I know silkies can be fragile but none of ours are. We keep a rather large mixed flock consisting of American and English Orpingtons, EE, cream legbars, silkies, Buckeyes, oegbs, brahmas, Dominiques, Wyandottes, and a few miscellaneous singletons. We also have red production layers and a couple barred rocks we added in spring. I'm not terribly into the barred rocks, although they've calmed down a lot since beginning to lay.
Our silkies get along with pretty much everyone. Hold their own very well roost with the other birds(although not usually on the top roosts-although they can access them bc we keep ladder style roosts). They're somewhere in the middle of the pecking order.
We have approximately 120 birds right now with more yet to go to freezer camp. Yes we eat our spare cockerals. Our silkies make wonderful mother's and stand up for their babies amazingly. We do separate the hens and chicks for a couple of weeks minimum before reintroducing them to the flock.
I think, Orpingtons, Dominiques, EE, salmon faverolles etc would all be good matches. Any breed that's not too bossy and is generally gentle.
I would also suggest adding at least one more silkie. If there is only one bird that looks different it can make the others more likely to pick on the one.
