Our Silkie hens always die and hatch only roosters ??

[SleepyHollowFnF]

We have had silkies for about two years now. We got our first group of 6. One was taken by a predator, the other two were females and died suddenly at about 4 months. The others were roosters which are still happy and healthy. We bought two silkie hens on one trip and both lived well over a year never laying a single egg then spontaneously died. The same day we bought three showgirl hens which have laid a grand total of 7 eggs in a year, after incubation they are all roosters.

The birds have ample access to food and clean water. Their coop is well insulated with a large 40x40 run. I'm really not sure what to make of this. Our other birds seem to not have this problem, but with silkies it almost seems like we are cursed or something? Why is it every silkie (pure) female we get dies, roosters live, and we have only gotten 7 eggs in a year of having them, and why all roosters?

Answers to ANY of these questions would be very appreciated. We are really at a loss here. We have three silkie pullets from mypetchicken which are now kept away from the other birds monitor them and protect them from possibly aggressive roosters. Really hoping for some guidance on this.

Thanks all!

 

[lazy gardener]

I'm about to upset a lot of silkie lovers! IMO, the breed is fraught with genetic defects. The vaulted skull makes them prone to neurologic issues, they have a higher incidence of wry neck and scissor beak than other breeds. And the feathers? These birds seem to be parasite magnets. I'd find an other breed to work with.

 

[SleepyHollowFnF]

I haven't had those particular issues to my knowledge...but I can't help but think there is SOMETHING wrong here. I don't think I am doing anything to harm the birds but they keep doing this. It's very discouraging

 

[rebrascora]

I agree that silkies are problematic for the reasons stated and also more prone to Marek's disease. Keeping them in with regular large fowl puts them at risk and more than one rooster is definitely a problem. I would raise these silkie pullets in their own pen and only add a single silkie rooster, ideally an older mature one, after they have been laying for several months. The advantage of a mature rooster is that he should have better mating technique and more gentlemanly behaviour than young males that are at the whim of their raging hormones. Pullets in general get a hard time from adolescent cockerels and scalping is something that crops up on BYC more often than it should, but silkies are particularly vulnerable with their vaulted skulls. More than one rooster/cockerel will stress the pullets and make them more prone to an attack of Marek's as well as increased risk of injury to their skull. My advice would be to give the pullets time to mature and get into an egg laying routine and then add a gentle, mature rooster for a few days and see how it goes. If they are unhappy, remove him and give them a few more months and try again.
More than one immature cockerel, may be your biggest problem in my opinion. A bachelor pad might be the answer or as suggested, giving your silkie girls their own pen.