Concerning silkies, am I the only person in America

[beameuplord]

I agree Elderoo. Silkies aren't good for much other than pets. I get a few eggs from mine when she isn't brooding. Looks like I'll be getting eggs about 4 weeks a year. Ha -ha. But I really don't mind. I just keep mine for the fun of it. If I needed them for food I'd have some RIR or Aracaunas.

TJ

 

[Davaroo]

I DO hear they are like permanent brooders, if encouraged.
So that might be of benefit if incubators scare you.

I'll never forget the time I went to my friends place. They had Silkies. They started to say something like, "Oh you need to try some..." just about the time one of the Silkie roos let out with his best crow.
The sight and sound of that little fellow caused me to shoot beer from my nose and I began laughing so hard - that I didnt hear the rest of their salespitch.

As much as Diana tries to palm some off on me, I still cant see them from a plane.

 

[Rafter 7 Paint Horses]

Silkies haven't really appealed to me either. I think they are cute, but thats about it.
We have had so many customers ask for them, I may have to start breeding them.
I just don't know for sure what to look for when I go looking for breeding stock.
I know where to go to find out when I get ready though!!!!

Jean

 

[rooster-red]

Quote:

 

[silkiechicken]

Hahaha.

I beg to differ on them staying only around on the hobby side. Silkies in the Asian market have a decent return. They are "medicinal" so to speak and are used in herb soups. I don't let my mom throw 8 bucks out the window per 8-10 ounce bird anymore. Instead I let her have a few of mine and sell them for about $5 a lb. Becides, the look the standards give to them is hilarious: "WHAT IS THAT!!!!"

I need to get a larger stock next spring since my babies are all boys!!! AGAIN! I gotta stop picking out the peppy ones.

 

[Windy Ridge]

Quote:
Well, they've been around since the time of Marco Polo, so I'd say (depending upon your understanding of "long term") they've already proved you wrong.

That being said, though, I somehow doubt the furry birds Marco Polo saw were what we'd call show quality birds. In other words, they could probably see. It may be that hatchery or pet quality Silkies will be around far longer than those heavily selected for blindness--I mean, big, poofy, Seussian heads.

It also depends on what you mean by "useful." I understand--though I haven't tried this yet myself--that they're quite the useful little birdie for hatching out eggs of all sorts. I've used an incubator up to this point. <shrugs> We lose power up here a lot during certain seasons (WINDY Ridge is RIGHT!). It would be nice to set eggs without worrying that I'd lose power and the whole hatch. Sounds useful to me!

 

[rooster-red]

It also depends on what you mean by "useful." I understand--though I haven't tried this yet myself--that they're quite the useful little birdie for hatching out eggs of all sorts. I've used an incubator up to this point. <shrugs> We lose power up here a lot during certain seasons (WINDY Ridge is RIGHT!). It would be nice to set eggs without worrying that I'd lose power and the whole hatch. Sounds useful to me!

Thats something I hadn't considered before... using a silkie hen to incubate other hens eggs.
Good point.​

 

[aran]

I hatched out 4 silkies this year...totally cute...dunno what I have but they are really cute...doesnt matter to me if they dont produce eggs well..the dog likes small eggs with his toast just as well as the larger eggs. I have 24 layers of normal size eggs so having 4 silkies is no bad deal as far as Im concerned.

As far as the naked necks are concerned they is some UGLY freakin birds...no offense to those of you who love em, but man I wouldnt keep one if it was given to me!

 

[Chellester]

I'm glad to see that we can all post our feelings about which breeds we don't like and manage to have an adult discussion about it without no one getting their undies in a wad.

Personally, I love Silkies. But Turkens (naked necks)? When they came up with that breed, what were they thinking?!?!? And showgirls?!?!?!?!? OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!! (You know, what would be cute is a naked neck/polish crest cross; now how come no one's never come up with that?)

 

[Chelly]

I think silkies are cute, I don't have a silkie, and if they laid jumbo eggs I'd have a whole COOP full......... (they look SO soft - I've never touched one)

To me they look like they should be kept IN the house! Like a parrot!

Now Naked necks - I just can't see ever owning one, I've seen cute ones, but they just look too weird to me.