This is Cruel!!!

[peeps7]

I tried to put my 2 1/2 month old silkie hen with my other chickens.......................she was just trying to eat and be nice and guess what they do, they peck her. Everybody pecked her except my rooster who doesn't care about anything. I'm afraid to put her in there at night because they might hurt her in the morning before I get up. What can I do?

 

[Newchickenmom&kids]

Can you pen her up with them with some fencing?? That way they can eventually get used to each other.

 

[peeps7]

She has been penned up with them for 2 1/2 weeks!!!! I don't know what to do.

I'm almost to the point of crying because she wants out with my big girls so bad but I'm afraid they are going to kill her.............. I wish my rooster would fend them off her but he just stays out of the whole thing.

 

[silkiechicken]

Some mat say otherwise but I say pen her up and let her fend for her self. All my birds go though initiation of being pecked so much they don't eat till they are all let out or they learn to stay out of the way. This might not work for you though if they don't free range. Mine have a choice of 3 coops and 3 feed water stations and lots of places to hide when I let them out.

 

[peeps7]

MINE DON"T!!!!!!!!!! She doesn't do anything she just walks around and trys to stay out of the way but they run after her. She is smaller than them and that's why I'm worried. I don't mean to push everybody's ideas away but I stii don't know what to do. She can't roost with them because she can't fly high enough to get on th roost.

 

[silkiechicken]

Can she see the attacks comming? I make sure all my silkies have trimmed or geled back head puffs so they can see danger. If she can't get up to roost, may be a shorter roost?

 

[peeps7]

Well maybe but she is only 2 1/2 months old so should I keep her in a pen a little longer or what?

 

[Newchickenmom&kids]

How old are the others??

 

[peeps7]

The others are grown. Well pretty much grown.

 

[pawtraitart]

Is she smaller than the others? If so, then you can make a pen within the coop that she can retreat into if things get too rough. Otherwise, they just have to work out their pecking order. Hopefully she'll eventually integrate into the group, but it will take awhile. I've successfully blended three different groups. The youngest, my EE's, aren't picked on anymore but they STILL hang out only amongst themselves. The next youngest group have since become a part of the first group, but they are all the same size now, so that's probably why.