So my DH & I are getting 3 sillkies (2hens, 1 roo) this weekend from a fellow BYC'er and I was wondering if any of you could give me some tips or advice on introducing them to our 4 EE/mix breeds? They are very shy quiet birds, & seem like they would do good being introduced to more; but I want to make sure that the new silkies are as comfortable as possible when we bring them home. We have even finished our coop today all except getting the hay for the nesting boxes & putting in some lower roosts for the silkies. Thank you & I look forward to learning more from all of you!
I've read many posts here suggesting that new birds be put into the coop at night and that they all sort of discover each other in the AM. Bringing them in at night has been said to be less stressful. I also read one where she gave treats to distract the current flock when a newbie was introduced. I had the opposite and introduced new girls to my silkies. I did everything "wrong" and tonight - 2nd night together - the new girls went over to where the silkies had made their pile of fluff on a roost and snuggled right up. It seems that a lot will depend on the size of the available area , the size of the birds involved (should be pretty cllose) and the temprament of your flock. Hope this is of some help. Congrats on your new SIlkies!
Quote:Thank you! That sounds good. Fellow BYC-er ChooksinChoppers is who I am getting them from & I am so excited. I have been looking for silkies & haven't found any around me & when I saw that a fellew BYC-er couldn't keep their babies, I really wanted to help. I can't wait to see them!