Dangerous chickens?!

[Gisselle]

I’ve had silkie for a few years, there are children at my place often .

In my opinion, your children need to not be picking up the birds. I know you think she’s doing it correctly but if you really watch no child’s small hands can gently pick up and hold a chick or puppy .theres squeezing and uncomfortable looks from the animal.

That being said my hens are confined as you said yours are? So how are they darting around getting your daughter?

They are a docile breed but you need to pick them up and let your daughter feed them treats so they see her as a friend .

I pick up my birds and then hand them to the child, your daughters too young

Rabbits are worse , the bite and can scratch like crazy ,no animal enjoys being held awkwardly

They can ‘free range’ in our fenced backyard now instead of being confined to their small pen. We are forced to have them loose because of the Orpington Helen gets agitated at the rooster and sometimes the hens. Plus our silkies themselves fight each other pretty bad sometimes - even when loose! If I kept them confined - someone would get seriously hurt.

I’ve never had any of them peck while being held. It’s only when they are on the ground and in control around us. Like my Roo will peck you like crazy until you actually are holding him and he surrenders then I guess. My daughter ONLY picks up the black silkie though.

 

[snow5164]

Flocks are like family’s , there are good days and bad . If one doesn’t want to get picked up , leave them alone .

If they charge and try to hurt you then an adult should pick them up and carry them around .

Why do you have a rooster ? Are you hatching eggs? My hens got a whole lot friendlier when my rooster moved south good luck

 

[Gisselle]

Flocks are like family’s , there are good days and bad . If one doesn’t want to get picked up , leave them alone .

If they charge and try to hurt you then an adult should pick them up and carry them around .

Why do you have a rooster ? Are you hatching eggs? My hens got a whole lot friendlier when my rooster moved south good luck

Thank you,
We didn’t want a rooster originally but the silkie chicks were ONLY sold straight run so that’s how that happened. I thought it’d be fun to raise a batch or two of silkie chicks but now seeing how mine are I don’t know about breeding them

 

[chuckachucka]

I had a silkie who was not very sweet and gentle. She was bottom of the pecking order and a skittish thing who hated to be touched basically. If I had to move or handle her she would peck me. When she went broody she turned into a monster. If I dared go near her on that nest she would launch at me like a tiny fuzzy demon, bite me and hang on to my flesh and kick and flap at me. So I learned to leave her the heck alone. Eventually I rehomed her because she was being bullied by my other hens but it just goes to show that not all silkies are cuddle bugs.

 

[snow5164]

I rehomed her because she was being bullied by my other hens but it just goes to show that not all silkies are cuddle bugs.

That’s true with every creature , and a silkie raised with other birds and being bullied ( just like kids) can become the bully!!! That’s called self defence.

Many breeds are mis-understood , some are naturally more aggressive, some are usually “ cuddle bugs”, but the environment they live in also contributes to who they become .

I feel for the silkies because mine were bullied at first , we added on a small addition and gave them their own tiny paradise, such a change in them . They aren’t scared or skittish anymore .

Everyone needs to decide what they will tolerate in their yard , chancing that your kids will always listen could result in a serious injury and eyes are not replaceable.

Decide wisely

 

[Clucking_Crazy]

How big is their coop and run?

Maybe giving them more space in the run & not allowing them full access to the yard would be safer for the child.

 

[Gisselle]

I had a silkie who was not very sweet and gentle. She was bottom of the pecking order and a skittish thing who hated to be touched basically. If I had to move or handle her she would peck me. When she went broody she turned into a monster. If I dared go near her on that nest she would launch at me like a tiny fuzzy demon, bite me and hang on to my flesh and kick and flap at me. So I learned to leave her the heck alone. Eventually I rehomed her because she was being bullied by my other hens but it just goes to show that not all silkies are cuddle bugs.

Oh my gosh thank you so much for your little story. Makes me feel like maybe my situation isn’t the only one out there!
I had to smile at your “like a fuzzy demon” but I am sorry things didn’t work out and you had to rehome her.
I use to think Soot would be a wonderful brood hen to hatch some more silkies from when she didn’t bite because her temperament USE to be so even and so sweet and calm. Soot is at the bottom of the pecking order.

I wonder if I should give them at least 2 more months to mature a little more. They were hatched in early April this year

 

[Gisselle]

How big is their coop and run?

Maybe giving them more space in the run & not allowing them full access to the yard would be safer for the child.

Their actual coop/pen is too small now that we have a big Orpington. I’ll admit the silkies were starting to go stir crazy if I kept them locked up all day before my Orpington came back from her 3 month long ‘vacation’
(It’s a premade coop from Tractor Supply.)
Once she was back I had to let them all out in the backyard all day and everyday. I’ve thought about fencing off a portion of the yard to keep them contained but I don’t know if they wouldn’t kill each other because they all really like their space and the two breeds like to go off separately on their own on opposite ends of the yard

 

[Clucking_Crazy]

I would honestly look into upgrading the coop & adding a decent sized run. We are talking about 4 chickens?

A coop should be 4x4 (4 square feet per bird), especially if the birds are having space issues already. It does not have to be pre-fabricated or fancy.

A run should give each bird 10 sq ft of space. So 4x10 or 5x8 at a minimum. My run space allows for a little over 20sq ft/bird because I do not have a fenced in yard and they only get to free range for an hour or two a couple of times a week. They are perfectly happy with the arrangement!

Some squabbling between the members of the flock are to be expeted as they sort out pecking order, but with increased space that should go down to a minimum. And if they are in a run until you feel like letting them out, you and your family can be in the yard with them doing whatever your heart desires in a safe space.

 

[keesmom]

Oh my gosh thank you so much for your little story. Makes me feel like maybe my situation isn’t the only one out there!
I had to smile at your “like a fuzzy demon” but I am sorry things didn’t work out and you had to rehome her.
I use to think Soot would be a wonderful brood hen to hatch some more silkies from when she didn’t bite because her temperament USE to be so even and so sweet and calm. Soot is at the bottom of the pecking order.

I wonder if I should give them at least 2 more months to mature a little more. They were hatched in early April this year

So the silkies are only 4 months old? How sure are you of their genders? Sexing silkies can be difficult.