New to Backyard Chickens ( new mom flock and to BYC )

[lynly444]

I live in PA Schuylkill county IM SO EXCITED about started my new and 1 st Flock I'm also new to BYC but learning my way around all the goodies you have packed on this site this is now the third time I have tried to Post this message I can't find the other 2 but that's OK
Wanting to know the hatchery you think is the best how soon should I order silkies sizzel or frizzle
Husband only wants 3 1male 2 female's I was thinking a few more female's these are going to be Pets they will not free range like the big ones
PLEASE KEEP IN MIND MORE OPPIONS THE BETTER
I WANT THEM IN APRIL 1_3 DAY OLD CHICKS WORK M ON COOP NOW HELP ME

THANK YOU LYNLY444

 

[drumstick diva]

Welcome to Backyard chickens. First, a rooster can handle 10 hens. If you are only going to have 2 hens, they will be overbred to the point of injury. Second ,silkies are one of the most difficult breeds to sex before 4-5 mos. of age. Sometimes they cannot be sexed till they crow or lay eggs. Buying any very young chicks - you may end up with all males.
If someone offers you guaranteed sexed baby silkies, I would walk away fast.

You could check out the "silkie thread," to find out more about them.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Hatcheries vent sex chicks. I don't believe Silkie are any harder to vent sex than another bird. Hatcheries are 99% accurate sexing birds but use 90% for disclaimer for statistics of small orders. They may get it wrong 1 in 100 but that one gets sold and typically in a box of dozen or two so it throws off their actual track record and why the need to claim 90%.

Silkies are extremely hard to sex without vent sexing and that is a learned skill.

 

[lazy gardener]

EH: I respectfully beg to differ on your 99% claim. You will see a lot of posts from dismayed new flock keepers who ordered pullets. The typical story goes like this, "I bought 6 female chicks, one of them is crowing. What do I do?" "I bought 10 chicks from the feed store, they were in a bin labeled pullets. One is crowing, and an other one has the same "rooster tail" feathering. I can't have roosters in my town". And on and on it goes. One year, I ordered a bunch of chicks from a well respected hatchery. The 3 Dom "pullets" were all males. When I showed up at the feed store to pick them up, I immediately knew they were cockrels. Doms are autosexing! And they still got it wrong! Almost every year, my friends and neighbors call me in early summer, asking me if I want their accidental roos.

Lyn: If you want to be sure of the gender of her birds, it would be wise to wait until they are old enough that they can be positively id'd before buying them. Personally, if I had a small flock (less than 10 birds) I'd never consider having a roo because of the overbreeding issue. Silkies are notorious for going broody. If they are not trying to hatch eggs, they will try to hatch a rock, a golf ball, their own feet, or an invisible egg. Chronically broody birds are prone to health issues b/c of their self induced fasting. If you want silkies for the experience of hatching, you will need an exit plan for all of the chicks (it's easy to find local hatching eggs) and specifically for the roos. If you dont want to hatch eggs, I strongly suggest that you look at other breed options.

 

[lynly444]

Thanks you all for your input I really only wanted female's my husband's idea for the rooster so that's scratched what's a good number for a starter Flock and really I do want more than 3 female's ,?

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! Three is the smallest possible number of birds to have, IMO, and more would be better; how about six or so? Unfortunately ,not all chicks will survive every time, and as others have pointed out, cockerels do happen. Silkies are cute, but also more fragile and can't really fly. How about bantam Cochins, bantam Brahmas, or the more active Belgian d'Uccles? Easter Egger bantams too. Few hatcheries will ship such a small number, more expensively, and riskier for those fragile babies, so you may be getting chicks from a local feed store, unsexed, which will include BOYS! Mary

 

[lynly444]

I was looking at a couple hatcheries that do mail order I really like the idea of getting more and mixed the breeds up then I get to learn about different kinds but most of all when I build the colon I have the right size tell my Honey I must of order the wrong package listen I'm asking all these questions because I know what I should do
What does it mean when they say sexed linked?
He old should they be when I get them ?
I want them to know me so I can pick them up
Thank you so much for your help

 

[melliston]

Sex link refers to a genetic trait that allows chickens to be sexed by color at hatch, (I.e. black sex link, only hens are black when they hatch)

 

[lynly444]

Thank. You