I am not sure on gender of the Sebrights and not sure on gender of the EEs

My current (almost) rooster is going to a livestock auction either this Monday or next Monday (heat wave might cause it to be canceled)
one of the OEGB pullets is going to my boyfriend to integrate into his flock of Polish chickens (his roosters are smaller then my EE rooster so hope the size difference is not going to be a problem)
the rest of the males will at some point be going up to the auction as well. (all except any potential Sebright cockerels)

anyone have any suggestions on introducing all of them together at some point? the silkie chicks are in a brooder in the coop and I take them out every day and put them in a large dog crate in the run so the adults and the chicks can see each other. Should I keep the silkie cockerels for now to ease the pullet into the flock easier then get rid of them at a later date when she and the other adult silkie are part of the flock?

Also should I send a male OEGB with the pullet OEGB with my boyfriend to help integrate the pullet into the group of 4 week old Polish chicks he has, that way they can integrate and then eventually we can remove the one male when she is part of that group?

Should I introduce the adult silkie to the baby Silkies in a month after quarantine before letting them all make contact with each other (continuing the look no see method on the young Silkies until the Silkie hen is also able to be introduced to the whole flock)?

Or even further on that should I wait to introduce the young Silkies and the younger chicks together with a look no touch method between all groups?

any insights would be welcome!

ps. when I get rid of the (almost) rooster and I will be taking all 3 of the OEGB cockerels (or 2 if I borrow one to my SO to integrate the 2 5 week old chicks with his 4 week old polish chicks) to the auction here soon)
 
Sounds like a clustertangle.
I would get all your coops/enclosures attached to one large run, separate inside of run for each group.

What does your coop and run look like now?
What are your long term goals?
 
Sounds like a clustertangle.
I would get all your coops/enclosures attached to one large run, separate inside of run for each group.

What does your coop and run look like now?
What are your long term goals?
I have a german shepherd sized crate in the run(for the silkie chicks) my coop is 4x8 and my run is 16x8. I have a little brooder in the coop mounted on part of the perch, (its inside to protect the little silkies) I want to get rid of my current roo, and am trading one ee hen for an adult silkie hen. I eventually want to get rid of the silkie cockerels. The hen silkie I want to quarantine away from the coop for a month I have a 2 story rabbit hutch for her, and I want to use the big dog crate for a run for her (or make one out of chicken wire).
Eventually I want the 4 EEs hens, one oegb pullet, and the 2 silkies and I want to keep the 2 sebrights and breed them, I plan on getting some sebright eggs if I cant find a quality breeding pair. Im not sure how many sebrights I want to end up with for breeding just yet though.
 
I am not sure about silkies and full size birds - but I believe in discombobulating everyone all at once.

So if you have clutter in your run, and you should have a lot to do this. Places where birds can get out of sight of each other, and away from each other. Places where smaller birds can get to, that the big girls can't follow. A pallet just a couple of inches off the ground, a temporary fence where the openings are too small for big birds. You also need several feed bowls, and mini walls so that a bowl behind it, cannot be seen by a bird eating at a different bowl.

Then I would add them all at once, see how it goes, keeping the dog crate to put the real meanies in. Keep an eye on them, and see how it goes.

I seldom do a see no touch, but it is a good idea.

Mrs I
 
I am not sure about silkies and full size birds - but I believe in discombobulating everyone all at once.

So if you have clutter in your run, and you should have a lot to do this. Places where birds can get out of sight of each other, and away from each other. Places where smaller birds can get to, that the big girls can't follow. A pallet just a couple of inches off the ground, a temporary fence where the openings are too small for big birds. You also need several feed bowls, and mini walls so that a bowl behind it, cannot be seen by a bird eating at a different bowl.

Then I would add them all at once, see how it goes, keeping the dog crate to put the real meanies in. Keep an eye on them, and see how it goes.

I seldom do a see no touch, but it is a good idea.

Mrs I
good idea, also the one time one of the Silkies got out of the brooder and ran towards the big girls the girls panicked and ran away. I do have a of pallets to work with that I could utilize. The good thing is the 2 meanest ones (the rooster and one of the hens) is going buy buy soon. would you suggest me keeping one (or both) of the male Silkies temporarily so that the pullet has a buddie to hang out with while everyone is getting use to each other? and as for my boyfriends OEGB chick would it be a good idea to send one of the boy OEGBs with her to introduce to his flock of 4 week old polish chicks? (the OEGBs being 5 weeks old)
 

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