Introducing silkies

[Brem1234]

Hi - a NPIP breeder is getting 2 three and a half month old buff silkies. I would like to buyer them but I am concerned about:
A. Introducing them to my 4 five week old chicks.
B. With them not being raised by me will they bond withe and be friendly?
C. Should I know if there are any illnesses to look for?

Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Boppo]

It's a comfort to know the breeder is NPIP certified. Do you know what diseases they are certified free from?

You can set up a separate, small portion of your chicken pen for the chicks, with a small (small enough for the chicks to run in and out, but too small for the older birds to follow) entrance into the larger pen.

As long as your birds have enough room it usually easy to set up a separate area for the chicks. After about a week start supervised mingling. Round them up if it gets rough or you have to leave. Most times there's no issues. Make sure chicks can get back in their pen, and you have places for them to slip under to get away. You might pen the chicks separately for a few months at night for peace of mind.

 

[Boppo]

Silkies tend to be gentler birds than say, Rhode Island Reds, so they may not be so bossy to your chicks. Also you have more chicks than Silkies, so that may also help.