Trying to introduce new birds into the flock HELP!

[Corinnethechickenlady]

I have 5 original birds, and have been slowly trying to introduce newbies into my flock. I have a cinnamon queen who is MEAN she even flogs me or hubs. So we had locked her into the crate we originally had the two silkies in…due to her aggression. Well I go out to lock the coop up and another hen had cornered my silkie roo and was on top of him with him laying down pecking him super hard, I need ideas on how to get newbies into my flock. I’ve had them since December and they’ve been outside for maybe 2 weeks in a large dog crate

 

[sourland]

Silkies raised along with standard birds can do quite well. Because of their different look, integrating them into an established flock is generally problematic. I would section off an area of the coop/pen for them. Allow them to become comfortable in this environment and then add the most easy going hen to them. After several days add another of the calmer hens. Continue the process over a period of time before adding the most aggressive hen. This may or may not work.

 

[Corinnethechickenlady]

Silkies raised along with standard birds can do quite well. Because of their different look, integrating them into an established flock is generally problematic. I would section off an area of the coop/pen for them. Allow them to become comfortable in this environment and then add the most easy going hen to them. After several days add another of the calmer hens. Continue the process over a period of time before adding the most aggressive hen. This may or may not work.

I’ll try this out.

 

[Mrs. K]

Some people can get this to work, but a lot of people just have two coops, and keep the full size birds separate from the silkies. It is a pretty problematic flock mixing silkies with full size birds.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

There are a few good articles on this if you do a search. The "Look but no touch" process is needed for any integration but even more so with your factors. So I suggest have a good separation that allows for way more room than a dog crate and patience, it could take a while. Do look no touch for a bit then some supervised time together, slowly getting longer, etc.

 

[Pollmadoll]

I have 5 original birds, and have been slowly trying to introduce newbies into my flock. I have a cinnamon queen who is MEAN she even flogs me or hubs. So we had locked her into the crate we originally had the two silkies in…due to her aggression. Well I go out to lock the coop up and another hen had cornered my silkie roo and was on top of him with him laying down pecking him super hard, I need ideas on how to get newbies into my flock. I’ve had them since December and they’ve been outside for maybe 2 weeks in a large dog crate

As you can see my silkie called Pompom will always be the outsider