Need advice/suggestions on what to do with Silkies...

[MysteryChicken]

I have included an image of each. I've had them for a week or so. Two of them will crow like crazy, the other one I have never heard more than a cackle from. I assumed it was a hen. The first image of the "red" one was attacked by the other two before we got them. Since we have increased their area a lot, they don't bully it, anymore and the damaged part on the back of its head is healing quickly. The white one with the larger comb also crows. The last image with the flatter comb, I think, is a hen. They are all beautiful birds.

All 3 are cockerels, or roosters.

 

[WindRunner]

All 3 are cockerels, or roosters.

I told my wife what you said, and we both busted out laughing. The guy who gave them to our relatives to give to us said he was giving us two hens and one rooster. Maybe he knew what he was doing!? LOL

 

[MysteryChicken]

I told my wife what you said, and we both busted out laughing. The guy who gave them to our relatives to give to us said he was giving us two hens and one rooster. Maybe he knew what he was doing!? LOL

It's common for people to give away males, & lie, or they just didn't know.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Yup. All 3 roosters.

That said, Silkues do GREAT in my LF flock. They are not bullied at all. They lay a ton of eggs, and I use them to adopt chicks all the time. My Silkie girls, even though they are tiny, can cover a dozen eggs.

But I don't see you needing any for your purposes. And 3 roosters won't help you AT ALL. Your donator probably knew exactly what he had. I'd rehome them, if I were you, or despatch them.

 

[WindRunner]

Yup. All 3 roosters.

That said, Silkues do GREAT in my LF flock. They are not bullied at all. They lay a ton of eggs, and I use them to adopt chicks all the time. My Silkie girls, even though they are tiny, can cover a dozen eggs.

But I don't see you needing any for your purposes. And 3 roosters won't help you AT ALL. Your donator probably knew exactly what he had. I'd rehome them, if I were you, or despatch them.

When I was a teenager, I would shoot and eat every type of bird in the area. I haven't tasted a Silkie, yet, so I think I will let them fill out a bit more and see if I like them. They are probably just about at that point, now. Actually, "Red" is kinda puny, but, hey, bigger than a redwing blackbird.

 

[MysteryChicken]

When I was a teenager, I would shoot and eat every type of bird in the area. I haven't tasted a Silkie, yet, so I think I will let them fill out a bit more and see if I like them. They are probably just about at that point, now. Actually, "Red" is kinda puny, but, hey, bigger than a redwing blackbird.

What type of feed are you feeding them?

 

[Chicken poppy]

Untrue. My PBR was the BEST mother hen I ever had.
View attachment 3105122

I don't care for Silkies. They can be "bullied" in a flock of normal feathered LF birds, they don't produce many eggs, they constantly go broody and don't have normal feathers so keeping warm in cold climates can be an issue. I would re-home them.

Silkies are hard to manage. Get beat up, so many diseases and genetic issues, harder to take care of, very dodo, has to be good temp.

Some silkies aren’t as great moms, some rocks are. Kinda depends on the bird.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Silkies are hard to manage. Get beat up, so many diseases and genetic issues, harder to take care of, very dodo, has to be good temp.

Some silkies aren’t as great moms, some rocks are. Kinda depends on the bird.

Not true about silkies.

 

[Chicken poppy]

Not true about silkies.

The silkies i have had anyway. What i said is everything that has happened to most of my silkies.

 

[Chicken poppy]

Out of the birds i have had, silkies definitely get the dodo award for me. Maybe i just always end up with the wonky birds, but thats my experience with them.