question regarding chicken breeds

[raccoonguts]

hi everyone! i’m a new member and i mostly joined so i could ask this question in specific!

so we recently lost two of our three silkies due to a rat problem. our last remaining girl is getting looked after by someone we know until we get the new coop up and running and clear off the rats.

we’re having a hard time finding more silkie hens, so i started looking at rescues that have chickens and i found a bantam rooster. he’s gorgeous and, if our area permits roosters, i’d love to adopt him and have him as part of our flock! i’m just wondering if that would be a good idea before i get too invested in him - penny (our last hen) pushed our last rooster (at least i’m pretty sure he was a rooster! he was a bit of a doozy!) around a bit, but it wasn’t anything too aggressive but i’m wondering if maybe having a different breed may make her a lot more territorial?

anyway, all advice is welcome! if this is a bad idea, you don’t have to sugar coat it! i’m still pretty new at owning chickens and i only had my last guys for about a year so all advice is welcome!

 

[aart]

i’m wondering if maybe having a different breed may make her a lot more territorial?

Not likely....territory has to do with territory, not breed.
The existing bird(s) will likely protect their territory from any newcomer(s).
Tho adding one male is usually the easiest integration, it depends on the individual birds.
One male and one female may get along fine, or he may mate her to death(worst case scenario)
How old are these birds?
How big is your new coop and run, in feet by feet?


Here's some tips about.....
Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.
Good ideas for hiding places:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

 

[raccoonguts]

Not likely....territory has to do with territory, not breed.
The existing bird(s) will likely protect their territory from any newcomer(s).
Tho adding one male is usually the easiest integration, it depends on the individual birds.
One male and one female may get along fine, or he may mate her to death(worst case scenario)
How old are these birds?
How big is your new coop and run, in feet by feet?


Here's some tips about.....
Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.
Good ideas for hiding places:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

thanks for the reply!! i’m not entirely sure how old the rooster is; the adoption listing only mentions that he’s vaguely young. my hen is, oh, maybe almost two years old?
i’m not entirely sure precisely how big their new coop is; we’re just going to corner off the end section of our backyard and they can have all that space.

thanks for the integration notes!! and thanks again for the reply!!