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- #21
Great job!!The Silkie:
Adorable balls of fluff with legs and beaks, they are very docile, sweet and social birds who love to snuggle, either with their owner(s) or one-another. At night, mine don't perch but instead snuggle into a large ball of fluff on the ground or my lap purring/trilling, which makes them good house birds as they won't sleep on the furniture (barring the couch.) They were originally marketed as a cross between rabbit and chicken, and I can see why! They are very interesting to look at with their soft fur-like feathers, black skin and they come in many different colours, adding some extra charm to one's run or garden.
They are VERY amusing to watch as they peck and forage about the yard and all rush to a strawberry or apple I toss on the ground and then chase one-another around the yard squeaking, or gather by the fence when I go over it to pick the strawberries whining, or swarm the rooster when he food-calls. As with all breeds, it is a gamble with roosters and some do get mean ones even with silkies, but mine a right marshmallow and easy to handle, but he DOES attack when he hears any of the flock is distressed when being moved or flap about a lot when being handled which he interprets as distress, but quickly stops... He also makes this weird screaming sound when the hen stretches her wings by flapping them which both confuses me and makes me laugh.
This morning when I opened the back door to let the chickens out, the hen REALLY cracked me up.She ran from the other side of the kitchen to the back door and out in less than a second, flapping her wings and making an odd roar like sound! Her poor babies just sorta stood there as if thinking "... Now what?" Before doing loud peeps to call her back, in which she rushed back in and then led them outside. Silly hen REALLY wanted her morning dustbath! She also growls at foods that are annoying to break up and looks at me to get me to help.
The 3 month old chicks I raised are overgrown babies, if they aren't following their dad, they are following me and when I sit down, they will hop onto my lap or back for attention. The hen isn't fond of them, but is growing increasingly tolerant of them. The rooster is on their side though, and smuggles treats to them.
The hen I have lays around every day, a pale brown egg a bit smaller than a market egg but much tastier, when she isn't broody but she is very prone to broodiness. First time I encouraged it by leaving the eggs, but the second time I was taking the eggs every morning when she laid them, but one morning the broody switch triggered and she was glued to the nest... I sighed and caved in, plopping 4 other eggs she laid earlier under her and she hatched 5 more adorable balls of fluff, two which look to be blues! The hen was growly and pecky when on the eggs, but is completely fine with me handling the chicks, she just doesn't like being picked up.
Thank you!
