- Nov 12, 2012
- 6
- 0
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Hi everyone,
I call my house land of the misfit animals because animals seem to find me whether I want them or not! Two years ago I came home to discover 6 very young Pekin ducks in my irrigation ditch. Since I live miles from anyone - I have no idea where they came from. Needless to say, they went into the unused chicken coop and have been here since (although I am down to four).
Next, this January while cross-country skiing I came across two hens - I think they are red sex links. Again, being miles from nowhere, we went back with a vehicle, picked them up, and added them to the coop. They were very gentle and tame, one lost a toe to frostbite. Unfortunately we lost one of the hens to a fox recently (they free range during the day).
Thinking that the single chicken would need company, I just purchased two 7 month old silkies. I don't have a lot of options for separation so I put them in the coop yard and then brought the red hen over so she could see them. She was a little upset, but not much. After a few hours, I put her in the yard with them. She immediately jumped one of the silkies and pecked it but immediately let it go. I took it as an 'I'm the boss here' kind of message, not aggression. Last night they all went into the coop just fine - red hen on her normal perch and the silkies perched right near her together. This morning when I opened the coop they were all three standing on the ground in the same vicinity. No one seemed stressed but I noticed one of the silkies had feathers ruffled and maybe some pecking on it's wing? Not sure and there were no black feathers anywhere in the coop. When I opened the door - red hen did her usual quick jog out the door and off on her daily business.
I think I am ok, what do you all think?
Thanks!!
I call my house land of the misfit animals because animals seem to find me whether I want them or not! Two years ago I came home to discover 6 very young Pekin ducks in my irrigation ditch. Since I live miles from anyone - I have no idea where they came from. Needless to say, they went into the unused chicken coop and have been here since (although I am down to four).
Next, this January while cross-country skiing I came across two hens - I think they are red sex links. Again, being miles from nowhere, we went back with a vehicle, picked them up, and added them to the coop. They were very gentle and tame, one lost a toe to frostbite. Unfortunately we lost one of the hens to a fox recently (they free range during the day).
Thinking that the single chicken would need company, I just purchased two 7 month old silkies. I don't have a lot of options for separation so I put them in the coop yard and then brought the red hen over so she could see them. She was a little upset, but not much. After a few hours, I put her in the yard with them. She immediately jumped one of the silkies and pecked it but immediately let it go. I took it as an 'I'm the boss here' kind of message, not aggression. Last night they all went into the coop just fine - red hen on her normal perch and the silkies perched right near her together. This morning when I opened the coop they were all three standing on the ground in the same vicinity. No one seemed stressed but I noticed one of the silkies had feathers ruffled and maybe some pecking on it's wing? Not sure and there were no black feathers anywhere in the coop. When I opened the door - red hen did her usual quick jog out the door and off on her daily business.
I think I am ok, what do you all think?
Thanks!!
