Silkie thread!

[GalloSiSupieras]

You might try posting in the meat birds section rather than in the breeds and showing section. Most Caucasians do not find bluish-black meat at all appealing.

As I said, I was curious if anyone here (in this breeding thread) also raises Silkies with meat in mind, and whether the warning I was given holds any merit. Meat producers I've spoken with consider them a waste of time, so I wanted to check with Silkie specialists.

Thanks anyhow for the lesson on Caucasoid food preference.

 

[peepblessed]

Thanks, Peep. Life hasn't given me much time for chicken forums the last few months.

I hope all is well with you and glad you found some time to log on with us!

 

[Adoravachick]

Mine got really loud around the time of lay. No signs what-so-ever in my 3 girls. They couldn't see well enough to squat for you.. If I see her squat for a roo, I usually expect it within the month.

Steve has never failed to predict POL!
And usually around 30 weeks for my girls. Sigh.. Late bloomers.

Can a rooster with breeding experience sometimes help bring a hen that isn't laying into laying/breeding?

 

[Hawkeye95]

Does anyone here raise silkies for meat? I'd like to start but I've been warned to look for a breeder who focuses on meat/skin rather than feather-deep good looks.

Most of us are breeding for show purposes on this thread. I highly doubt anyone here is breeding specifically for meat. In fact, the smaller the bird, the better you show. So, very small, lightweight birds are our goal here. I"m trying to get everything under 2 pounds... or less. That would make a pretty miserable meat bird, with nothing to eat. I'm not against eating silkie ( would NEVER do it-- black meat-- YUCK!!) but I know the Asian market does like their silkie meat. I've butchered and dressed my own birds many times-- but never a bantam. We stick with meat birds that will dress out at around 4 pounds per bird. Once they are drained, gutted and plucked, that subtracts an awful lot of weight right there. So when I say my silkies are right around or less than 2 pounds-- you can imagine what they will dress out at-- probably less than a pound. Have you dressed any silkies before? They may look big, but under all that fluff, they are teeny tiny.

Your knowledge is so valuable to this thread.

X2!!!

Sonoran!!!

As I said, I was curious if anyone here (in this breeding thread) also raises Silkies with meat in mind, and whether the warning I was given holds any merit. Meat producers I've spoken with consider them a waste of time, so I wanted to check with Silkie specialists.

Thanks anyhow for the lesson on Caucasoid food preference.

No need to get upset here, you have to understand that you are asking a bunch of people that are breeding their birds down in size, trying to stay within the SOP and working hard on trying to better the breed and then taking them to exhibitions and shows to show of their work. Since I've been here, you are the first to ask about eating a pet silkie that people treat better than their own dogs at times. I'm sure that kind of dropped some jaws. LOL!!!

But in all honestly, if you are into the black meat and gamey taste of silkie (I have heard their meat described as anything but tasting like regular chicken-- but I'm not really sure why that is) then you're going to want to start with the biggest birds you can find. In the USA, we do not have LF silkies, we only have bantams here. So it might be like swimming up river, but I'm sure with determination you could do it. But I would guess it might take several generations and years to get your desired weight and size.

 

[CALI CHICK]

As I said, I was curious if anyone here (in this breeding thread) also raises Silkies with meat in mind, and whether the warning I was given holds any merit. Meat producers I've spoken with consider them a waste of time, so I wanted to check with Silkie specialists.

Thanks anyhow for the lesson on Caucasoid food preference.

I doubt if anyone in this thread would raise their silkies for meat...let alone eat silkie meat period. I've butchered other chickens for meat purposes though.

Although....I bought a couple of silkies at the feed store (hatchery quality) and I gladly GAVE them away to someone...no questions asked!

Hatchery silkies probably grow bigger, but still stay tiny. They were unfriendly, ugly and the male started crowing around 2 months old. They were raised in the same brooder and handled every day, just like our higher quality silkies. I had even considered selling them at a poultry auction (meat market), but was told that the smaller birds sometimes only bring 50 cents a bird, even from some Asian cultures that consider them a delicacy. Really not worth the cost in raising them unless you can find a market.

