Are Silkie roosters good or bad?

[muddyhorse]

My silkies are sweet, I even have multiple roos together. when I add a new one there can be a bit of a dust up but they settle pretty quick
Capone was not sure of this new guy

but I caught them cuddling

Which hatchery are you getting them from ? I don't know if any of them offer sexed silkies

 

[TurtleFeathers]

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I learned the hard way to never EVER wear flip flops around my birds!!! Now I only wear Crocs in the yard - they're ugly shoes, but they're comfortable, they're water/mud/poop proof, AND they protect my toes from sharp beaks and claws!!!

Oh, and I LOVE my silkie roos (but mine aren't hatchery birds, if that matters) - they're loud and obnoxious, but they're friendly with me, and they treat their girls well.

 

[svchic]

I was so excited about ordering Silkies from Murray McMurray Hatchery, but now I have heard not to order them from hatcheries. Are they pretty or just darn ugly? Any experiences with Silkies from McMurray Hatchery?

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

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You will not get wonderful bloodlines from a hatchery silkie. If you want great bloodlines, order from a breeder. Also, you cannot order sexed silkies unless you get adult (or near adult) birds. Bantams are too small to vent sex, and silkies are not sexlink bred. That said, the larger the order, the more liklihood you will be to also receive cockerels.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

As a breed characteristics, silkie males are not particularly aggressive towards people, and one can sometimes keep adult males together. And rarely they will fight each other almost as if they were games. I currently have a very ratty looking (because he is VERY out of condition) silkie cock who was terrorizing my largefowl exhibition quality (meaning extra large) barred plymouth rock cockerel. So now that silkie has been contained. I have over the years had only two silkie males (out of many, many that I have had) who would attack a person, and I was the only one they would attack, and then only if they could be sneaky about it.

 

[Jx2inNC]

I think my white and buff roosters are handsome little fellows. I bought them at my co-op, which get them from a hatchery I'm sure. Not likely going to be show quality by any means, but great birds in my flock.
The cause no trouble and seem to be super gentle with the hens...if they even bother them much at all!

 

[gmendoza]

My silkies have possessed me!! "I'll be home soon Masters!"

 

[Kat's Silly Chickens]

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I agree with happyhens44, tho extremely beautiful. The hatchery silkies we got both are roos (crowing) and the blue 1 is extremely mean, to the point it nearly permanently damaged my ginger red 1.
I just spent the past month treating mine for crook neck because of the mean blue bugger. I now have mine in a smaller cage inside the sunroom pen so it can be near the others but safe from the blue silkie.
Come this spring there is a HIGH chance the blue will be re-homed since my ginger red can't be due to the crook neck condition it now has (tho is doing much better after treatment).

Good luck if you choose to get more than 1 silkie roo,
Kat M.

 

[svchic]

I have made my final decision, I'm not going to get any Silkies. Thank you everyone who helped me in making my decision. But does anyone have any experience with Murray McMurray Silkies??? I'm still curious. Thanks!

 

[ThePolishPrincess]

I do have a female from McMurray. As Sonoran said, Silkies (or really any bird for that matter) that you purchase from a hatchery will be great for pets/eggs/meat purposes, but great 'bloodlines' is incorrect. The majority of hatchery Silkies are not fluffy and/or have alot of breed flaws. That said, my female from McMurray cannot compare to my breeder Silkies that have had alot of work put into them by great breeders. But the hens' temperments are generally the same-friendly, docile-ish.

With specifically roosters in mind, I've never been lucky. My first boy was from McMurray too-he was a beast. Got rid of him. Second two were from a breeder-1 of whom I got rid of, he was pure evil. The other I still have (And love, despite all). I feel safer at night knowing he sleeps next to my hens, and honestly adore the fluffy demon. But intruders beware...