Should I get a Silkie? :) Why or Why Not?

[sunnibunny99]

You've got me convinced

Well, I asked my mom about getting two... she said maybe

Which means.... Maybe

Well... My other chickens are two months and might not get along with her!


Also... Is there a way to sex them? Theres this TSC that is selling them but i dont know how accurate their sexing is...

 

[Judy]

Hatchery sexing is about 90% accurate. TSC doesn't sex them, the hatchery does. And people handle them and put them back in the wrong bins.

I don't think people usually bathe silkies other than for showing, and of course TSC is not going to have show quality birds.

 

[Redhead Hen]

Quote:
Silikes can't be sexed until they are older.

(Don't quote me on that, but that is what I have been told!) TSC is not good on sexing so I don't trust them!

You could try and introduce them slowly once the silkies are old enough to go out in the coop. You would just need to house them in the coop with the big girls in a separate corner with their own food and water. Like in a dog crate or something similar - that way they can see each other but not touch. Keep them that way for a few days. That will give everyone time to see each other and get use to each other. I have integrated chicks to older chickens using this method with success. I kept them like that for a few days and one day just let them loose. There was some skirmishes - the big girls letting the little ones know who was in charge! But nothing serious and with in a day the pecking order was established and they all get along. (Worst case - you could always get chicken diapers and keep them in the house!

)

Good luck!

 

[THough1956]

Check out the website American Silkie Batam Club it will tell you almost everything you ever wanted to know about silkies.

Definelty get more than one, and silkies can not be sexed until they are about 5 months old.

I raise and show them locally, they are wonderful birds.

Good luck!

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

I got 4 banties 4 wks ago this Wed. One of the weak cochins didn't make it.

I have two silkies and one cochin that I plan to put in a dog house/tractor.

Things I've noticed that were different from raising my 12 wk old ten standard birds are:

The silkies don't roost. They will play and climb on things but prefer to cuddle together on the floor of the brooder. I put tube socks folded in on themselves for them to snuggle on since I don't have any stuffed animals - they love them to sit on, sleep on.
I will find the cochin roosting on the apple tree branch or the feeder or snuggling with the silkies on the socks.

All three don't like the large chunks of the crumbles, so I put some in a baggy and hit it with the flat side of pan to make it smaller.

The silkies didn't like the temp starting out at 95' like the big chicks did. They liked it more like 80-85. At almost 4 wks old they like it 75-80'.

They love meal worms. They will grab it out of the palm of my hand and run around chirping playing keep away and then go hide in the corner to eat it so the others can't steal it.

You have to get at least 2 chicks - preferably 3 in case something happens to 1. That would be one lonely little chick if you only got 1. They are flock animals. They need someone to sleep with, scratch with, pecking order with. If you can only get one, don't get any at all.

Good luck.

 

[CallyB57]

Can 6 Silkies be enough. I just don't know - I just bought 6 - one white, 3 blues, 2 buffs. They are absolutely the most adorable and entertaining 'chickens' I have ever seen. They are quite comical when they hop about flapping their wings and looking as if they are on a runway trying to take off. As other posters stated, you can't just buy one - it would be kind of cruel. Main thought I have is since they do not get as big as standard chickens, put a lot of forethought into their housing against predators. Remember, a 2" crack is too big. They should have hardware cloth protection below ground level at the sides, above ground on all sides, and at least chicken wire above. Good luck - you will adore them.

 

[sunnibunny99]

Yay!

Wait. I have to make the food smaller? Okay

 

[AngieChick]

Hmmm, homeschooled, eh? That could be a very good angle to getting silkies. BTW - yes, of course you need them, they are adorable and incredibly entertaining.

Here's what you do:
-Do a bit of research on building your own incubator (utilizing math, research, and engineering skills) out of an old cooler.
-Find a good shipper of silkie eggs, aka: chickenzoo, her website is Yhttp://www.chickenzoo.com/ .
-Write up an initial science goals for your incubation experiment. -
-Build bator
-Order eggs
-Keep records in your science journal, such as: temps needed, humidity requirements at different stages, turning chart, candling results at days 10, 14, & 18. Hatch results, complete with photos posted for your BYC friends, of course.
-Get to work on your coop while incubating and brooding! More use of good math/geometry skills. There will be sketches with measurements, angles, the works.

Good homeschool science projects are really hard for parents to resist doing. And trust me, incubating eggs is one of the best.

Good luck! And you need at least 5 girls, in the end. You will only want more if you get less, and why put off the inevitable

? You can rehome silkie boys fairly easily, they are very desirable.

 

[AngieChick]

Woops, just read your update

My advice was completely unnecessary. Congrats on your new chicks, I love mine and I am sure you will love yours.

 

[firedove]

Did you get the chicks or still asking about them? TSC has a 6 chick purchase minimum so you would have to get with someone else if you want just 2. I'm excited, I'm getting my first Silkie in 3 weeks. She is a started layer because I wanted to be sure it was a girl! I can't wait to meet her, she is coming from 3 hours away via a friend that is transporting her. I could ask for a pic but in this case I just want to be surprised! I do know she is a buff. I have a whole bunch of older chicks in the coop now so she should buddy in fine with them for now. I may have to get another later so she won't be on the floor alone when all the chicks grow up and start roosting on the high roosts.