Okay, so currently I have three silkie hens and a roo, and three bantam hens and a roo. They all get along fine, even the roos. But, in the spring I would like to get some bigger girls, since medium eggs just aren't cutting it, and I'd like more eggs in general. We're going to upgrade our current coop to 4x10ft, and I'm not sure how big the run will be, but probably 20x20ft at a minimum. My questions are:
1) Has anyone had issues adding chicks to an existing group with silkies? I've read about people not being able to add silkies to an existing group because they'll get picked on, but does it work the same the other way around?
2) If I get rid of my silkie and bantam roosters, will I have issues with a new rooster trying to mate with the smaller girls? I'd like to get a buff orphington rooster, because I've been told they're very calm. At this point, I don't plan on hatching any of the silkie or bantam eggs (they're mixed breeds anyway, nobody would want the chicks), but my roosters are just so nice I don't want them to be dinner just yet. But with the bigger girls, I'd like to hatch some of their eggs eventually.
3) Or, alternatively, has anyone had issues with having three different sized roosters in a flock? The silkie and bantam roos are buddies, with no issues at all.
1) Has anyone had issues adding chicks to an existing group with silkies? I've read about people not being able to add silkies to an existing group because they'll get picked on, but does it work the same the other way around?
2) If I get rid of my silkie and bantam roosters, will I have issues with a new rooster trying to mate with the smaller girls? I'd like to get a buff orphington rooster, because I've been told they're very calm. At this point, I don't plan on hatching any of the silkie or bantam eggs (they're mixed breeds anyway, nobody would want the chicks), but my roosters are just so nice I don't want them to be dinner just yet. But with the bigger girls, I'd like to hatch some of their eggs eventually.
3) Or, alternatively, has anyone had issues with having three different sized roosters in a flock? The silkie and bantam roos are buddies, with no issues at all.