Silkie folk, speak out please

[Pennyhen]

Hi,
I am in Idaho and am a long time chicken fan.
I got my first silkies 2 weeks ago from a craigs list ad. I got 5 for 30 bucks, she didnt know the sex.
These chickies are adorable! I now know that I have 2 hens and 3 roo's, I will be eliminating 2 of the roos.
My questions are.....
are silkies naturally docile and friendly? mine seem to have this innate trust of me and I feel very protective of them. empathy for this feeling anyone?
Mine seem to be easily bullied by my banty roo, is there anything I can do to discourage that? (That is really a banty owner question too)
They seem to have a tough time seeing, awareness of their surroundings is a challenge. is there something special I should do to protect them?
I was told that they were 5 months old when I got them but several of them are still feathering out on their heads. the roos are crowing (I thought my banty roo's crow was funny but the silkies are very HILARIOUS)
I have read that they are very broody, is that right from the start when they start laying? can they be dissuaded from setting?

Talk to me silkie people, I am hooked on these birds and really want to do well by them.......

Laurie

 

[nzpouter]

they are calmer than most other breed ( I put it down on their crest impairing their view ), all younger chickens will be bullied by older rooster.

You can trim the feather in front of their eyes to let them see better.

They do go broody quite often, we put them in a wire bottomed cage for a few days to get them out of it.

 

[BoiseBubba]

Quote:
Hi we must have met at one point or another, I am in boise, where are you in ID? Also, where did you get your silkies? I am in search of good quality silks......

 

[Happy Chicken Mama]

They seem to be docile & friendly. They are excelent mothers and bonders with humans. Our silkies are much moer attatched to us than our other chickens!

It sound like you have gotten bitten by the silkie bug

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I once had a silkie go broody before she ever laid

 

[jimnjay]

I think you have quickly discovered the great appeal of the Silkie Breed. They are sweet tempered birds and the inability to fly and overall impairment to their vision does seem to make them more vulnerable than other chickens.

I do clip the crest and beard on my girls. The Roos seem to have a natural void around the eyes that the little females do not have. I try to give them a clear range of view and you will be amazed how they will blossom after the are able to see better. It is really sad to me to see them pecking around when I throw treats in an effort to connect with the grain or bread bits that they can't see. My group were hatched in December and some are going through a molt that precedes getting their adult feathers. That will usually occur at around 4-5 months.

I have also found that I can train them to roost on a very low roosting board. I make them to be only high enough to step up on. It does help to keep the bum clean if they are able to roost. They need to be trained most often in order to roost in my experience. I have had some roosters that will go up a ladder type of roost but them are reluctant to jump down in the morning. I had on that waited till I got out there to give him an elevator ride. Crazy what we do for this wonderful little birds and how they train us.

Enjoy your new friends and congratulations for a wonderful choice.