Silkie breeding, genetics & showing

[OneMountainAcres]

I was out in the brooder today taking some pictures and I got some of my two silkie chicks. They should be right around 8 weeks old now but they won't be heading out to the mail coop until this cold fades away and the others are old enough to join them. I'm suspecting that I may have a pair. I know it's early to tell with silkies but maybe you experts may have a keen enough eye to tell. I'm thinking the darker one is a cockerel and the lighter one a pullet. oh, and the messy "hair do's" are from their fermented feed lol





cockerel?



Pullet?

 

[Uzair Ahmed]

One day old now.

 

[taimon01]

could anyone help me i've recently brought two silkies ( 1 hen 1 Rooster ) and was wondering how often should i expect her to go broody and what can i do to encourage it

 

[jas humbert]

could anyone help me i've recently brought two silkies ( 1 hen 1 Rooster ) and was wondering how often should i expect her to go broody and what can i do to encourage it

I honestly don't think there's much you can do to make it happen sooner but silkies are notorious brooders and it probably will happen sooner or later. Give her a little time to settle in to her new home The only thing that I know that sometimes works is exposure to another broody hen. I've got 5 silkies and the first one went broody about 2-3 weeks ago and one by one all the rest have joined her. All 5 today in the nest boxes sharing one egg between them and apparently happy with each other. I kick them all out and remove eggs and a couple of hours later someone lays an egg and they are right back to brooding. The only one who isn't broody yet is my only showgirl. I'm ordering fertile eggs ( I have no roosters at present) and I'm going to parcel them out. Next week should be warmer and I'm almost finished setting up separate broody quarters.

 

[taimon01]

Thanks for the help.Also if i counted properly my Silkies only have 4 toes is that possible, everything else on them seems like a purebred Silkie.
Any help on introducing my silkie rooster to my new Barbu d'uccles trio and my existing 2 Light Sussex (1 Hen that just started laying and 1 unsexed bantam, raised them from chicks) he seems to want to fight anything near him. Hoping to breed the Barbu d'uccles trio and pair my light sussex hen up with my silkies to make a trio (they will all share the same coop and run

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Anyone out there looking to rehome a couple of roos? I'm searching for a clean (minimal/no leakage) blue Silkie roo and Showgirl roo. I've been searching locally for about a year and haven't had much luck. I'm located in TN, so shipping would be required if not close.

They'll have lots of lovely ladies to look after and a nice big coop and run!

 

[Adorkable]

Anyone out there looking to rehome a couple of roos? I'm searching for a clean (minimal/no leakage) blue Silkie roo and Showgirl roo. I've been searching locally for about a year and haven't had much luck. I'm located in TN, so shipping would be required if not close.

They'll have lots of lovely ladies to look after and a nice big coop and run!

I only have 1 splash silkie cockerel that I will be breeding over 2 splash showgirls (my only SGs). I will also be using my splash silkie cockerel over a blue pullet to hatch blues for next years SG pen. I don't have any extra roosters, but you can post in the showgirl thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...tures-and-discussing-breed/2640#post_16568985

Hope you find what you are looking for. Good luck!

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

I only have 1 splash silkie cockerel that I will be breeding over 2 splash showgirls (my only SGs). I will also be using my splash silkie cockerel over a blue pullet to hatch blues for next years SG pen. I don't have any extra roosters, but you can post in the showgirl thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...tures-and-discussing-breed/2640#post_16568985

Hope you find what you are looking for. Good luck!

Thank you! I don't know why, but it never occurred to me to search for a Showgirl thread. Duh!

 

[OneMountainAcres]

So I was sitting in the brooder with all my babies earlier, changing the bands on their legs to zip ties, and my one silkie chick (bout 8 weeks old now) was very fascinated with me being in there. I haven't gotten to spend much time with them lately besides feeding time every morning so I was very surprised. He/she was super excited, trying to get the zip ties that I had as I was putting them on everyone else. In between each chick, I would stop and pick him/her up and snuggle and pet lol. I can't get over how poofy and cute they are! The other one still kept his/her distance for the most part though did come over near the end. I how they grow up to be the cuddly "lap dogs" that I've heard they are. The two that I had before from the hatchery were anything but.

 

[jas humbert]

So I was sitting in the brooder with all my babies earlier, changing the bands on their legs to zip ties, and my one silkie chick (bout 8 weeks old now) was very fascinated with me being in there. I haven't gotten to spend much time with them lately besides feeding time every morning so I was very surprised. He/she was super excited, trying to get the zip ties that I had as I was putting them on everyone else. In between each chick, I would stop and pick him/her up and snuggle and pet lol. I can't get over how poofy and cute they are! The other one still kept his/her distance for the most part though did come over near the end. I how they grow up to be the cuddly "lap dogs" that I've heard they are. The two that I had before from the hatchery were anything but.

I think you might find a difference between hatchery and breeder silkies. . I know I did. I first bought two hatchery silkies from the farm store who both turned out to be mediocre roos and were eventually rehomed. Neither was all that cuddly-just basically avoided us. Later I incubator hatched a batch of silkie eggs from a decent breeder. Mostly they grew up to be very friendly birds. I kept six hens and all but one are very cuddly, love to be picked up. Petunia will peck at my shoes or stand on my feet until I pick her up and give her a cuddle. Even the one who doesn't love being picked up will come close and follow me around. Absolutely no comparison to the hatchery birds in temperment.