Silkie thread!

[mom of silkies]

Definitely sounds broody. Please post pics when you get babies!

 

[lexiredhead]

Here are my babies! They are my pride and joy!!

 

[chickiebaby1]

Here are my babies! They are my pride and joy!!

those chicks are the cutest things. I have some in the bator, just candled and they are all fertile and growing. I love silkie babies.

 

[Annalog]

Just a few days to go until we might see chicks hatch from the eggs Arrowroot is setting on. Arrowroot is sharing a coop and outdoor pen with three other Silkie pullets (hatch mates). Before going broody, she appeared to be the alpha hen. (Actually, I thought that she was a roo until she started squatting.) I am hoping that I won't need to separate her and the chicks. I cleaned the coop in preparation for the hatch. The nest that Arrowroot is in is one of three nests about 10 inches above the floor. There is room under the nests and one of the Silkies lays her eggs there. One has been laying eggs in Arrowroot's nest and one in another nest. I am expecting that after the chicks hatch that she will move down to the floor with them. If she hasn't moved out of the nest after a couple days, I am planning on moving her. Is that what should happen? Should I move her to the floor sooner? It is currently getting down to 32°F in the coop at night, sometimes colder.

The pop door from the coop to the pen is 16 inches above the floor and accessed via a stair made from cement blocks (two steps on the inside and three on the outside. Can I leave the stair in place or should I remove the lowest step until the chicks are at least a week old or jumping on top of the quart jar waterer? The chicks will be NH or BR mix, not Silkies.

Anything else that I should watch for?

We do have an option to completely separate mom and chicks from the other Silkies if it becomes necessary but we are hoping to be able to keep all the Silkies together.

 

[nayeli]

​

Your hen is definately sitting. The egg could belong to the hamburg as they are similar to silkie eggs. The silkie may also have rolled it from the clutch, often eggs get caught up under them as they are leaving the nest. Best to put a little spot on the eggs that she has started and remove any others or they will be at different stages of hatch. The other alternative is to lock the hen away from others, so that they cannot add to the clutch.
Sounds like your flock will be expanding in the coming weeks.

I was wondering how she has 12 eggs since she has been sitting for a while and I thought there was about 8 LOL... I will try to mark them but that means getting her off of them, and the rooster seems to be "parenting" as well!

 

[tjbuckshotbarn]

What color would you call this guy

 

[ellymayRans]

Thank you everyone for your responses! I am very bummed that so many people are saying that I should not mix silkies with large fowl hens  . But there are also so many people who say they have not had a problem with it and there silkies get along with large fowl hens just fine. So now I don't know what to do. Should I just not get the silkies?      This is making me very sad. 

I hate for you to be sad. I will say I have more than 50 chickens and only 9 of those bantam Cochin silkie and d'uccle. My LF are many different breeds and ages range from 4yrs to 6mos as well as too many Roos at the moment. I have never had injury or issues with my Silkies and LF. However, mine free range, there are 2 coops and the bantams all have their preference but still end up in a coop with LF. I've had silkies for several years and at different ages. They do fine here.

 

[AmyP716]

I also have silkies with my LF. I have five silkies one is a roo. And two LF polish roosters a polish hen, a brahma hen a dorking hen and an easter egger hen. They are all in the same coop at night and free range in the day. Everyone gets along fine.

 

[Kelxey]

lexiredhead that first picture of them as wee chicks is so precious. I love baby silkie chicks so so much

Do you guys find that your silkies don't each much?? We have some other chickens that are a week or so older and they always gobble down the feed as fast as they can, and their crops will be really full if we let them eat as much as they want. My 3 silkies (we keep them apart because I'm worried they will be bullied by the other chickens) hardly ever eat until I can feel a full crop. They are so small compared to the others.

 

[Sylvester017]

I also have silkies with my LF. I have five silkies one is a roo. And two LF polish roosters a polish hen, a brahma hen a dorking hen and an easter egger hen. They are all in the same coop at night and free range in the day. Everyone gets along fine.

IMO your LFs are all considered non-combative gentle fowl which is why there seemingly are no incidents. The breeds you listed are generally sweet breeds to mix together. There are always exceptions but mellow breeds are a joy to have together.