Hello New Member here

[ddrake]

My family and I are new to this site and are very interested in learning as much as we can. We have 2 ducks, and 10 hens and one rooster. Now I do have a question I hope I can find an answer for. Out of the hens I have a silkie and a black polish hen. I was wondering how fast/slow do they grow and how large/small are they

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! Silkies really vary in size, but the ones from commercial hatcheries / feed stores seem to usually be bigger than ones from private/ show ... hatchery ones I've had have sometimes hit 4-5 pounds, the breeder birds usually 2-3. Polish kind of vary also, but they are usually medium size birds 4-5 pounds. Polish tend to grow / mature pretty fast, laying 5 months or so often, Silkies are usually quite slow.

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello there and welcome to BYC!

Kelsie has given you some great advice about these birds.

Great to have you aboard and welcome to our flock!

 

[drumstick diva]

USA silkies are meant to be bantams - but with hatchery birds all bets are off. They are very difficult to sex before 4-5 mos. of age, or when they lay or crow. They generally make great broodies and some people have them just for that reason. When they go broody you can put any breed fertile eggs under them and they will hatch as if they were their own. Much easier than trying with an incubator.

 

[petrel]

Welcome!

 

[ddrake]

Thank you for the great input. we are looking forward to getting some fresh eggs ( eventually) and from my flock to the BYC flock, thank you for making us feel welcome and we hope to get pictures up soon of our beautiful/ handsome fowl friends as well as there home.