New Silkies-Need Info.

[sct206]

We just got two little Silkie Chicks yesterday. I did not realize how tiny they would be. They are a week old and are smaller than our Wyandottes, Barred Rock, and Australorp was at one day old. As I was reading one of the threads, it mentioned Silkies don't usually roost like my other chickens do. So, can you Silkie experts fill me in on the other differences I need to know about to accommodate the new additions to our flock?

 

[paddock36]

Silkies do not usually roost. Mine don't even like to go up small ramps so all our pens are ground level. Once their top crest becomes large it obstructs their view which can make them easy prey. So for that reason we have always kept outs in a covered pen of some type. Silkies also do not fly very well at all because their feathers lack the barb adhesion of normal chicken feathers and for that reason it also gives them the fluffy appearance. We have our Silkies in a coup with a two foot tall divider and they do not cross it. I think they are the calmest breed you will come across.

 

[Michael OShay]

I wouldn't personally recommend mixing even adult Silkies in with standard sized breeds such as Wyandottes, Barred Rocks, and Australorps as they will likely take a beating. For this reason we ended up removing our Silkies from out standard size flock and putting them in a separate coop/run with our Polish (who were also taking a beating from the standard sized breeds although it was because of their crests and not their lack of size in the case of the Polish). Our Silkies and Polish got along fabulously.