Silkie Size

[lfoose]

About what size/weight should a Silkie be at about 9-12 months old?

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

i think 15" or more. Mine are still the same size they used to be at 9 months

 

[silkiechicken]

Acording to the US APA guidelines a silkie should be :

Standard Weights
Cock 36 oz. Hen 32 oz.
Cockerel 32 oz. Pullet 28 oz.

However, with hatchery stocks, often they can be bigger and smaller.

 

[Stormhorse23]

yeah, my roo is the size of my brahma pullet and my silkie pullet is a little bigger than my sebright.

 

[M.J]

thats i little while ago i was talking to a couple of poultry judges for what they look for in a silkie and they sayed they perfered the smaller silkies

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

does it depend on judge preferences or all judges like small?

 

[flyingmonkeypoop]

Most judges should like them small if they follow the standard. Here in the US, I think we should do what they did in the UK and have standard and bantam silkies. I was at a show last fall and saw a silkie that won best of breed that was the size of a standard black australorp, and not a hatchery australorp, a show 'lorp. The bird must have weighed atleast 6 pounds. It seems alot of judges are too into the crest, the crests on silkies are getting too big, if you read the standard, it calls for a medium crest, not large crest, meaning silkies crests should not be the size of polish crests. If you look at the 1998 black and white standard, the drawing is what silkies should look like as far as crest, they should be the size of an average bantam cochin or smaller.

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

so if I wanted to show my little guy I would have to way him to make sure he is the correct weight? correct?

 

[silkiechicken]

Well, thing is, you can't force them to be bigger or smaller as you would lose points on them being skinny or fat so to say The healthy weight of the bird will be determined by breeding and each bird, so you can't really force them to be this or that. Most small shows and fairs won't chop you to pieces over a bird that is healthy and vibrant and only 3 ounces over or under. It is just one factor in many they look at.

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

ok. I dont know if mine is pet or show qulity lol. I just love him as who he is