- Aug 15, 2009
- 70
- 0
- 39
I got 6 silkies about 7 weeks ago and didn't realize before I bought them that the flock integration could be so tricky (as I already had 8 chickens that were a few months older). So I found some great advice on the forum about introducing the flocks to each other and thought I would give it a go.
I started by quarantining for about 4 weeks in a rabbit cage that was about 100 yards away from the coop area.
After that time I moved the silkies down by the coop, but kept them in a fenced in area for their own safety (my other birds all free range).
Last night I decided to open up the fence to see what would happen. I have let 1 or 2 of the older hens run in the fenced area before and they have terrorized the silkies...my roo has been in once and I had to break up an attack that I think would have ended only when the silky was dead. Well, my older birds chased the silkies a bit but not to the extent that they did before. My roo took a few beak full of feathers off and then I split them up again. Then locked them both in their indivual coops for the night.
This morning I let them all out at the same time and there was very little drama...jusk a bit of pecking. I grabbed my roo and 2 of my bigger/older hens and locked them in the smaller fenced area for half the day so the silkies weren't so outnumbered. When I got back this afternoon, I let those out and watched as they all just ran around doing there own thing. A little bit of pecking, but I'm not worried that anyone is going to get killed. Oh did I mention that at least 2 of my silkies have turned out to be roosters as well? Hopefully not too many more start crowing
All this to say thank you for all the great advice that everyone on this forum has posted...I wouldn't have had any idea where to start with integrating the 2 flocks...Thanks so much everyone!
I started by quarantining for about 4 weeks in a rabbit cage that was about 100 yards away from the coop area.
After that time I moved the silkies down by the coop, but kept them in a fenced in area for their own safety (my other birds all free range).
Last night I decided to open up the fence to see what would happen. I have let 1 or 2 of the older hens run in the fenced area before and they have terrorized the silkies...my roo has been in once and I had to break up an attack that I think would have ended only when the silky was dead. Well, my older birds chased the silkies a bit but not to the extent that they did before. My roo took a few beak full of feathers off and then I split them up again. Then locked them both in their indivual coops for the night.
This morning I let them all out at the same time and there was very little drama...jusk a bit of pecking. I grabbed my roo and 2 of my bigger/older hens and locked them in the smaller fenced area for half the day so the silkies weren't so outnumbered. When I got back this afternoon, I let those out and watched as they all just ran around doing there own thing. A little bit of pecking, but I'm not worried that anyone is going to get killed. Oh did I mention that at least 2 of my silkies have turned out to be roosters as well? Hopefully not too many more start crowing

All this to say thank you for all the great advice that everyone on this forum has posted...I wouldn't have had any idea where to start with integrating the 2 flocks...Thanks so much everyone!