several silkie questions

[clintwilson59]

Im new to this board and i have several silkie questions and i appreciate every answer. If i sound stupid just ignore it please

How does it work with the colors, like does every silkie throw every color or what and what color crosses make what?

What age are they fully mature?

Exacly how broody are they?

how many broods a year usually?

Thanks everyone and any other info is vey welcome.

 

[Smoky73]

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[Southernbelle]

If you breed a white and a white, you're going to get a white. You can cross colors, and they'd be pure Silkies, but there'd be some off colors and the offspring wouldn't breed true so it's not advisable to breed like that if you're looking to sell offspring.

My Silkies start laying between 5-8 months usually, they lay for a few weeks, go broody, raise chicks, start to lay again when the chicks are 4 weeks old, lay for a few weeks, go broody, etc, etc, etc until the end of time. So they can get up to 6 broody cycles in per year if they were determined. They are the broody QUEENS!

 

[SilkiesAndSuch]

I agree, they are broody little buggers. Won't find many other breeds that compare, other than cochins and a few others(and they still aren't always quite as good, though there are some great broody cochins)

I wouldn't crossbreed silkies. If you want white birds, buy white birds from a trustworthy breeder(white only being an example color, get whatever color you want lol). I have bought birds that looked purebred in the past, only to find out they weren't(they gave me the weirdest combinations of colors and feather textures lol.

Unlike some other breeds, maturity is a crapshoot with silkies. It all depends on their genetics, what lines they come from, how purebred they are, etc. I find that my silkies from cacklehatchery(absolutely will never be show birds if I may add) mature faster than my good showbirds, though that might just be my luck. But I agree with the 6 months to 9 months until maturation(with random birds that might mature much earlier and much later) (and again it depends on the birds' genetics)

Silkies are never good layers, mostly due to the fact that they are almost always broody. But you can use this to your advantage by letting them hatch out other breeds of poultry. I love my silkies dearly, they are so sweet and docile. Hopefully mine will start laying soon, as they are around 7 months old.

But again, unless you don't care what your birds look like and don't really care about exhibition and selling purebred babies, don't cross different colored silkies(excluding splash, blue, and black)

 

[clintwilson59]

thanks for the answers, and also i have three more questions:

my silkies are scratch and peck them selves quite a bit and one has missing feathers around the back of her head, is this because they are molting?

before the possible molting deal started i gave my hens the ideal nests with eggs in it and they wouldnt set, could it be the heat because im in louisiana and it doesnt get below like 97 in the day?

and the last question: would being incubator hatched have anything to do with they're broodiness?


I really appreciate all the help. It doesnt really matter to me what they look like i bought them to hatch eggs out for me.

 

[robin416]

You're coming across as someone who is relatively new to poultry. Is that true?

Silkies prefer to lay their eggs on the floor. Some like a cover, some like just a defined area.

As to the head scratching, missing feathers it sounds as though your birds have mites. They need to be treated.

Incubator hatching has nothing to do with broodiness. Some younger birds will go broody a few weeks after every hatch for about a year. Older birds more like two times a year.

And they are not setting because they are not ready. A delicate balance of hormones causes a bird to go broody and to raise chicks. You can't just turn a switch on and have them set a nest full of eggs.

 

[Smoky73]

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All my birds are incubator hatched and I have so many broodies it is unbelievable. sometimes I have as many as 15 at one time. Its nuts out there really.

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Birds that scratch themselves a lot probably have either lice or mites. It's important to get this cleared up as soon as possible. It can kill them.

 

[Lesalynn]

Clint, might I ask whereabouts in Louisiana you are?? And also, where did you get your silkies from?? Just curious, I have 5 silkie eggs on there way to me, these will be my first ones ever. Been wondering if someone in Louisiana raises them. I'd like to find someone fairly local to buy from. Good look with yours.

 

[clintwilson59]

i live around shreveport. i got my silkies from two differnt places one was from ambrose poultry farm that is in minden and the other place was some kind of exotic animal farm in plain dealing, i dont remember the name of that farm but the lady's last name was martin. These silkies are only like pet quality though, i just got them for their broodyness.

Mr. Ambrose is really nice, though he probly wouldnt have the best selection this time of year infact i think i got his last adult hen last weekend. He sells them $9 adults, 6 juviniles, and 3 or 2 for chicks. he has alot of chickens, guineas, and ducks.