Big Silkies

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

well in actuallity, there was a guy, in Texas I think, selling the heck out of standard silkie eggs on ebay last year, so some one has then, they just arent common. Keep watching ebay hatching eggs section, I'm sure he'll be on there again soon, he sold them all season last year. Saw pics of them, they appeared to be pure silkies and were freaking huge too. Just got to look, just about everything is available if you look long enough,!

 

[nzpouter]

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Any reason why it should be brahmas/cochin for the large breed? I had been thinking of trying to cross breed to get larger silkies myself....

leg feather, feather length, size, shape, etc.... the only thing you need to worry about is the comb....

 

[PremierSilkies]

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Oh that is funny, I thought to post the same thing, but figured it might not go over well. The larger ones were sold with smaller ones for a balance, he never tried to make an overall large silkie. His pet chicks sold for only $10 so not all the birds were costly, ask Ryanne.

 

[blackdotte]

What is that you want? A black skinned, black meat bird for the Asian market? If so they already exist.
The Viet Namese Ac for instance, as well as the Cermani .
David

 

[nissa_loves_cats]

I read something on a silkie web site where a Canadian poultry man was touting silkies as a good production breed for Canada as they were more winter-hardy than other breeds. I'm presuming that for meat production, larger silkies would be good. They also have the advantage of being non-flyers, so you don't have to worry about them escaping from pens.

For a small producer I would imagine that large silkies would have the advantage that it would be cheaper to build pens for them than for a flying breed of chicken, plus due to the silkies' sweet nature you could sell some as pets and others for meat birds.

 

[shadowpaints]

i have a question for everyone who is looking for 'big silkies' If i had a way to get some standard silkies, would there be a market for hatching eggs and breeder pairs/trios?? my huge silkie, Evyle is about 10lbs..

oh and how much would be a fair price for hatching eggs/ and breeding pairs? just out of curiosity of course

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

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Do you have a picture of Evyle?

 

[shadowpaints]

not the greatest pics. im heading outside for a while and will get some better ones!! she is next to my red sexlink hen

for size comparison

 

[Smokehouse13]

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I just have to say WOW what BEAUTIFUL birds

 

[nissa_loves_cats]

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I certainly would like to get some standard silkies! My bantam silkie hen escaped her pen yesterday and was eaten by my cats. The cats have never attacked a grown chicken before, not even bantams. Worse, the hen laid her first and only egg while she was loose, but it got cracked. I just keep thinking--- if she was a large silkie, she wouldn't have been able to get out of the pen, and she wouldn't have been small enough that the cats would think of her as prey.

Don't know what would be a fair price, though.