Introducing a silkie bantam to my 5 big girls , help !

[connor97]

I have 2 EE, a barred rock, rhode island red, and a black star.
A pet store near my house is selling full grown silkie hens and I really really have always wanted a silkie. But I am scared that she will get bullied by the other girls since she is so small :'c
So do you think it would be better to buy 2 silkies so she doesnt feel so alone? If you don't think this will make a difference please let me know, because it would be better to just have once since they are 40$ each, and also I'm only really suppossed to have 6 chickens max in my city, but I think if it would make the silkie happier to have another silkie friends I could sneak her in a friend.
Let me know what you think !

 

[sourland]

Big chickens pick on little chickens - it's the pecking order. Large fowl and silkies can live well together, but do best when raised together. Silkies because of their crests are an easy target for others. I'm afraid that your present flock will make life HECK for an introduced silky. Is there any possibility of making a separate pen and getting two?

 

[Frizzle13]

i put a silkie in with my large hens and she(now he was fine) even when i had a rather agressive roo and hens in the run already. and after a couple of assertive pecs it is still happily in the run. i have also added alot of small bantams in with big hens and they have all been fine

 

[Frizzle13]

just keep them seperated for a few days prior to them actually getting together. and make sure they can see and hear them

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

The others might be terribly mean to your silkie.

Silkies shouldn't be bullied since they have a soft spot on their heads like a baby. If pecked too hard there, they can get wry neck/brain swelling.

Here are pics of silkie skulls if interested:
http://browneggblueegg.com/Article.html
click on column on left "silkie skull" and "crookneck" - there are many byc posts on silkie wry neck cured with vitamins if you ever have that happen

It is best for silkies to have a buddy silkie, since they like to pile on the floor in shavings to sleep (not roost higher than 6-12 inches off the floor) and don't like ramps too much either. They don't fly.

Your silkie will be unhappy if alone with those large fowl who will peck her. It would be ideal to get a silkie pen as sourland suggested, but if integrating into a large fowl flock I'd get two or none. Additionally, I'd make sure your silkies are at least 4 months old before integration.