What to do...

[Chickie7]

This year is my first year owning chickens and it's been quite a learning experience. We purchased our first chicks in April (4 Rhode Island Reds, 3 Buff Orpingtons, 1 Brahma Hen, and 1 black Astralorp). We really wanted some Americaunas after seeing them advertised but sold out, so when our local feed store carried them, my husband ran out and lovingly brought home 9 of them plus 3 silkies! Then after reading on here, I've discovered that what we most likely have is Easter Eggers, but that's okay. They're so unique and sweet. A few weeks later, we heard that the local feed store had some different colored silkies so we went out and purchased 3 more. We faithfully raised them all under the Mama Heat pad and my husband built a nice box with 3 separate areas for each group. We figured when the got older, we'd free range them and slowly integrate them.

Fast forward a few months... we now have a small coop outside that we purchased at tractor supply (NEVER again. It's horribly constructed!) and my husband built an amazing chicken run attached to a brand new shed we bought for the chickens. The run area is 10x24 feet and the coop is I think 10x8 feet which we're still in the process of finishing up. I'd attach pics, but don't have access to them at the moment.

My issue is that our 3 youngest silkies don't play well with the other silkie chickens. We tried free ranging the 2nd flock while the 3 youngest silkies were in a pen where they could see them and within hours, they were pecking one another through the pen to the point where one silkie was bleeding on his comb. I say "his" because I'm guessing this is a cockerel. Actually I think we have 3 cockerels (2 in the smaller group and 1 in the medium group) because they have combs that are larger than others.

What I would like is to figure out which flock to keep. We figure we can't integrate them all due to personality issues because the Rhode Island chickens and the Astralorp are mean to the younger EE chickens. My husband's favorite is the Brahma bird who is the largest but docile, and my favorites are probably the Brahma and the Easter Eggers. There is 1 Orpington that I call Buttercup who is really soft and cute and big.

So now that we have too many I have to figure out which ones to rehome (definitely roosters if any end up as roosters) and not only that, but WHERE to rehome them. I advertised on FB and on Craig's List. Had a small bit of interest in the silkies but no commitments yet from anyone.

DH says we could butcher any roosters, but do people actually eat silkies? Also, I'm not sure if I could go through with that. I'm a bit of a softie when it comes to animals.

Any advice on which ones to keep and which ones to sell? Or how many should I keep? My main goal for the chickens was for eggs and to enjoy them for their cuteness and their personalities - and for our kids to have some additional responsibilities. We have 10 acres but mainly keep the chickens close to our house when they're free ranging and then they go in the big husband-made run and/or the smaller tractor supply coop/run in the evening. The 3 silkies go out during the day and then back into their box in the garage at night (the box is 4 feet by 4 feet) but that's not a permanent situation. I'm constantly moving birds!

 

[A.M. Eggs]

The best thing to do is re-home the roosters first. If I ever have any roosters that can't find a home I give them to my house cleaner. I don't know what she does but I don't ask. Try adding more roosts for the hens and some nesting boxes(three hens per box). Move all of them together once the youngest can run away from the oldest and fly up onto a roost. Have fun raising your flock!

 

[Chickie7]

Thanks! Do I have enough space in my run for all of them? If there are 3 roosters and we rehome them, we'd have 21 hens in the 10x24 run with the 8x10 coop.

The only thing that makes me really worry is that the other day my husband said that one of the Easter Eggers went into the run with the Rhode Island Reds and the Orpingtons. After being chased around and around, he said that the poor EE just crouched down in a little ball while the others came up to peck on her. He went in and nudged her and she looked up at him and then ran out of the run, scared to death. I felt so bad for her so I'm afraid to integrate the EE with the larger birds. We have one roost that we just added last night. We'll have to add some more!

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

I WISH YOU WERE CLOSER!! I want a silkie roo!

 

[RWise]

I integrate mine at 4-5 weeks old, unless a hen hatched them in that case they stay in the flock. There will be a pecking order and they will figure that out.
I luv my EEs, and I do add other types to the flock for egg colors.
Yes folks do eat silkies, tastes like chicken,,,
You may want to put those roosters/cocks here for free re-homing, and or in your states thread, etc.. Worked for me to re-home 2 stray roosters.
I find it hard to even give away roosters,,,,good luck!

 

[aart]

You've got the Impulse Buying Integration Blues.
3 groups of different ages, all young.
9 @ how many weeks?
12 @ how many weeks?
3 @ how many weeks?
....and you are not used to the viciousness that chickens can employ.

