Ongoing Flock Integration Problem

[abrooks99]

Okay, please be nice, I’m needing help.

I have 7 hens (various breeds) that I purchased as chicks, now 8 months old.
I have one turkey hen (absolute sweetheart).
And, I have 7 silkies, I also raised from chicks, 4-5 months old, 2 of which have turned out to be Roos.

Here’s the problem:
The 8 month old hens will not stop picking in the silkies. Even the Roos don’t stand a chance amongst two of the hens. Picking on looks like: chasing them out of the smaller coop, chasing them off feed, cornering and pecking (not wounding), etc. The silkies try to desperately stick together in a little huddle but none of them stands up to the big girls, and they often wind up screeching separately across the run, like it’s for their lives. No one has drawn blood but it’s really rather sad. The turkey is nice to everyone.
The result is: I essentially keep the Silkies in a medium closed coop inside the larger run. Obviously this means they don’t have free range of the run. I hate it. I wanted all of these kids to be one giant flock in the run together. I’ve tried multiple times to let them all be together, the result is always the same (silkies wind up hiding/huddled in one corner all day or running around squealing for their lives lol) so I wind up putting all the silkies back in the coop again.

What am I doing wrong? It’s been 2 months of this.

 

[LaceyJune]

Yes, silkies are probably the most calm chickens who wants to be friends with everyone (even predators ) but if their is a real point where they can't eat or injuries come into play I'd just recommend a separate coop or sadly finding a new home for the grumpier hens.
Have you tried putting the two bullies in a crate for a couple days and integrating them back as a punishment to see what that'll do?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Photos of your set up would help with assessing, but the reality that very docile, unusually feathered birds like Silkies may not ever integrate well into a flock of standard birds.

 

[abrooks99]

Yes, silkies are probably the most calm chickens who wants to be friends with everyone (even predators ) but if their is a real point where they can't eat or injuries come into play I'd just recommend a separate coop or sadly finding a new home for the grumpier hens.
Have you tried putting the two bullies in a crate for a couple days and integrating them back as a punishment to see what that'll do?

I haven’t, but I absolutely would if this is something that typically works.

 

[abrooks99]

Photos of your set up would help with assessing, but the reality that very docile, unusually feathered birds like Silkies may not ever integrate well into a flock of standard birds.

Ah, interesting! I am a novice flock raiser and really didn’t consider that the feather difference and docile behavior would be such an issue. It’s true, both my silkie roos let me just scoop them up without fuss, and the silkie flick is much more submissive generally.

 

[abrooks99]

Photos of your set up would help with assessing, but the reality that very docile, unusually feathered birds like Silkies may not ever integrate well into a flock of standard birds.

I can get a photo in here tomorrow.

 

[Ridgerunner]

The 8 month old hens will not stop picking in the silkies. Even the Roos don’t stand a chance amongst two of the hens. Picking on looks like: chasing them out of the smaller coop, chasing them off feed, cornering and pecking (not wounding), etc.

I don't know that you are doing anything wrong. This is the behavior I expect when I have a more mature group (especially when they are laying eggs) and a less mature group not yet laying eggs regardless of breeds. Once my younger ones start laying eggs they are accepted into the older flock. You can sometimes have pecking order issues when they merge but I hardly ever see anything serious when that happens.

Cockerels can be a different story. There are a whole lot of different things that can happen in a flock with no dominant male when the cockerels mature.

This is why you need extra room when you integrate. The younger ones need enough room to stay away from the older group. If your room is so tight that the younger cannot avoid the older then they are much more likely to get picked on.

Sometimes chickens can attack other chickens that are "different". Like the Silkies' feathers or the Polish's head ornaments. Since your Silkies have been around the others so long there is a pretty good chance this will not be a problem for you but you never know for sure.

As long as no one is being hurt I'd give them as much room as I possibly could and leave them to work it out.

What does your space look like? Is it wide open so they can always see each other or is there clutter that breaks the line of sight? Often you can improve the quality of what room you have by giving them things to hide under or behind. Maybe something set up on cinder blocks or a piece of plywood leaning against a fence. Since Silkies can't fly, perches over the others' heads probably would not help that much. Don't make any of these traps, give them a way to escape if they get chased. But a little clutter can often greatly improve the peace of your flock during integration.

Good luck!