Raising different breeds.

[Lu King]

Is it okay to raise silkies with Amerancana and Buff Orpingtons?

Thanks

 

[ThePolishPrincess]

Should be. I raise a mixed flock, including a Silkie and several other bantams, with large fowl birds, and all is well. Always has been.

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Are you going to raise silkies and sale them, or do you just mean that you want to know if they can be housed together?

 

[Egg_newton]

Depends on your birds. I have a few silkies and about ten standard chickens. They all seem to get a long fine. Of course Silkies are on the bottom of pecking order. I see this when I hand out treats but they don't get overly picked on. They all free range together but the silkies have their own coop to go into at night. But, I did get three silkies given to me because they were in with another group of LF birds and had been picked on. It was a hen, roo, and one of thier offspring and the oldest two were missing a lot of feathers on their heads because of all the picking. I don't know of their circumstances. Whether they were free ranged or kept in the same coop or what.

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Oh yes, I had Buff Orpingtons All my bantams and they get along real well together! They'd probably be just fine! I need to put some chicks in the main coop as well! Just haven't yet!

 

[JayDe]

I would recommend you get them at the same time as chicks, though.

I'm having integration problems with mine. I originally got 3 Easter Eggers and planned on getting other chicks at the same time, but due to them not being available right away, there ended up being a two month gap in ages. Now I can't seem to integrate them without my EEs getting overly violent towards the Orpingtons (even though they are bigger!). They also jump on my silkies and I'm afraid they'll hurt them because even though they are close to full sized, they are so much smaller/lighter than the EEs.

I'm planning on a 2nd silkie coop to keep them safe (plus I think I have two roos and one hen). I'll eventually have to let the Orpingtons fight it out and figure out the pecking order with the EEs but I'm allowing them more time to "beef up"--they are already taller, but just haven't filled out as much as the EEs.

 

[Lu King]

Actually, it was a question that a relative had, and I had no answer. I'll pass on the answers to him.
Thanks a lot.

 

[chicken boy sam]

I have 12 chickens, all are standard except for one lonely bantam. She does fine but is on the lower end of the pecking order.