My chickens are pecking the new one!

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ameliachickens

ameliachickens

In the Brooder
Sep 28, 2015
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I have recently got two new bantam silkie chickens and I want to add them to my 2 sex-link chickens, 1 Rhode island red rooster and 1 lemon leghorn orpington. 1 of my sex-link is broody, so she is not a problem. My other sex-link is pecking on the two new silkies when ever I put them in the run. The rooster joins in on pecking the silkies when the sex-link pecks them. I have tried putting up distractions, and even putting the silkies in a makeshift area next to my regular hens run so they could see eachother but not get to eachother. But I cant have two seperate runs for them becauseI am constantly traveling. Does anybody have any suggestions? It would be greatly appreciated.
 
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Chicken society can be brutal. Established birds pick on new/smaller birds. Silkies and bantams generally do well with large birds if they are raised together. Because of their smaller size, gentle temperments, and diminished vision it can be very difficult to add silkies to an established flock. Provide hiding places, areas which are designed so that the silkies can enter but the large birds can not. Provide feed and water in these protected areas, and hopefully time will solve your problem.
 
Welcome to BYC!
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You've received great advice from sourland so I'll just say hello & good luck!
 
I had the same issue a while back and ended up having to rehome a particularly aggressive hen who would viciously attack my silkies, even after several weeks of them being penned up inside the main coop. Silkies look so different that they really attract aggressive attention. I had to separate another aggressive hen after integrating them, for several days, because she was trying to keep them away from the food and waterers. After about 10 days of her being separated, she is much better and only goes after them if they get in her space.

Good luck!
 
Yes, you can try pinless peepers on ALL the attackers. If prevents birds from seeing straight ahead, so their aim is off. I would imagine while they wear them they don't have thoughts about doing anything else - except getting them off. Put" pinless peepers" in the search box so you can check them out.
 

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