About a month ago, I lost six chickens to a bear. This left me with one chicken (a cochin) and two ducks (the ducks sleep outside under the coop). Since then the cochin has been sleeping in the outside fenced area with the duck, roosting above them sleeping under her. Everyone advised me to get her a chicken friend so after a few weeks of trying I got her the sweetest silkie who had been locked up with a single rooster for quite some time (he treated her poorly). I did the slow introduction, kept her in a fenced area first where they could see her for two days, everything seemed fine, everyone was interested.
I did a supervised visit. Well the ducks were just all over the new silkie, I separated them out immediately. That's expected, the ducks are super obnoxious. The cochin mostly ignored her but then she just started pecking at the silkie. Totally normal. The issue is the silkie just doesn't fight back or run away she just stands there with her head down taking it. The cochin isn't even always pecking her hard, mostly investigative with a few jabs here and there. I let it go on to a point, I know they have to figure it out. Visits have been supervised thus far, all with the same outcome and I am keeping them separate. I've held the silkie and let her snuggle up to me for comfort, she really is very sweet. I'm just not sure what to do with her, if she is just totally traumatized between rooster rape and getting moved around but docile is above and beyond the way to discribe her. It's like she is in shock. The cochin isn't even all that aggressive of a chicken. When I put the silkie in the coop she is in the same spot I left her in the morning. It's only been 4 days... but any advice on this would be appreciated, it's breaking my heart!
I did a supervised visit. Well the ducks were just all over the new silkie, I separated them out immediately. That's expected, the ducks are super obnoxious. The cochin mostly ignored her but then she just started pecking at the silkie. Totally normal. The issue is the silkie just doesn't fight back or run away she just stands there with her head down taking it. The cochin isn't even always pecking her hard, mostly investigative with a few jabs here and there. I let it go on to a point, I know they have to figure it out. Visits have been supervised thus far, all with the same outcome and I am keeping them separate. I've held the silkie and let her snuggle up to me for comfort, she really is very sweet. I'm just not sure what to do with her, if she is just totally traumatized between rooster rape and getting moved around but docile is above and beyond the way to discribe her. It's like she is in shock. The cochin isn't even all that aggressive of a chicken. When I put the silkie in the coop she is in the same spot I left her in the morning. It's only been 4 days... but any advice on this would be appreciated, it's breaking my heart!
