My Accidental Silkies

[Bookspryte]

To avoid having to pay shipping charges or worrying about picking up chicks from the post office, I ordered 10 barred rock chicks and 10 black bantam cochins from my local feed mill. They ordered from Cackle.

When I picked got my chicks home and looked at them closely, I realized my bantam cochins had black beaks, black feet with five toes and were fluffier than the BR. I realized somehow I'd received silkies by mistake. I called the feed mill Saturday morning and they confirmed that the invoice indeed said Cackle and the only person who had ordered silkies had ordered 5 white ones.

To make a long story short, I'm now the proud owner of 8 silkies (2 have died since Friday). I'm not sure what Cackle will do with the mix up. I still want my cochins, but I'm now worried about keeping the other 8 silkies alive. They seem so delicate compared to any other chicks I've raised. I'm having pasty butt issues with 2 of them, but I need to know what other challenges these guys will face.

I never would have purchased silkies, but now that I have them, their little fuzzy faces are starting to grow on me.

I'd appreciate any advice from silkie owners/lovers so I can keep these fuzzy guys happy and healthy.

Denise

Edited to add picture:

 

[crazygoatlady915]

I'd take them! No, I already have 2!

I don't have any issues with bullying in my brooder, and I treat them the same way as all the others. However, (i haven't gotten here yet) I heard that when they are older, the other hens may pick on the silkies. But many find success with pinless peepers.

Good Luck!!!!!

 

[Bookspryte]

I moved the silkies to another brooder Saturday morning because they seemed cold in the larger brooder. They just kept huddled together. Already they seem more active.

I already have 2 anti-social hens who don't think they're supposed to associate with chickens. I'm gonna end up with a bunch of coops to accommodate my prima dona chickens.

Now that I have accidental silkies, I'll need to plan and build another coop. Oh, darn.

 

[crazygoatlady915]

Cute, cute! They look like mine! 'Cept mine are grey.

 

[gypsymoonfarm]

I had issues with pasty butt so I shaved my chicks' vents last year and this year. A #40 blade just around it has solved the problem.

 

[BrattishTaz]

I got an accidental silkie x ? in my last batch of chicks too. I didn't notice the toes and skin until I got them home. I had been worried about her because she is so small compared to the others (about 1/2 the size) but she seems to be the boldest of the bunch. She actually pulls food out of the other chicks' beaks.

I think she is going to do just fine.

Keep their vents clean and put a dish of sand in the brooder. The pasty butt should should clear up quickly.

 

[mama24]

My silkies aren't delicate at all.

Give them a couple days to recover from shipping, they'll be fine.

 

[karenhs2]

We have 10 silkies currently 3-4 weeks old. We had one incidence of pasty butt and used a suggestion found on here to put a bit of raw apple cider vinegar in their water (I used a half teaspoon in the small chick size waterer) and didn't have any more. We gently cleaned the one with warm water.

 

[Bookspryte]

I found my third dead chick this morning. It's getting frustrated because the 10 BR in the other brooder are doing fine. I checked last night and think I've gotten ahead of the pasty butt issue

. These little guys just seem much more insubstantial than any other chicks I've had.

When I picked them up at the store, they didn't have them under heat. I'm sure getting chilled didn't help them. Keeping my fingers crossed that the last 7 make it.

The funny thing is my husband's response to silkies has always been "I hate silkies," yet he beat me to the brooder this morning to check on them. I wonder how long it will be before I come home and see a chick or two sitting on "Daddy's" lap.