New silkie introduction not going well

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LindsayB

LindsayB

Songster
11 Years
Apr 26, 2008
1,987
44
191
Cypress, Texas
Okay.....heres my story. I Bought a 5 month old buff silkie from the BYC auction and she arrived last week. I kept her in the house for a few days and decided on friday morning it was good time to let her peck around in the grass with the others. I have 2 easter egger hens. They didn't really bother her or pay her any attention. She on the other hand was scared to death. I clipped the feathers around her face yesterday and it made a world of difference. She was acting like a happy little chicken. I put her in the coop last night for the first time and everything went good. The other 2 gals were already on the roost and didn't care about her being next to them. I was so relieved that everything worked out...NOT...

I went out there this morning and our new little silkie was still on the roost. I put her down and showed her where the food was, she ate great...then our brown ee came inside...She's the boss of the other one. She started pecking at the silkie, which I figured was normal, they need to establish the new pecking order..she then walked back out and the silkie followed her. I went back into the house to check on the kids and heard a horrible sound outside. The brown easter egger was chasing our silkie around and around the run pecking at the back of her neck.

I took her out of there fast and brought her back into the house. She has a very small area on the back of her neck that has a spot of blood. I'm really scared to put her back out there.....I was thinking about making another small coop for her and buying a silkie hen to keep with her, but dh said we're only having one coop. What am I going to do?! I paid alot of money for this sweet little girl and I'm not letting anything happen to her. I really need some good advice right now.....
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What I have done before with new chickens is keep the new one in a small cage in the coop and in the cage in their run out during the day so the others can see her but not hurt her. Ive done it sometimes up to a week and then at night I will put the new one on a perch cause I know they wont bother her and its weird but in the morning they all run out like they've always lived together. You can't just put a new chicken in with the others just like that, they will do what they did, attack her....My chickens can be pretty ruthless at times and they're all little bantams. Sometimes there is a bully in the bunch and I still have issues but most of the time because they've already seen her day after day they just accept it.
 
Okay, I'll try that. I have her in a rabbit cage in the house, so I can just put the cage inside the run? Our run is covered by the way. and then just take her out of the cage at night and put her with the others on the roost? I feel like a newbie right now lol...
 
I wouldnt take her out of her bunny cage for a few days, prob more, Ive done a week and during the day either set up a gated area in their run or put her little cage out in the run, just so they can see her day after day. Then when you think maybe its safe after they've gone to roost for the night just set her in the coop and early the next morn before they have even gotten up let them mingle. Maybe to be safe leave her in her cage at night in the coop and in the am let her loose.....Im sure you will get better advice from others with more experience but this has worked for me. Ive tried just putting a new chicken in without any introducing and No way, mine have attacked to
 
Thank you for the advice
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I put her cage inside the run, the other 2 are walking around and being curious. I think they're more interested in trying to get the food out of there than the silkie lol. I really hope this works, I'll give it 4-5 days and then let her out and see how it goes. I don't want to put the peepers on my girls, but it may be a last resort if this doesn't work.
 
Im sort of having the same issue, just got a really tiny silkie , full grown , and had my other hen just take a look at her to say hi, she grabbed that big poof on her head and pulled, omg I felt so bad, the silkie didnt seem phased, ha, but it is going to take some time with these girls I can see that. My one little bantam can be quite a bully so Im gonna have to be patient
 

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