Your space is minimal, could get worse in winter depending on the weather and how well protected the run is from it.

You might have to do some juggling until they get used to being around each other.
Ideally you have 3 separate but adjacent enclosures for them to live in and 1 other neutral enclosure to use a meeting ground, then mix and match who is with who in the neutral area. It will take time, patience, and creativity.

Here's some tips on....
Integration Basics:

It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.

 

[Ridgerunner]

How old is each group? That will determine what a successful integration looks like now as well as help us discuss how to go about it. Until they all mature a successful integration is more about them not hurting each other than it is about them playing together. Age is a critical bit of information when discussing integrating immature chickens, either with adults or other different-aged chicks. I really don't understand how you got your first chicks about two months ago, then got a couple more groups spread out some unknown number of weeks, then you fast forward a few months. I'm guessing that they are all less than 3 months old and the youngest are old enough to be out of the brooder. But what are their ages? And can you identify any cockerels in the older groups?

Yes, people eat Silkies. In some cultures that dark purplish meat is considered a delicacy. Not everyone is going to be happy eating them but that's just personal preference. There will not be much meat on them either but people eat quail.

I'd like to see those photos if you could, that might help me wrap my head about how everything is put together. Your raw numbers should be enough space for your number of chickens if they are all mature hens fully integrated. It is not enough for integrating. It could prove problematic for multiple roosters. But you are not there yet, you are finishing up that shed. What are you working with now, just that TSC coop? When will that shed be available?

Some of us integrate various ages all the time with minimal problems, others have problems. Some of that, maybe a lot, has to do with room. Some has to do with our techniques. Some is just pure luck as it depends on the personalities of your individuals. Some people put just hatched chicks in with chicks two weeks older with no issues. If others try that the younger chicks can die. Each situation is unique, what works for me may not work for you.

You said your issue was with the three youngest but then you said some of older were mean to each other. When are you seeing most of this aggression with the others? Is it when they are out free ranging or when they are forced to be close together in that small coop? Are any of these male? You said the three silkies go out during the day but sleep in their box at night. I believe that is the three youngest silkies. Which birds did the attacking through the fence, the three older silkies or some of the others?

Normally if they are free ranging with unlimited room, each age group keeps to itself. If you have a specific chicken that goes out of its way to attack younger chickens you need to deal with the aggressor. Can you identify a specific aggressor?

If the problem is when they are shoehorned together in that little coop, if they are, then you need more room. I'm not sure if both older groups are sleeping in that TSC coop or separately. Or how long they are in there when they are awake, if that is when you see the aggression among the older two batches.

What does that being mean to the older ones look like? Are they trying to kill the others or is it a peck or two when their personal space is invaded? It's perfectly normal for more mature chickens to peck less mature chickens when they invade their personal space. That's why you probably see them form separate flocks based on age when they are free ranging. That's why they need enough room to avoid each other or to run away. Chickens can be brutal to each other, especially when one shows poor chicken flock etiquette and invades a superior's personal space. Some of the problem could be that you have unrealistic expectations of what a successful integration looks like at these ages. Some pecking is normal, especially if they are forced close together. Or cockerels fight.

You don't necessarily need to get rid of two of the different aged flocks. I agree getting rid of any males is a good thing in your circumstances but it may be a long time before you can even identify them, especially the silkies. Even the full-sized breed cockerels won't have much meat on them for a while. If you identify a female that goes out of her way to be a brute and tries to kill younger chicks, you need to deal with her. You can try isolating her for a while to mess up her position in the pecking order, sometimes that helps. I don't keep any chicken, male of female, that disrupts the peace and tranquility of my flock once they are an adult. A snotty brat teenager is given more leeway to see if he/she grows out of it.

I know this is long and rambling but I'm not convinced you have as big a problem as you think you do. You will probably have to work a bit harder than you'd like for a little while, but not that much longer. If I understand your situation right, my suggestion is to finish that big coop as soon as reasonable and move the older chicks in there. Leave the second batch sleeping in the TSC coop for a while. When the younger are old enough to not need heat, move that box to the run and let then sleep there at night. Let them free range together for several weeks at least before you try to force them to be together at night. You may need to build a temporary pen around that box so the younger can see the others for a while before they can be safely let out to free range with the others if they are being attacked. Have different feeding/watering stations so the older can't bully the younger or middle batch by keeping them away from the food/water. I think in a very few weeks your problems will have gone away.

 

[townchicks]

Get that hubby working on another run and coop.