Please help

[carla1982]

I have 2 silkies a male and female. Also a sexlink rhode island,blue australop and olive egger all females. I recently bought a male and 3 female silkies. The male is 9 weeks and I put him out in the coop and the male silkie instantly went after him. The female silkie that I put out in the coop is 12 weeks and the girls went after her. The other 2 females are inside they are only 1 week and 4 weeks. I don't know what to do to merge in the male and female. I am new to this please help. I don't want them to get killed by my other chickens

 

[nuthatched]

Did you quarantine your new birds for a month? Have you tried the see but no touch method on either side of a fence for about a month?

 

[carla1982]

Did you quarantine your new birds for a month? Have you tried the see but no touch method on either side of a fence for about a month?

All of them have had vaccines and are good to go and have been separate but I only have 1 coop so that's my issue. I thought about using the broader box but the babies need it

 

[Aunt Angus]

Gotta plan ahead for these things. Chickens are vicious to newcomers. I'd get a crate or create a barrier in your run asap. My chickens would seriosly injure or kill in that situation.

Also, vaccines are great against their specific diseases, but mites, lice, respiratory illnesses can't be vaccinated against. I always quarantine for at least a month before integration.

 

[nuthatched]

All of them have had vaccines and are good to go and have been separate but I only have 1 coop so that's my issue. I thought about using the broader box but the babies need it

Most birds are only vaccinated only against mareks and coccidiosis, there's several other contagious diseases that can be very serious, also mites, lice and other parasites. New birds can look healthy until stress (such as moving) triggers the dormant disease. chickens are also very territorial, that's why the need to be separated on either side of a fence for at least 3 weeks.

 

[Tonyroo]

If your coop is big enough divide the coop with hardware cloth or wire fencing. Place the new ones on one side.

 

[carla1982]

Gotta plan ahead for these things. Chickens are vicious to newcomers. I'd get a crate or create a barrier in your run asap. My chickens would seriosly injure or kill in that situation.

Also, vaccines are great against their specific diseases, but mites, lice, respiratory illnesses can't be vaccinated against. I always quarantine for at least a month before integration.

They were kept separate for 30 days and like I said I new to this so I didn't know I had to separate them. They did fine when I put the 3 girls in

 

[rosemarythyme]

Sounds like you at least did quarantine (and if not, it's a moot point now anyhow). Start over with see but no touch by dividing the run space with chicken wire, hardware cloth, whatever you have that can securely contain the new birds, and plan on 1-2 weeks of that to start, so the birds can get used to seeing each other without being able to get to one another.

 

[carla1982]

Sounds like you at least did quarantine (and if not, it's a moot point now anyhow). Start over with see but no touch by dividing the run space with chicken wire, hardware cloth, whatever you have that can securely contain the new birds, and plan on 1-2 weeks of that to start, so the birds can get used to seeing each other without being able to get to one another.

Thank you so much. And yes I did separate for 30 days but I thought it would be easy like it was when I put my other 3 in. Lol and my male.was nothing it and the newer fuels were not having it either with a new girl. The other 2 girls have to stay in bc they are only 5 weeks and 1 week

 

[rosemarythyme]

I thought it would be easy like it was when I put my other 3 in.

Sometimes it's easy and the flock accepts newcomers, other times it's not. I figure it's safest to assume the worst - that they won't accept them, and be pleasantly surprised if/when they do - than hope for the best and end up dealing with injuries.