# Chickens!



## katieandiggy (Jul 30, 2018)

I’m just about to purchase 4 Silkie Bantams.
I’m new to chicken keeping. 
Any tips or tricks I should know about? 
I have space for 6 chickens in my coop, I was considering 2 rescue battery hens, am I ok to mix species? Or will the bigger hens pick on my Silkies?


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## Tom (Jul 30, 2018)

Some chickens get along and some don't. Mine are all housed in large outdoor pens and there are a couple dozen so any aggression issues are pretty well diffused. When I add new hens, I catch up all the residents, put some mite dust on them, and leave them crated for a few hours while the new girls get used to the pen. I usually add 5-10 at a time. When the residents come back I have a few people in there supervising and walking around for a bit. Everybody is thrown off for a little while and I usually have no issues. Finding the right rooster can be challenging. Some of them are just brutal and tear up the hens. Some of them aren't brutal enough and allow the hens to do a little too much hen pecking. Gotta find the right balance.


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## katieandiggy (Jul 31, 2018)

Thanks Tom.
I’ve read that Silkies are really a relaxed docile breed so I’m hoping they all get on. I’m thinking maybe 5 hens and a rooster. Its more of a back yard hobby than anything else. 
Food wise, I was thinking a mixture of corn and layers pellets? Is there a massive variety of chicken feed?


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## Bambam1989 (Jul 31, 2018)

I had silkies when I lived in Texas. They were very entertaining and reliable layers. They will also sit very frequently and make great Mama's.
I had one hen that successfully hatched and raised 15 chicks. Hilarious to watch all those chicks try to fit under her.


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