Silkie bantams

[AllenK RGV]

Hi,
Iv kept chickens before but never kept silkies
I'm going to incubate them my self for the first time and would be grateful of any advice (pros and cons) thanks.
And also would anyone know the best place to buy a good quality chicken coop.
Iv found a egg supplier in monmouthshire called super silkies

I do not know if I would commit to sitting on a clutch of eggs myself, but, more power to you! I hope you have a great hatch.

 

[HuffleClaw]

Mine roost on 4ft roosts.

 

[NNYchick]

Mine roost on 4ft roosts.

I’m glad mine don’t. My breeding pens dividers are only 4ft high. That is one thing I really like about silkies they don’t roost high and poop on everything and it’s easy to do temporary setup for for separate chick brooder, broody and her chicks, and breeding pens. I just use 4 ft puppy pens.

 

[AllenK RGV]

I’m glad mine don’t. My breeding pens dividers are only 4ft high. That is one thing I really like about silkies they don’t roost high and poop on everything and it’s easy to do temporary setup for for separate chick brooder, broody and her chicks, and breeding pens. I just use 4 ft puppy pens.

We are 8 months into our silkies, they for sure do not roost. They huddle on the ground but never inside the coop unless forced into it. This is a nightly thing for us. Maybe we just have subpar silkie stock.

 

[AllenK RGV]

Mine roost on 4ft roosts.

Wow you get them to roost? What is your secret? They are the most unchickenlike chicken I have yet to meet. I am not hating on the breed, however, mine were not born with the will to survive. We are fortunate that our flock has plenty of broody hens otherwise they would not survive. We have lost several to neighborhood dogs when they explore the other side of the fenced lot.

 

[HuffleClaw]

Wow you get them to roost? What is your secret? They are the most unchickenlike chicken I have yet to meet. I am not hating on the breed, however, mine were not born with the will to survive. We are fortunate that our flock has plenty of broody hens otherwise they would not survive. We have lost several to neighborhood dogs when they explore the other side of the fenced lot.

Put them on the roost for a few days then they’ll eventually do it themselves. My youngest learned from my older ones .

 

[HuffleClaw]

In case you don’t believe me

 

[Lizzy733]

Put them on the roost for a few days then they’ll eventually do it themselves. My youngest learned from my older ones .

They learn by copying others - I don't know that my silkie would roost if it wasn't for her shaver sisters. Also, ramps with a gentle slope and regularly spaced rungs for footing. My coop floor is waist high, then there's a mini ramp to the roosting bars. She took to the latter much easier than the former and I thought about putting in an accessibility porch halfway up for ages. She did eventually figure it out though.

 

[Trimurtisan]

It's crest trimming time. Our Silkier cockerels have a weird relationship with our guinea. Long storey short, 4 of 5 guineas died young. The remaining keet started sleeping on the ground with the Silkies. They are about the same age, but Pearl the guinea acts like their mother. She beaks up their fights, grooms them, and is never more than 10' from them. They're around 8 months old now, and the guinea still sleeps on the floor with them.