Silkies: Do they work with standard birds?

[black_cat]

I have an current flock of four standard hens, and at some point would like to add four new chicks. Are silkies large enough that if I raised one silkie with the three other chicks, there wouldn't be issues? Would there be integration issues?

 

[sourland]

Silkies raised with large fowl USUALLY do well, but there are frequently problems when introducing them into established large fowl flocks.

 

[black_cat]

Silkies raised with large fowl USUALLY do well, but there are frequently problems when introducing them into established large fowl flocks.

Oh, ok. Would trimming it's pom pom so that it doesn't obscure it's vision work? Is that a thing? Or is it just too risky?

 

[black_cat]

Silkies raised with large fowl USUALLY do well, but there are frequently problems when introducing them into established large fowl flocks.

If I had an in coop brooder set up, would it solve those integration problems? I'd like to brood in coop after doing some more research and planning, and was wondering if it would change the dynamic.

 

[lomine]

There are things you can do to mitigate potential problems (brooding in coop is good) but you can't predict what the individual chickens in your flock will do. Sometimes you just have to try it and then hope for the best.

I think it would be better to get at least 2 Silkies.

 

[black_cat]

There are things you can do to mitigate potential problems (brooding in coop is good) but you can't predict what the individual chickens in your flock will do. Sometimes you just have to try it and then hope for the best.

I think it would be better to get at least 2 Silkies.

Shoot....I had my breeds all planned out, with one of each. I'm ordering from MPC as well to get sexed chicks, and they're quite expensive...we absolutely cannot have cockerels, so I'm trying to eliminate any chance of possible cockerels. Might get them dna sexed immediately so that I don't have to rehome any I'm attached to. Maybe I'll just wait until my fantasy farm happens for silkies, or any flocks I get as an adult.

 

[lomine]

I say to get two because Silkies are a bit different from other breeds. For one, they don't roost and sleep on the floor of the coop. If you have only one she will be sleeping by herself. While the other chickens may not bully the Silkie it's not very likely they'll pale around with her. I have a mixed flock with Silkies. They aren't bullied but they very much stick with only each other. It might be different if you also add bantams; I don't have any other small breeds so I don't know.

 

[black_cat]

I say to get two because Silkies are a bit different from other breeds. For one, they don't roost and sleep on the floor of the coop. If you have only one she will be sleeping by herself. While the other chickens may not bully the Silkie it's not very likely they'll pale around with her. I have a mixed flock with Silkies. They aren't bullied but they very much stick with only each other. It might be different if you also add bantams; I don't have any other small breeds so I don't know.

I had another thread asking about roosting, I was told that if you make a ramp up to the roost and roost train them with everyone else. I thought silkies could work because they are on the larger side of bantams. It depends on how many chicks I end up getting-if I end up getting four, I won't do a silkie, but if I end up with 5 or 6 I will do 2 silkies.

 

[black_cat]

In theory, if I were to be starting a new flock (parents may make me give back current flock and start with chicks) (Current flock is a rental) (long story) Would I be able to have only one silkie if there was no integration process? In this situation, all the chicks would have been raised together.

 

[black_cat]

I would really like a silkie as they are ADORABLE and floofy, but I probably wouldn't want two. In the situation where I start again from chicks, I"d be getting a silver laced cochin, an EE, a black copper marans, and either one silkie (preferred) or two (possible, but not preference) with the next set of chicks being a cream legbar, a white leghorn, and either a golden laced wyandotte or a delaware.