Silkie

Our family has owned many silkie chickens. We love their cute little fuzzy feathers and the child friendliness. We personally love the buff silkies but have owned black, blue white and gray as well. We love their broodiness and will be using them to hatch eggs in the future. If you need a breed that is an awesome show bird, but doesn't lay much these are for you. Many people use their birds to hatch rare breeds. I love the vaulted breed. Add comments on your fave parts of this bird!

We adopted two eight month old silkies in the fall of 2011. At the same time I picked them up I collected a hen with six of her own chicks and six the farmer took from another hen expecting her to mother them. She didn't but the silkies stepped in, even though they had never raised a brood of their own, they took turns sheltering the chicks during the day and at night the chicks just cuddled up with the nearest one.
They lay about three small eggs each a week, and have done so right through the cold winter.
At first I was concerned that they didn't perch, one would always cram herself into a corner of the outside run and I would have to pick her up and put her inside every night. Eventually, as the winter came on, I moved them into the 'big house' with the rest of the flock. This didn't work too well because of their habit of sleeping on the floor, that position meaning they would frequently get droppings on them. I put a small, wooden bird house into the coop and this works well - one nests inside and the other perches on the roof (its about 12" tall) and they lay their eggs in there.
They don't seem to be very intelligent, whereas the other hens quickly figured how to get in and out of the automatic door these two still wait for me to come and open the large side door.
They stay together all the time and don't stray far from the yard. They have a lovely temperament and are easy to pick up for a cuddle, ideal to introduce children to the flock - and their small eggs are also perfectly child-sized.

i have 3 silkie hens, blue, white and buff and a black roo. they are all wonderful birds, the little roo is a bit of a sparkplug and likes to start crowing battles, but the hens are sweet as can be. Our buff hen cupcake was attacked by a coopers hawk last year and she has never been the same since, really flighty now, and she seems to be a little "slow" now, for a lack of better words, but still very sweet. i wouldnt trade that flock for anything, i also have 3 silkie crossbreeds, very weird looking but sweet and cute in their own way

These birds are unique and even the roosters always have a loveable personality. they make great parents and my silkie hens always hatch out over 10 chicks per a clutch and raise them all. My only problem is these birds tend to be delicate and can easily become sick or easy prey for something as small as a rat. They need to be kept int a house like a coop and extremely clean and dry areas.

I've had a lot of chickens in my life but never have a been endeared by any chicken as much as silkies. From the very moment I saw one I was hooked. Their huge, black eyes, fuzzy feet, little, black beaks and docile nature was all it took.

As I got to know them each chicken had a very unique personality. Like Heather. She's top dog and she knows it and shows it by constantly strutting around and acting superior to all the other chickens. Then there is Silkie who is very low on the pecking order. She will come to me when the other hens are picking on her. Sometimes she'll literally jump on my lap and other times she'll hide behind me but every time I can tell she looks up to me.

On sunny days lots of the hens will cluster around trying to get genuine snuggle time. Their favorite spot is burrowed in a jacket or, when they were younger, right by my neck. Silkies always adore being doted on.

Maybe silkies get the sweet disposition from the professional mothering skills. Not once have I had a silkie that hasn't hatched a brood in the first couple months after laying. They are very dedicated the their eggs (wether they are real or not) and will sometimes sit for extended periods that are much longer than 3 weeks. This can be a bit annoying considering that most people expect hens to lay eggs. If their eggs are fertile though then thats a different story. Silkies raise chicks with a vigor that other breeds don't posses and always bring a smile to my face.

As for laying eggs the hens will lay about every other day if provided with a good nesting setup. Sometimes silkies can be dissuaded by heights but most hens go most any place if ladders are present. They lay creamy, middle sized eggs.

All in all silkies are my absolute favorite chicken breed and I highly suggest them as a pet for you or your children. They can be a good first time chicken considering that they so sweet and won't give the wrong idea about their species. Silkies are surprisingly hardy considering their prim appearance and do well in most environments. I would say, if don't already have one, get one, you won't regret it!

