Do silkies have different needs to other chooks?

[lollygag1]

I've got a mixed group, bantams, sussex rooster, bantam sussex crosses, etc. I've just aquired 3 silkies white, buff and grey. Can the silkies breed with the other chooks? Do the silkies need to eat anything different to the other chooks? I feed them scraps, scratch mix, and let them free range throughout the house yard and paddock. Is this okay for the silkies? Will they socialize with the other chooks? How do I get them to be friendly? Any advise would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

[bantymum]

Hi from a fellow Aussie, I have silkies and standards and they all get the same treatment, spoilt rotten.
Freerange silkies should have a haircut around the top of their eyes so they can see hawks etc.

If your new ones are young, you should be able to tame them with regular handling and patting, handfeeding.

I dont breed mine with anything other than a Silkie but a light sussex roo would be too large for a Silkie hen and he could injure her, so I wouldnt advise it for her sake.

 

[lollygag1]

Hi Bantymum,
Thank you for the info, how do you keep the sussex roo away from the silkies without keeping them in different pens?

 

[bantymum]

Sorry, ive just checked in:
Its really impossible to do that without separating them, I usually have a silky roo and a couple of standard hens.

 

[silkies4ever]

You can pretty much treat them just as you would any other chicken. They eat the same stuff too.

As for being friendly with the others, well that's kind of their own choice lol. Silkies seem to have the quirkiest personalities so wether they do or don't get along with another chicken is up to them.

I have one silkie that is the boss of all chickens. I once brought home two roos by accident and she gave them both a whoopin and when she was done, just went on her merry way and was fine with them from then on out, even bred with one (got rid of the other).

If she feels another chicken is being annoying, she will let it know. She's a bit posessive over food to. But in general, she gets along with the other chickens.