silkie question

[greeneggs444]

In the murray mcmurray hatchery catalog they had silkies only in bantam size. Are they really small? could i add one or two to a standard size flock?

 

[greeneggs444]

why will no one answer I posted this thread before tooooo!

 

[austincoopersilkiesies]

Hens Weigh About 3 lbs roos about 4 lbs Yes You Could add 1 or 2 but 3 is best for breeding or really 3 so they dont feel odd.

 

[Majestic Lane Poultry]

I depends. Tell me about your other chickens.

 

[joe17]

You can add a few silkies in your flock. Depending on the strain of silkies, they can be really tiny to a pretty decent sized bird. They may get beat up a bit when you add them though.

 

[rilly10]

Quote:
X2 It REALLY depends on your flock. I tried to add a full grown silkie roo to my layer flock once (all standard hens) and they almost killed him within a few minutes. Silkies are bantams, at least in the US we only have bantams. They are a "true bantam" meaning they do not have a standard sized counterpart.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
No; that is much too heavy.

Cocks weigh 36 oz, (2.25 lb)
Hens weigh 32 oz (2 lb)
Cockerels weigh 32 oz (2 lb)
Pullets weigh 28 oz (1.75 lb)

I have a VERY large exhibition barrred rock cock. My silkie roos tend to terrorize him. I have a TINY silkie hen who will beat the tar out of any LARGE hen that she does not like. In general, when the birds are mixed sizes, the personality governs who rules the roost, and the amount of aggretion.

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

Bantams and standards can be mixed - but you just have to watch out.


Silkies can be anywhere from 2 - 5 lbs. I have seen lines that strive for TINY birds to lines that strive for near standard size - my daughter's roo is around 4 lbs and a fullblooded silkie him and my d'uccle roo get into often... they both regularly torments the neighbors 9 lb barred rock rooster when he comes over in my yard in their area. I keep bantams (silkies and d'uccles) and large fowl (EE, brahma, and polish) and they free range together sometimes - the bantams are the rulers of the roost - though my large fowl are younger and still pullets/cockerals at 3-5 months old - however I think thats how things always will be.

 

[greeneggs444]

well i wanted to just get 3 or four chickens this time, but Ive heard great things about silkies and I wanted to just get one, not make a whole flock of silkies. I just thought the big hens would hurt it

 

[BlossomSilkies]

I have one silkie hen in with my standard flock. She is the top hen and doesn't take any guff from anyone and we get a good laugh with our rooster tries to mess with her and she thumps him.

Now, to us, she is a sweetheart, comes right to us and will sit with me for a long time. Just a love bug. But she is boss of the yard.