I want silkies! But don't know where to start.

[Rustic Chicken]

birdsnbeesnseeds... we are in Frankfort, KY.

oldtimegator... THANK YOU SO MUCH for your insight and recommendations! Great to know we can eat the eggs. The coop we have is small, only about 20 sqft inside. How many silky's would you recommend for that area? We are going to add a fairly good size enclosed run as well.

 

[joe17]

About a trio or quad

 

[GotGame]

you can figure, sq/ft in a coop would be 5 sq/ft per bantam, more like 2-3 sq/ft in the run.

 

[joe17]

I dont want to steal the thread but if I have 10 pullets, how many cockerels should I have? Can 1 roosters handle and keep all the girls fertile? I heard that if I did did get 2 roos and 10 pullets, then one roo will get picked on and will never get to breed anyways. Just curious!

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Quote:
I have a group of silkies, about 10ish or so girls and 4 or 5 boys. They all mate with the girls, and nobody gets picked on. All eggs from that pen have been fertile.

 

[joe17]

Really? Thanks! Im still debating on whether or not to flock breed or just do trios. Hmmm...... im completely torn!

 

[GotGame]

Quote:
You would be better off with 1 roo, just from my experience. We had two pens with 10-12 hens and 2 roos in each pen. The roos (in my pen) would knock each other off the hens, causing loss of fertility, and would breed them one after the other, a dominance issue. Having two roos in a pen CAN cut down on fertility, if the roos dont get along. My wife had two roos however that got along from day 1 and never had a problem. I suppose it all depends on the individual birds.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Quote:
I dont hatch the eggs from that group, I just check the fertility. That is one of the groups I sell the eggs out of, including my other groups. I mate in trios, and keep track of the chicks parents.

 

[joe17]

About how many trios do you have at a time? I could fit 2 quads and about 6 or 7 started birds in my coop at one time if I divided it. If I flock breed, I can fit about a dozen hens and 2 or 3 roosters.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Quote:
I keep about 3 trios at a time. The rest go in a pen together. I switch out roosters and hens, that way I have chicks from several different parents.