Can you mix silkies in with a regular flock........

[Suzy P]

Hold the phone





Silke's have brains exposed? I am not a silkie owner but I'd really like to understand this!

Lovem all:
1st of all, I love how you start your response post with Hold the phone.
Somewhere I read this already, about the silkie large vault. I can't remember if it is here or else where. But I will look into this further and see if it's a risks to the hens. I'm very funny about animals. I have raised Bosties for years and very particular to them and they needs to be kept from other dogs due to their big eyes.
The pic is of my girl, Lula-Belle this past winter.
Thank you for you informative posts.

 

[bhawk-23]

We have a broody and are thinking to swap eggs for day old chicks about 2 weeks after her sitting. She was a great mum! Can we add in 2 silkies with a couple full sized chicks for her to raise together and integrate into the whole flock? The silkies would be the only small ones we have, the rest are full sized hens.

 

[aburrell513]

Just my personal experience/opinion, but I never mix Silkies with other breeds. Silkies (that have large crests) can't see well enough to defend themselves against attacks.....they can't fly to get away from an aggressor.....they don't roost, so they get poohed on at night by the other birds roosting.....and most importantly, those Silkies with large vaults~~~one peck aimed at their exposed brain, and you can end up with a dead, or neurologically damaged bird.

my silkie roosts and is in with 8 other hens and a roo. They have just excluded him from the flock lol He does his own thing.