Odd silkie behaviors: starting a list

SJensen

Songster
14 Years
Jul 29, 2009
155
9
226
South Surrey
Would you people experienced with silkies be interested in posting the odd silkie behaviors you've observed?

I am raising a silkie for the first time -- it hatched at the end of August about a week before the other eggs in the nest, so we brought it into a brooder. When we tried to put it under the mother when the other chicks hatched, she rejected it. (It looks a lot different than the other chicks). So this chick sleeps indoors at night, and during the day often goes out into the greenhouse or out in the yard with the other chickens.

So I'm noticing a lot of strange behaviors, and I don't know if it is because it is a silkie, because it is being raised alone, or if there is something wrong.

I'll start with the first item for the list:

This silkie won't scratch for food
 
I have one silkie cockerel that I got along with my bunch of chicks last spring. He has free ranged with them all along and does scratch for food right alongside the rest of the flock.
 
My silkies never used a roost, which isn't really that odd. But they were the only chickens I've had that preferred to roost on the floor. They particularly enjoyed their spa days too (which I did quite often, because they slept on the floor). I would wash and blow dry then cut their hair (their crests kept them from seeing well) and they would just fall asleep. I miss my silkies alot, they had great little personalities. I'm considering starting another small flock....
 
I own a silkie that tries to mate hands when you pick him up. So I'm thinking:
smack.gif
when I pick Taco up.
 
I have three 7 week old silkies and they are so adorable. The funniest thing they've done so far is they stand in the feed dish to eat. Everyone else stands outside. They will scratch for food. And they are so funny going against the lavender Orpingtons for pecking order.
 
Quote:
I do think it is lonely. The other chicks its age are bantams and are still being cared for by the mother. We don't want to interfere with that yet. I do hope that eventually the silkie and banties will end up being friends.

Another weird behavior this silkie chick started doing at about 3 weeks is that when you go to pick it up, it lifts one wing and tips itself sideways. It is still doing it even at 3 months old.
 
Mine are constantly BROODY. (I have four Silky hens, one roo) My Marshmallow is broody again for I think the 5th or 6th time this year. If somebody else goes broody, it gets her going again, too. She'll even climb in the same box and they will be broody together. We aren't hatching anything, so they aren't sitting on anything, except each other.
 

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