Wouldn't have chickens without silkies, they got me hooked. I now have several breeds, and whether I have the silkies hatch them or not, they do most of the work raising my birds and saving me the work of raising them in the house or spending money on an incubator. Plus all the neighborhood kids love them and they're super easy to handle. Even our rooster is calm.

My silkies have recently started laying and they don't lay as much as I'd like but the quality is great! Silkies are great pets as they are very docile. Their plumage is soft and you just want to snuggle them all day. Another advantage to silkies is that their eggs and meat have a greater level of the antioxidant carnosine than other chickens. This antioxidant has numerous medicinal properties and is one of the reasons that the chinese raised these birds. I think that Silkie eggs are going to be the next super food! You should read up on it!!

we hand reared our silky rooster Phobe from about 1wk old yes we were hoping he was a she thats why we have a rooster called Phobe,??? he was more than nice enjoyed cuddles and and would sit relaxed while i massaged his quills loose so much so he would fall asleep and flop in my arms, he would now be about 6mths old and he now attacks and bites hands feet and is all rooster, he will settle when I pick him up but not like he use to I understand he has matured but i really think we have a jeckell and hyde now he really is a good looking silkie and i try not to partake in his aggression, i have had silkies before and they were never as aggressive as he is considering he was and is so handled everyday and sleeps inside, makes me wonder what I have done wrong i always thought they were the most docile of all the chooks any suggestions on how or what i can to curb his ways of late, I do understand he is a rooster and take that into consideration maybe time to put out in a shed with some ladies???

Foxy is a sweet girl. her fifth toe does look funny though

they are just adorable...so soft one is supposed to be a white and one a blue but so little not sure of the color or the sex. they are just a day old. I know how they are as far as character because I had one before. my grandkids loved it. It disappeared and broke our hearts so I went and bought a couple more.

I hatched these three from another breeder on BYC, one has turned out beared and all three are vaulted. I love these chickens. They have gotten rave reviews from all neighbors and anyone who has seen them.

Silkies were always my favorite. The poof, the fluff, the softness and the personality. The perfect chicken for backyards and families!

I love how fluffy they look and I've heard about how friendly they are. I'd love to get one!

I love my Silkies. I bought my first Silkie babies from the local farm store. They are so sweet and never pick on each other. They go through the ugliest baby stage when their feathers start to really come in but they turn out to be the most beautiful chickens. When they go to sleep at night they don't fly to a roost but insead all pile up together in one wad to sleep just like baby chicks do. They are so quiet for chickens too. When my Rhode Island Red or Australorp lay an egg they announce it for all to hear. My Silkies hardley ever make a peep. Silkies also make wonderful mothers. The only thing is that my Silkies want to lay 2 or 3 eggs then go broody. I wish they would hatch a few more at a time. This year I am going to incubate some Silkie babies. They're the best!

I love silkies, they're my favorite chicken. I'd like to get a silkie.

I love the idea of having a silkie chicken!!! My favorite chicken, the showgirl breeds best with it, and my first favorite chicken was the silkie, so I am extra happy that I will be getting one soon.

I am disappointed with my two silkies. I wanted them because everyone says they are frequently broody (at nearly one year my two haven't tried) and friendly (they aren't, they are just slow enough you can catch them...mine growl at me and one freaks out if I touch her). They were slow to start laying, but do give a good number of tiny eggs. My son does like them (hence "fluffy") and I do enjoy the wide range of quiet vocalizations.

I have loved my silkies from the start. I have a pair of white silkies and black silkies. I have one small buff silkie hen. I have had great experience with the hens hatching their own chicks and adopting chicks that have already been hatched, that are full size chickens. They are wonderful all around. Sweet dispositions, easy to handle and one of my favorite breeds. They never seem quite like a chicken and they usually smell nice.
The white hen with Christmas eve babes and the black hen with her adopted eggs and chicks.
My Silkie Rooster, named Romeo and of course the white hen is Juliette. The chicks are Kringle and Holly born on Christmas Eve 2011.

none this is what i have heard and seen

I love to keep a few silkies around because they are wonderful setters, plus who can pass up something so cute and fluffy??