Silkie thread!

[Sonoran Silkies]

I don't know much about silkies but my daughter is in 4-H and she is 6 and a half and small for her age. I was told silkies are calm bird and would be good for her size to show in the fair. I would like to find someone close that may have some that I could look at and see how they are. I live in Williford Arkansas. I would like to see them before I get any.

Much as I adore silkies, you need to let your daughter choose her breed. Certainly provide some oversight, but let the choice be hers. There are many breeds suitable to young children, not just silkies. At six, she might prefer a smaller bird that is less of an armful for her such as a serama, a dutch, and OEGB or a d'uccle or d'anvers. Or she may adore the fluffiness of silkies.

My six year old granddaughter is drawn to the sleek looks of moderns and serama. She prefers their smaller size, too.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: No, they are pretty much the same size as when they were imported.

 

[ChicksNherps]

No, they are pretty much the same size as when they were imported.

okay so were the bantams created in europe first? Still people are attracted to little fluffy things

 

[dwegg]

Well this might put it into perspective.  Here's my daughter helping me at the last poultry show in october.  She had just turned 19 months old (yes not even 2 years old...), 34" tall, and just about 25 pounds.



Here she's helping gather eggs in the pens...



Good thing the brahmas are docile since they have her outsized...

That is awesome...she is a little helper...she'll be a master breeder one day!

A little story this morning...I went to the walk-out basement where I have two momma hens and their chicks in separate cages up on the bench and a very large wire dog cage on the floor with a roo and three hens trying some breeding...well one of the 3 week old chicks got out of its cage during the night some time (it was 29F last night outside), must have fallen onto the cold concrete floor and I found it sitting in the large food bowl in the roo's cage eating quite happily with the roo and two of the hens...

I watched for a little while and when I went to get him out (his momma was quite frantic up on the bench watching everything) he ran under the roo who promptly sat down like a mother hen would...too funny! And it warmed my heart...lots to be thankful for there...silkies are wonderful birds....

 

[dwegg]

okay so were the bantams created in europe first? Still people are attracted to little fluffy things 

Wasnt the breed originally from China? I think it was Marco Polo who first wrote about them finding them throughout southeast Asia

 

[miohippus]

My silkies lay down to take naps in the most random places. This is in the middle of the yard

Oh my how fluffy you almost can't even see her beak

 

[RockerHen]

Much as I adore silkies, you need to let your daughter choose her breed.  Certainly provide some oversight, but let the choice be hers.  There are many breeds suitable to young children, not just silkies.  At six, she might prefer a smaller bird that is less of an armful for her such as a serama, a dutch, and OEGB or a d'uccle or d'anvers.  Or she may adore the fluffiness of silkies.  

 
My six year old granddaughter is drawn to the sleek looks of moderns and serama.  She prefers their smaller size, too.

My first chickens at the age of six were oeg and Japanese bantams. I loved them and acquired more breeds from there. However, oegb roosters have a tendency to be aggressive. I'll never forget Henry, the little splash rooster who introduced me to flogging lol. My two year old nephew loves my silkies more than any of my other birds, however, and always wants to pet the 'soft chickens'

 

[Suzierd]

Yes she is fine, ya gotta wonder what gets into them???  The babies are off to their new homes but have a patio full of Jersey chicks (6 to be exact)  soon they will be getting too big to keep in the area they are now. Lol, But they are like the amazing growing chicks they grow so much every day it is like wow are these the same chicks that were here yesterday?  How is snow doing???

I bet those jerseys ate cute! Your so lucky. I'm going to try to hatch some out in the spring. I think I would like a couple buff Orphingtons for some big eggs. I want something nice enough to get along with the silkies. Or maybe Cochins would be nice.
Snow is still the same very dirty butt hasn't been laying but neither is anyone much right now. I've been trying the fermented feed on her because I've heard people say it clears it up. But not working so far. I have never seen a chicken poop as big as her in the morning HUGE! Jaw dropping HUGE. I thought her feathers on her crest and beard would be growing out by now but she looks the same. She doesn't act sick tho eats good.

 

[cindersga]

I have my very first broody silkie! I knew something was up with her sounds and antics. She was sitting on the nest a little longer too for a few days in a row.
Got some barn yard mix eggs for her, and now, she is just staying on them. I was so worried. She hadn't eaten is so long, like three days.
I moved her. Where she has no other birds around her. Still she wasn't eating. I set the food right in front of her. Today, I finally got her off of her two eggs, and I have two in the bator for her, but I dipped her beak into the water. She drank a tiny bit, did it again. She just wants to flop right down where she is. Then later, I just went ahead and force fed her a few bites of food. Well, later I checked the feed. I had made sure it was smooth in the dish so I could tell if she ate, she did! Checked the two eggs tonight, they are both fertile! I hope she gets the hang of going for the food and water once in a while.
Interesting thing in the beginning too. I had three eggs under her at first. I wasn't sure if it was going to be too much for her, they are big eggs..so, kept watching. She sat on all of them at first, then on the third day, she started leaving one out. I kept putting it back, but out it would come. It was always still warm. But, I decided to take it in and put it in with the other two. Candled them, the one she kept leaving out, was clear. I can see them knowing later on, but that early on?
Interesting. So, two under her doing well, and two in the bator doing well. I think she will make a good mom.
Any suggestions as to what I can do to help her along during this long wait? Thanks!

I have heard two different schools of thought on this...one is they can go 21days because their body goes in to a sort of hibernation shut down and they conserve energy and the other is to provide food and water close to them. I was taking my hen off of her clutch everyday for a run, food, water, dust bath and then watching for her to go back to her nest. The problem with that is...even though I checked really well there was an egg stuck way up under her wing and when I lifted her the egg came out and smashed on the ladder. I was heart broken as it was one of my Catdance Silkie eggs and it was fertile and breathing. That's my two cents worth don't know if it helped you. Congrats on your broody Silkie they do make the best momma's EVER!

 

[ParelliChick]

What is the lowest temperature a Silkie can stand? I have a 3 month old and she's my first Silkie, the winters in VA can be brutal, so I'm wondering how cold she can stand, so if it goes below that, I can put her in my barn under a heat lamp. Also, what's the highest, for summer time.