OK-Last chance to prevent me from doing something stupid...

[desertgirl]

Hello!

I just heard from the local silkie guy, and he says I can go pick one up now (which I fully intend on doing tomarrow! )I also want ..
1 RIR
1 Silver laced wyadotte
1 easter egger
and 1 buff orpington

As I understand it it is ok to put these different breeds together (?)

I could have my silkie tomarrow, but MyPetChicken gave June as a ship date (ugh!!!). I can get an easter egger locallly, and since I really don't want to wait, would it be ok to get the silkie and the EE (and possibly an orpington,if the local place gets them in again).Then in a couple of months I could introduce the new babies to the older babies. Will the older,established birds pick on the little(er) ones? Is it ok to stagger the chics with just a couple of months etween them?

This is all happening quickly-my reference book that I ordered hasn't even come in yet! But, although I don't want to miss out on the local silkie (or wait until June...),I don't want to do anything stupid and put my new little friends in danger.

Advice needed STAT!!!!

 

[greenmulberry]

RIR, EE, , silver lace wyandott, and buff orp will all do fine together.

You can stagger the groups of chicks in age, but when you introduce them there may be some scuffles, if the older pullets are still pretty young it probably won't be so bad. Be prepared to have them together but separated for a few days so they can get used to each other.

 

[desertgirl]

Maybe I could put the small cage inside the run durig the day to intoduce them?

I noticed you left out the silkie...will they pick on her fancy little self?

 

[silkiechicken]

If the silkie can't see well, and they have to be cooped, the silkie may get bullied. I personally don't put standards and banties together in a run, but will let them range together due to size differences potentially being an issue. If the silkie has a vaulted skull, a stiff peck to the head when it can't see it coming to get away might result in a brain damaged bird.

Remember to quarantine, quarantine and quarantine. One bird can carry lots of stuff to inoculate a flock with things you don't need or want.

 

[desertgirl]

Ok,now I'm scared...By quarantining
you mean that when I get my chicks in June, keep them seperated until I can assure they aren't sick? And only then introduce them to the others. How many days is a good quarantine?

And if they are sick, can I return them to the breeder?

 

[cmom]

I agree with the other posts. This is going to take time because of the age difference. Put them side by side or so they can see each other for awhile. Later you can make a common area for all, but have some safety place where the babies can go and be safe. They will all have to sort out their pecking order eventually. I'm afraid that the older chicks might hurt the younger ones. You can try putting them together and see what happens. Whenever I get new chicks I keep the separate from the rest of the flock for at least a month. I then put them in adjacent runs where they can see each other. When I do finally put them together I let them out into the yard to free range and spread plenty of treats around so that the birds are more interested in the treat than killing each other. Some integrations go more smoothly than others. I had my birds in different coops. I switched the chicken around and put them in each others coop. I put the pullets in the hen's house and the hens in the pullets coop. Each coop has nest boxes. I kept them in separate runs also so they had to use the coop I assigned to them. I left them this way for a week. After a week I opened the runs up and let them intermingle between coops and for the next week let the girls choose the coop they wanted to roost in. The following week I closed the pop door on the pullets coop so that no one could use it and so they all had to roost in the hen's house. Well it worked with relatively little squabbling. Mission accomplished. They all get along fine now... This is how I do it. There are pictures on my BYC Page.

 

[Kung Foo Chicken]

I break up the established flock when I introduce new/younger birds. They are much like a gang when they go after a new bird.

I take all of the older flock to a temporary enclosure. Release the new/younger birds into the old cage. Release the hen at the top of the pecking order with them. Chickens like to be in a flock so I release her with the new flock. She joins without much of a struggle or abuse because she is alone. After a few days of making sure she is ok with her new flock I introduce yet another of the old flock...same thing. Eventually they are all integrated together with hardly any pecks or problems.

It works for me.

Hens to new hens
Chicks to younger chicks
Some roos to roos (depends on temperament)

 

[desertgirl]

Wow . Lots to think about!. I don't rally have too much room designed into my coop design...I guess I should consider a way to "split" it into two so that my youngers will be safe. Thank you for the information!

I guess this happens to everyone, huh?

 

[justhatchin]

Yep everyone! I think a lot of us want too much too fast and don't always consider the whole picture. Thats why I have chicks in plastic totes and quail that need to be in wire cages NOW!! haha!

desertgirl- I think the most important chickens to quarantine are the ones from separate breeders like the silky and what ever you are getting now. Every time you buy from someone the bird/chicks should be kept separate from your flock/each breeder till you are sure they are not bringing in a disease that could infect the others.

Even the ones from a hatchery could bring in an illness.

Just have fun but be safe-- and get the silky now.. Fun awaits!!
I learn something new every day here. Now I know how to introduce new stock to the home flock, that wasn't how I was doing it. It seems much less stressful on the birds. Susan

 

[desertgirl]

Going to get my silkie and my buff orp. this afternoon! WooHoo!!!!!!!!!
Then, will order my RIR,Wyndanette,and EE and follow the introduction procedure when they arrive in June. So excited!!

e