Silkie Issues...

[dbjay417]

I think my silkie is retarded, like mentally disabled.

Shes not scared of anything, not the dogs, not the cats, not me. I've seen her attack my largest dog, which is some sorta shepard-lab mix.

She chooses horrible nesting spots, and shes failed to hatch eggs three times already. This last time I had her efforts tightly controlled and monitored, and still the eggs spoiled without developing. they were supposed to be hatching, but instead one has exploded with rancid nastiness with no sign of anything resembling a chick.

I know her eggs are fertile, because her beau is a randy one, He mounts her numerous times a day when they are together.

Also she lays sporadically. Some times a week will pass in between eggs, and some times she lays 3 or 4 in a week.

She just seems to be lacking the instinctive faculties, and natural capabilities of all my other chickens. Some of these behavioral short comings, like her lack of fear, make her my favorite for several reasons, and I'd love to have her be a mom, but the only chick she ever hatched was strangled in a most unfortunate butt feather accident.

I'm working on making an incubator now. I should be finished this week, I hope this will solve my dilemma.

 

[Chickie Mamma]

Butt Feather Accident?

I had a Silkie that didn't fear anything but he was a roo and I guess he was supposed to have some nerve. None of my females are of laying age yet, so I can't help much. The ones that stand out, whether good or bad qualities, are always the favorites

 

[chickensioux]

I too an curious as to what a butt feather accident is. If she is a "special needs" hen, would she make a good mom?

 

[dbjay417]

this has happened to me twice. When they are brooding and later have chicks, and they are sitting, their butt fluff gets nappy and tangled, and some times, a chick will work its way into such a tangle and asphyxiate. I went out one morning and she was clucking up a storm, and she had a chick hanging dead from her matted butt feathers. It happened with another silkie cross that i procured from the pet shop. Its a sad sad sight. they are normally so proud and protective, and to see that they have inadvertently killed one, its sad.

i don't mean to actually have her raise them, because chicks dont fare well free to roam on my property, but rather just to have some her chicks.

 

[chickensioux]

Ok, that is truly sad. I'm sorry you and she have experienced that.

 

[backyardigans]

I think both of my silkies are mental cases, too. They don't react to things like our other chickens do. They are not curious. We call them "lumps" because they really show no interest to anything other than eating. Is this normal for silkies? Nothing really makes an impact. They're in a complete state of zen all of the time.

They also don't seem to be able to see or hear very well. We had a hawk attack one of our cochins (she got away) and the silkies were right there and didn't even notice! No reaction what so ever, they were just happily taking a dust bath. I can't figure them out.

 

[dbjay417]

my silkie is not quite that detatched, but she seems more content to be around the house and treated like a house pet than consort with the other chickens. Some times i take her roach hunting.

Well go out to the far corner of the yard and I'll turn over some yard waste, and she'll devour whatever she can catch.

 

[M Claire]

Hello, I am just leaving my story on all of these threads as a warning. Silkies have wonderful mothering instincts, but I have picked six caught babies out our silkie's feathers and today I was too late and lost a beautiful month-old crested polish baby. I will never work with a silkie broody again. Our two pekin bantams always pluck themselves clean and I have never, ever had this problem.