Hi, I'm new to Backyard Chickens. I have had chickens for around six years and currently have 18 chickens. I have 10 Blue and Buff Silkies (if anybody wants silkie roosters, ask me!!!), a pair of spangled old English game bantams, Rhode Island Reds, Ameraucanas, an Auracana, and a white crested Polish. I mostly keep chickens for eggs, but I keep some just as pets and fair birds. I plan on starting a silkie and game bantam business soon (selling chicks and fertilized eggs). I like watching birds, both songbirds and birds of prey (as long as they don't eat my chickens!), playing music, reading, 4H, and hiking. I'm part of a homeschooling, animal loving family who has a lot of kids, some cats, a rabbit, and chickens. I have been watching BYC for a while but only just made an account.
This is my first year with roosters and silkies and I have a lot of questions about them:
- Should I feed my roosters Layer Feed? I have read that Layer Feed has too much calcium for roosters.
- How do I stop my roosters from picking and trying to mate with my not-yet-laying pullets? My big silkie roosters keep standing on my tiny game bantam pullet (Enna) and pulling her neck feathers, I don't think they are trying to hurt Enna, but they are three times her size and are going to squash her.
- How many hens per rooster? Do bantam roosters need fewer hens?
- Is there a way to make sure the game bantams mate with the game bantams, and the silkies mate with the silkies?
- Should I trust my silkie hens to incubate and raise the chicks? And about what percent of the eggs will hatch?
- How many eggs do your silkies lay a week?
- Is there anything else I need to know about silkies and roosters and starting a chicken business?
I am glad to have found so many other people who are chicken crazy like me.
This is my first year with roosters and silkies and I have a lot of questions about them:
- Should I feed my roosters Layer Feed? I have read that Layer Feed has too much calcium for roosters.
- How do I stop my roosters from picking and trying to mate with my not-yet-laying pullets? My big silkie roosters keep standing on my tiny game bantam pullet (Enna) and pulling her neck feathers, I don't think they are trying to hurt Enna, but they are three times her size and are going to squash her.
- How many hens per rooster? Do bantam roosters need fewer hens?
- Is there a way to make sure the game bantams mate with the game bantams, and the silkies mate with the silkies?
- Should I trust my silkie hens to incubate and raise the chicks? And about what percent of the eggs will hatch?
- How many eggs do your silkies lay a week?
- Is there anything else I need to know about silkies and roosters and starting a chicken business?
I am glad to have found so many other people who are chicken crazy like me.
An 'all flock' feed with oyster shell on the side is good for mixed flocks. Separate your roosters from your game bantams if you want your chicks to be pure breds. Multiple roosters breeding smaller hens can injure them. Silky hens are generally excellent setters and mothers. You can expect high % hatches from broody hens as long as the eggs are fertile. Silky hens , in my experience, generally lay a clutch and then go broody so egg production is not all that high. Good luck with, and continue to enjoy your flock.
