Introducing new chickens and keeping silkies?

[Jellyballoo]

Hey
I'm pretty new here, as some of you may have seen I currently have two pullets and we are looking at adding one more to our mini flock
We are looking at getting a black chicken of some sort so we have some variety of colours

I'd love some info on introducing new chickens I have heard that sometimes new chickens can be rejected or attacked by other chickens?
Our chickens are still young (not quite 6 months old) and very friendly but I would want everything to go as smoothly as possible when we get another chicken

I'm also wondering about getting a silkie or two intead, I have always adored silkie chickens, but I have also heard that bigger chickens can sometimes pick on them?

Or should be just stick to an Australorp or similar?

Sorry, so many questions.

 

[mtngirl35]

Its easier on the new chickens if you get more than one. Its harder if only one chicken is taking the brunt. If your chickens live in a coop and run put the new arrivals in a partitioned off area so the established flock can get used to seeing them. Wait about a week before you integrate them. That lets the older girls get used to them a little. You can expect some disruption until the new pecking order is established but it should settle down in a few days to a week. I have friends with silkies and large breeds together. They do get picked on a little bit but nothing outrageous. One more thing, unless you are buying from a reputable breeder you may want to quarantine the newbies for about a week and watch them for any illnesses before you let them around your flock. If you have any more question don't hesitate to ask. Hope you enjoy your new chickens.

 

[Jellyballoo]

Its easier on the new chickens if you get more than one. Its harder if only one chicken is taking the brunt. If your chickens live in a coop and run put the new arrivals in a partitioned off area so the established flock can get used to seeing them. Wait about a week before you integrate them. That lets the older girls get used to them a little. You can expect some disruption until the new pecking order is established but it should settle down in a few days to a week. I have friends with silkies and large breeds together. They do get picked on a little bit but nothing outrageous. One more thing, unless you are buying from a reputable breeder you may want to quarantine the newbies for about a week and watch them for any illnesses before you let them around your flock. If you have any more question don't hesitate to ask. Hope you enjoy your new chickens.

Thank you
Our chickens free range during the day and go back into their roost at night
But we do have a run that we used when we first brought them home
Would that work if we were to put the new chickens in there in the yard were the others free range for a week or two so the chickens could get used to each other?

 

[mtngirl35]

Should work fine. I have actually heard that it easier to integrate a flock that free ranges since there is so much more room for everybody to spread out. And I have never personally tried this but I have read on several threads that if you add new chickens to the roost at night the older chickens kinda don't notice as much and everybody settles in quicker. Maybe somebody who has tried this will chime in with an opinion.

 

[Jellyballoo]

Thank you for all the tips
Hopefully everything goes smoothly
We are going to check out two silkie ladys on the weekend pretty excited