Silkie Experts! I need you!!! some ?'s!

[greytmommy]

Silkie Experts I need you! some ?'s..........we are going into week 4, and I have 3 silkies. 1 black and 2 white (well..one might be buff, but I think it is white). Anyhoo, my black silkie is HALF the size of the other 2. Do i need to worry? (S)he is eating, drinking and seems to be thriving...but (s)he is just SO very little!!!! I worry about him getting trampled by the others! Will (s)he always be small? Just a small chicken? Or will (s)he catch up?

Also, for when they get older, any tips on sexing them? So i can know what to look for....

 

[PamB]

If the little one seems to be acting healthy, then maybe she is just small. She could eventually catch up, but maybe she will always be a bit smaller than the others. I'm not sure there is any way of knowing that. I would only be concerned if she was acting like she was sick or if she was getting picked on too much by the others.

As far as sexing, it is REALLY difficult with silkies. You'll know for sure when they either crow or lay an egg!

I have two that are only a little over 3 months and they already crow. My first cockeral didn't crow until he was about 6 months though.

 

[Freestylester Silkie's]

Are they normal or bantam?
If they are normal mayby the little one is bantam.
If you stroke the front of the throte from the legs up and you feel food, i wouldend be worried.
As long as you don't see the other ones pick on it and it is strong it will manage fine.

About sexing silkies, the two chicks i hatchd are very clearly a hen and a roo, but it is my first hatch and time will tell if i am right

.
In three weeks time i 'll have another hatch and mayby i will have to change my opinion about sexing silkies

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Have fun with your chicks.
And good luck with the little one.
Keep us posted on its progress.

 

[greytmommy]

they are all supposed to be bantams.

i didnt feel any food. Zero (that is her name) was a bit smaller than the others when we got them. She has grown, but just not as much as the others. she is also MUCH more vocal than any of our other chicks. She is also finally starting to feather out. She has been the last one to start getting feathers. She is about 4wks and just now starting to lose some down. Actually she just had a feather half pop out that looks GREY not black! So maybe she isnt the black silkie like I assumed she was.

 

[Freestylester Silkie's]

Can you post a picture of zero and another chick?
One of my chicks stopped eating for a few days, but she started again.
They are four weeks now.
Before she stopped eating she was feathering she stopped for a week and now is feathering again.
If zero eats only a little bit you won't feel it very good.
Try if she want's to eat some food out of your hand.
Or make some food moist mayby thats easyer to eat.
And make sure you have more then one foodbowl.
Mine started eating when i threw it on the ground.

 

[ginbart]

You could boil an egg and give (her) the yoke. See if she eats that then you will know if she's eating. I would be worried about (her) eating and making sure the others are not pushing it away from the food. I had a silkie that was small and when she got older she was still smaller than the others but did great.

 

[SilkieMomma]

In my last batch of Silkies that I hatched, I had two that were very small. They stayed a lot smaller than the others, turns out they were hens! I love silkies, they are so sweet!

 

[Teresaann24]

I had one that seemed to never grow as the others grew and grew she did not I tried everything but could no save her she passed away at 3 weeks old.

 

[greytmommy]

I see her eat. Even when I give a few treats she gets them! She is hands down the fastest chicken in the flock! I will give her some yoolk to see if that helps her grow a little. From what I have observed, the other chicks don't pick on her. So far, everyone gets along really well.

I will make 100% sure she is eating & give her some yolk.

 

[ginbart]

She may just be a smaller chicken when she grows up. I hatched some Orpingtons from two different people on here and you should see how some of them are a lot bigger then the other ones. If you see her eating I bet she will be ok.