 

[mystdogs]

My silkies are now three months. Time is flying by. I've noticed a size difference between the four of them since they were hatched. The blue splash and partridge came from one breeder, and the paint and black came from another. The partridge came from the smallest egg and had to be assisted for hatching. I'm positive the paint is a boy, and the partridge and splash are girls, but I'm not certain on the black, though I have always leaned toward a girl.
Here's Gabby, the black, with the other two girls


Sweety, the blue splash


Picaso, the paint


Peepers, the blue partridge

 

[CALI CHICK]

Mine got really loud around the time of lay. No signs what-so-ever in my 3 girls. They couldn't see well enough to squat for you.. If I see her squat for a roo, I usually expect it within the month.

Steve has never failed to predict POL!
And usually around 30 weeks for my girls. Sigh.. Late bloomers.

WOW-I've got a minimum of 2 months to wait! And, I'm not even positive they're girls!

Can a rooster with breeding experience sometimes help bring a hen that isn't laying into laying/breeding?

Good question and Interesting! Some of my chicks are definately cockerels so this brings up another consideration. When do those little cockerels start wanting to mate?

My youngest silkies are 15 weeks old. Do the cockerels treat the pullets differently? My top cockerel gets pecked on the neck by my oldest hen (22 wks.) but doesn't chest bump her and actually cowers away. Cali-ko challenges the other cockerels with chest bumping, stare downs and jumping on them if he gets a chance, though. Is this a good indicator of which are boys and which are girls? Will a young cockerel show "respect" to a pullet?

 

[Adoravachick]

WOW-I've got a minimum of 2 months to wait! And, I'm not even positive they're girls!

Good question and Interesting! Some of my chicks are definately cockerels so this brings up another consideration. When do those little cockerels start wanting to mate?

My youngest silkies are 15 weeks old. Do the cockerels treat the pullets differently? My top cockerel gets pecked on the neck by my oldest hen (22 wks.) but doesn't chest bump her and actually cowers away. Cali-ko challenges the other cockerels with chest bumping, stare downs and jumping on them if he gets a chance, though. Is this a good indicator of which are boys and which are girls? Will a young cockerel show "respect" to a pullet?

I've seen this "respect"? With my EE roo. However, my little silkie roo (cockerel) is just starting to strut around and stared down with my cochin pullet yesterday, but she walked away from him after several seconds and he tried to jump on her. She tried to kick his fluffy little butt.

In horses, sometimes having a stud around a filly that is just on the verge of maturation will actually bring her into "season". I was just curious if it could work the same way with chickens. Completely different animal...I know, but non the less, I thought I'd ask.

 

[CALI CHICK]

I've seen this "respect"? With my EE roo. However, my little silkie roo (cockerel) is just starting to strut around and stared down with my cochin pullet yesterday, but she walked away from him after several seconds and he tried to jump on her. She tried to kick his fluffy little butt.

LOL-You go girl!
In horses, sometimes having a stud around a filly that is just on the verge of maturation will actually bring her into "season". I was just curious if it could work the same way with chickens. Completely different animal...I know, but non the less, I thought I'd ask.

It makes sense though and I bet their behavior is indicative of their gender. As if we have time to devote exclusively to watching our chickens! They are SO fun to watch when we do have time. And, probably the more we spend with them, the more clues we'll see...teaching us to have a "feeling" about what's going on in their feathery little bodies.

 

[9gerianMile]

Hi everyone! I've always loved Silkies, but I've never raised them. I have some in my incubator right now and I am wondering about size for a Silkie pen... How much room do they like- would it be better for them to have a tractor style coop/run, or a permanent one? Do they like to browse or are they more a scraps/pellets kind of chicken?

I am looking forward to their variety of personalities and colors, and I really want to make sure they're happy! Thanks in advance for any help/advice! And if you have any general tips, I'd love to hear them! I haven't yet gotten through the thousands of pages here, and I'm positive this has already been asked, but man- it's a lot of content to read through!!