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Introducing a silkie bantam to my larger breed chickens ?

Discussion in 'Managing Your Flock' started by connor97, Jan 9, 2013.

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  1. Jan 9, 2013 #1
    connor97

    connor97 Chillin' With My Peeps

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    Nov 19, 2012
    Huntington Beach, California
    A pet store will be getting adult silkies in February and I really want to get one, but I'm afraid it will be pecked on by the others. The advantage of getting it now though is that my chicks are only 3 weeks old now, so by February they will still be small. Do you think the silkie hen will be okay on her own, or should I get two? The problem is that I already have the maximum amount of chickens and I was going to sneak in the silkie since they are small anyway, so I would prefer to only have one so it is less chickens so the city won't cause any problems. My breeds of chickens I have are 2 easter eggers,1 barred rock, 2 buff orpington, and 1 rhode island red if the breeds make any difference on their temperament with smaller chickens.
     
    Last edited: Jan 9, 2013
  3. Jan 10, 2013 #2
    Bunnylady

    Bunnylady POOF Goes the Pooka

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    Wilmington, NC
    I think you are right that a Silkie would get picked at by the others, at least when they mature. If you were talking about introducing a single Silkie to an established flock of adult birds, I'd say "no way!" Whenever I have put birds together, I prefer that each has at least one other bird that it is already familiar with. If nothing else, the negative attention can get spread around a bit, and it's less likely that serious damage will get done before I notice it! But I'm not sure in this case that 2 or more adult Silkies might not gang up on the young birds that you already have. Mixing ages is always a little chancy.

    The numbers thing gets a little "iffy" too. As an old hand with "Chicken Math," I know that you really don't have any chickens yet, and even if/when you acquire some Silkies, it will still be debatable whether you have any then (does a Silkie ever really count as a chicken?). Whether you could get away with one more, or a couple more actual birds than what the city allows would probably depend on whether you are on good terms with your neighbors. [​IMG] Are they on the list for fresh eggs yet?[​IMG]
     

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