Getting our new cockerel and additional pullets

[niazai_thechickenlife]

Tomorrow we're picking up our new cockerel, Pushpa!
We went with the kids to choose earlier this week and he had a friend who's been on my mind all week.
Being the impulsive person I am, I already sent a message to the hatchery that I would love to take both, if he's still there.

Now I don't know if our ratio is still good. That would mean 6 pullets and 2 cockerels.
Would that be okay? Or should I stick to only 1 cockerel for 6 pullets?
They're silkies so they "should" be more docile than some other breeds.

Here are pictures so you know why I really want him too lol.
Colourwise he's not great for breeding I think, but he's incredibly adorable.
And fluffier than the one I initially chose.

The dark brown one on the right is Pushpa, he'll be coming home with us.
But the one I would really like as well is the mauve/lightbrown one in the middle.
Look at the floofyness!

Then these are the new pullets joining our flock:

The white one is Samosa and the Dark buff one is Biryani.

I'm so excited .

There is no other place I can talk about chickens all day without people getting annoyed, but I know all of you love to do the same!

A.N.

 

[Debbie292d]

So beautiful!

With silkies, whilst 6 to 2 might work, it also might not. It just depends on the birds. We have several breeding pens with one rooster and sometimes as few as two hens, and that works. We had a pen with eight hens and one rooster and one hen got favored. I took that hen out, and that fixed it.

If you start seeing your hens' backs looking worn out, you'll have to either remove a rooster or buy saddles for them.

 

[niazai_thechickenlife]

So beautiful!

With silkies, whilst 6 to 2 might work, it also might not. It just depends on the birds. We have several breeding pens with one rooster and sometimes as few as two hens, and that works. We had a pen with eight hens and one rooster and one hen got favored. I took that hen out, and that fixed it.

If you start seeing your hens' backs looking worn out, you'll have to either remove a rooster or buy saddles for them.

We'll have to try and see then!
Thanks for your advice!!
I was mostly worried about the two of them starting fights about who gets all the women, but like you said, it probably depends on the birds.

 

[niazai_thechickenlife]

So beautiful!

With silkies, whilst 6 to 2 might work, it also might not. It just depends on the birds. We have several breeding pens with one rooster and sometimes as few as two hens, and that works. We had a pen with eight hens and one rooster and one hen got favored. I took that hen out, and that fixed it.

If you start seeing your hens' backs looking worn out, you'll have to either remove a rooster or buy saddles for them.

so what you're really saying is, I need more hens?

#chickenmath

 

[Debbie292d]

These two roosters (on the left) are in with one hen, and another hen that has about 30 chicks. There's never been a fight. I don't usually put two roosters in one pen, but the white one was trouble with the roosters who free range, and I remembered him chumming with the red pyle one when he was younger, so I tried it. It works! He can get along with this one, just the others he's starting fights with.

I've never seen either breed the partridge hen there, but I'm sure someone is. It's been about a month and she's looking fine still.

 

[niazai_thechickenlife]

These two roosters (on the left) are in with one hen, and another hen that has about 30 chicks. There's never been a fight. I don't usually put two roosters in one pen, but the white one was trouble with the roosters who free range, and I remembered him chumming with the red pyle one when he was younger, so I tried it. It works! He can get along with this one, just the others he's starting fights with.

View attachment 4229704

How cool is that! Just trying it out and see what will work.

We don't have a fancy setup like this so once they're outside, they're together lol. But we have a giant pen in the kitchen for the first few weeks, and that I will use for when we have chicks.

Since they free range, I don't trust our cats until the chicks are a few weeks old at least.

We'll have to wait and see!
Do you think I chose the Dark chocolate well? his head could have been fluffier, but I'll just have to keep an eye on his offspring. The girls are all fluffy, so that could be enough.

 

[Debbie292d]

How cool is that! Just trying it out and see what will work.

We don't have a fancy setup like this so once they're outside, they're together lol. But we have a giant pen in the kitchen for the first few weeks, and that I will use for when we have chicks.

Since they free range, I don't trust our cats until the chicks are a few weeks old at least.

We'll have to wait and see!
Do you think I chose the Dark chocolate well? his head could have been fluffier, but I'll just have to keep an eye on his offspring. The girls are all fluffy, so that could be enough.

I was thinking the same thing about his head, but that will depend on his parents a little as to how many you get like that when you breed him to hens with nicer vaults. He's got a great color so perhaps that's more important to you. Like I think I said before on one of your posts, if you're not breeding for shows, but more for beauty and selling to friends/family, etc., then it doesn't matter at all.

 

[niazai_thechickenlife]

I was thinking the same thing about his head, but that will depend on his parents a little as to how many you get like that when you breed him to hens with nicer vaults. He's got a great color so perhaps that's more important to you. Like I think I said before on one of your posts, if you're not breeding for shows, but more for beauty and selling to friends/family, etc., then it doesn't matter at all.

There aren't many chocolate silkies around so if we could accomplish that, that would already be lovely. Chocolate isn't SOP anyway as it's not an official colour.
I also don't think we even have shows around here so "show quality" means nothing if they haven't actually been to one.

 

[Debbie292d]

There aren't many chocolate silkies around so if we could accomplish that, that would already be lovely. Chocolate isn't SOP anyway as it's not an official colour.
I also don't think we even have shows around here so "show quality" means nothing if they haven't actually been to one.

Yes, that surprises me as partridge are in the APA's SOP, but not chocolate. Someday maybe!

The APA's official colors for Silkies are black, white, blue, buff, partridge, and splash.

I have cuckoo and paints too that aren't APA either, so I'm also just breeding for fun with some of these!