?'s on introducing new chickens

[showjumper_girl2002]

I currently have 3 hens in my backyard and I was given a silkie recently, I also have two silkie chicks in my brooder in my house. Well I've kept the full grown silkie in a fenced area in my yard for a few weeks now so my 3 girls could see her and get used to her. I decided to let her out with my girls the other day and they went after her they've had 3 + weeks to get used to her why are they wanting to beat her up? How do you add new chickens to your flock without this happening? I know there is a pecking order but the silkie is small and fragile and I'm afraid my 3 girls ganging up on her could really hurt her. What do you suggest I do? I'm a little worried now because I have my two silkie chicks I want to add to my small flock when thy get older and I'm afraid they won't get along :'(

 

[write2caroline]

They are establishing pecking order. You can try waiting until night and placing her in the coop to sleep with them. They may forget she wasn't in the area with them the day before and just figure she has always been with them. I would give them treats like a pumpkin with big holes so they can enjoy the treat and forget their is a stranger in their midst.

Caroline

 

[showjumper_girl2002]

I like the pumpkin idea. Well I just attempted to let the silkie out with my 3 girls again and tried to just watch and let them figure out their pecking order but I'm just too afraid for the little silkie, she's just small and 2 of my girls were ganging up on her really bad :'( I don't know what to do about this.

 

[cafarmgirl]

The problem is that not only are you trying to integrate a single new bird, very hard in itself, but this is a silkie so she also looks different. When integrating just one new bird the other birds just fixate on that single newbie and it often doesn't go well. I've done a few single integrations in the past, none were ever easy or quick and I just won't do it anymore. I won't integrate less then three new birds these days, it's just so much easier that way. And I don't add different looking birds, like Polish or Silkies, to a flock of standards unless there are already some of those in the flock.

If you do decide to try sneaking her into the coop at night make sure you are there very early to supervise or she can be badly hurt in the morning. To be frank, that has never worked for me, ever. It might work with a large flock but not with a small one. The other birds are smart enough to know when they wake up that the newbie is in with them and they already have it in their heads to attack her.

I think if I were you I'd just keep that one Silkie separate until your chicks are old enough to go out and then try again. It may go better when there are more of them. When they are old enough keep doing what you are doing now, let them go out but separated by a fence for a few weeks. And be prepared that you may just have to house them separately.

 

[showjumper_girl2002]

i had a feeling that part of the problem was that I was adding just one. I currently have my other 2 silkie chicks as well as a Delaware and silver laced polish chick, so I've decided to wait until they're big enough and add all 5 together and hope that makes a difference.

 

[cafarmgirl]

That's a nice sized little group and they will then outnumber the older birds so it should go a lot easier then with just the one bird. I've had only minor, normal pecking order scuffles when adding groups of young birds like that, especially after having them penned alongside the older girls for a few weeks, it usually goes pretty well.

 

[showjumper_girl2002]

Good to hear. I'm crossing my fingers that it will go better the next time around when my chicks get old enough

 

[horsedirt]

Try putting the chicks with the older silkie? This worked for me once actually. I had an injured single young pullet (got beat up by flock, upon awaking actually, She was raised by a wimpy, low on totem pole broody..) Anyway I read that silkies are gentle? If she gets along with the chicks, you'll have a separate group but at least there will be strength in numbers once they all go out together.

 

[horsedirt]

I hit REPLY by mistake lol. To finish, I put the little ones under this pullet, a Polish Tolbunt and they are great pals, odd ones out but they are integrating into the flock in that weird, chicken social ladder.

 

[showjumper_girl2002]

I currently have the silver laced polish and the Delaware with the adult silkie and they're doing very well. My two silkie chicks are still too young and small to put outside yet but I will add them to the other three when they get old enough and leave them together in a separate run out with my three older girls for a couple weeks and then see how it goes introducing the 5 newbies to my other 3 girls.