Silkie thread!

[Sylvester017]

Thank you again! I wasn't clear I guess. The pic that I posted was of the broody when she was younger. Her clutch are on day 12 or so of their incubation. I am picking them up after the eggs hatch. I appreciate the advice and will look for a friend for her to hang with so that she won't be alone by the time she is done mothering her littles.

so sad to have to add another.

I had a Partridge Silkie and White Leghorn that were tight buddies from the time they were introduced as pullets. When the Partridge was about 18 months I added a Black Silkie pullet but the 2 Silkies didn't bond right away. In fact, the Black had to learn to be independent from the rest of the flock. However, after having to re-home a bully Marans and the White Leghorn who went aggressive, the 2 Silkies at 3-years-old and 2-years-old are buddies now. They argue, and fuss, and once got into a pecking order combat, but forage together every day. They sleep together in the same nestbox every night. I guess "Birds of a feather, flock together" is true? But it didn't happen right away.

 

[austinbndr28]

We're in So Calif and have mild weather year-round but we DO get some doozy downpours when it rains. My Partridge Silkie hen stays in the coop during a downpour but the Black Silkie heads straight for the mud puddles with the bigger fowl. She looks like a drowned rat by end of day but seems to fluff up nicely by next morning - she will preen and groom herself towards evening before roost time and dries herself off. The 2 Silkies sleep in the same nestbox so they keep each other company and warm. I worry about Silkies getting cold when wet but so far it's been ok as we don't get freezing temperatures here. Everyone's area and situation is different and you generally can figure what your flock can or can't handle. Looks like everyone loved your wet roos!

He is nice and fluffy today with his big buddy!

 

[Sylvester017]

I want a pair of silkies! I am going to search the bantam bin tomorrow. Wish me luck!

LUCK!

 

[Fancychooklady]

We want to start a small flock of chickens, and, at this time, have no interest in starting from young chicks.  I'm not sure how many chickens we can have.  We're building the enclosed coop part with the nesting boxes and roosting perches from a 4'x8' shed that will be connected to a 600 sq ft run they will share with some goats.  I'm thinking 6-8 chickens for that size coop?  (As an FYI, we are in north central Texas.)

My parents live on the same land as my husband and I, so it will be a shared venture.  My mother is deathly afraid of all birds (she got attacked by chickens almost daily well into her teens) but she loves fresh eggs.  On the other hand, I sometimes have a texture problem with eggs, so I could care less about that part, but am a huge animal lover and want to handle the chickens.  So, we need to find a compromise.  Eggs for her so she tolerates the chickens here and temperament for me so that I have good reason to take special care of them.

I would really love to have some silkies.  I know they can be lower on the egg laying part and prone to brooding, but their looks and temperament really attract me.

I've seen mixed reports on them in mixed flocks, but thought I might get a lot more feedback in this active thread.  Do you think it would be possible for me to include some silkies in a mixed flock?  At least 2 or 3 of them?  Maybe stick with 2 or 3 breeds and have 2-3 of each?  I think I would need to add in a higher egg layer to the mix to balance things out.

(Oh, and everyone's photos are just precious!)

You won't be disappointed with your silkies, they are the ' teddy bear ' of the chicken world. There are many LF breeds to choose from , it all depends on what is available to you. Silkies get along with most everyone. The only thing I would advise is that you introduce them to the pen all together and at roughly the same age. This will minimize bullying. People tend to get a little precious over their silkies but mine are happy doing what other chooks do, scratching eating and mating.

 

[Sylvester017]

Just bought some silkies from tsc and after reading around I'm a lil worried about my silkies. Is there any reason people don't buy silkies from tsc or don't want silkies from tsc? Should I be worried that they aren't silkies?

They had quite a few different breeds and the lady told me they were picking up different breeds today.

I had two chicks from hatchery eggs (1 male/1 female) and a third one from a breeder. The only difference I see in them is that the hatchery hen has a flatter skull with less bonnet and the Black Silkie hen has fuller feathering and vaulted skull with fuller bonnet. Otherwise, the same cuteness and fluffy butts and 5-toed feathered feet as any other Silkies. Of course I prefer the looks of my breeder bird but the hatched egg birds had the sweetest and prettiest male. Even breeder birds are not always 100% but still a better way to go if you are going for show quality. For pets, tsc will be fine - check for preferable things like vaulted skull, 5 toes on both feet, feathering down to the toes, beard under the beak - but even without these physical traits the personality of the chick will still be cute and personable.

 

[Sylvester017]

You won't be disappointed with your silkies, they are the ' teddy bear ' of the chicken world. There are many LF breeds to choose from , it all depends on what is available to you. Silkies get along with most everyone. The only thing I would advise is that you introduce them to the pen all together and at roughly the same age. This will minimize bullying. People tend to get a little precious over their silkies but mine are happy doing what other chooks do, scratching eating and mating.

I love farm life. Beautiful landscaped free-range. Our cottage yard is so small that our 4 chickens are a crowd! LOL

 

[austinbndr28]

You won't be disappointed with your silkies, they are the ' teddy bear ' of the chicken world. There are many LF breeds to choose from , it all depends on what is available to you. Silkies get along with most everyone. The only thing I would advise is that you introduce them to the pen all together and at roughly the same age. This will minimize bullying. People tend to get a little precious over their silkies but mine are happy doing what other chooks do, scratching eating and mating.

I love the mini horse and the silkies!

 

[Sylvester017]

You know, as I am reading more and more, the silkies and EEs are really standing out. Perhaps just those two would be good to start out with.

I didn't know about trimming their nails! I have 6 inside cats and an inside dog that I trim all the time, so hopefully that will be pretty easy. Interesting about the vitamin E. How often do you use this and the wash?

Ah, the fluffy butts. I have a fluffy butted cat who occasionally needs some assistance. Many times I have even done some man-scaping in the area but it's hard to get him to hold still, grab the hair right to ensure I don't cut the skin, and use the scissors all by myself. And I never seem to think about doing it when my husband is handy. If I am going to have an animal, I need it to need care so that I stay interested and it also needs to be able to be handled to some degree. As I read more and more, sounds like chickens really do need more attention and hands-on care than I thought. And to think I was planning on just getting a fish tank!

What about clipping a wing? Any thoughts. I don't think silkies can fly, but the EEs can.

It seems like the Silkies and Ameraucanas balance each other out. Silkies are broody OFTEN which brings down their wonderful egg laying number and Ameraucanas/EEs are wonderful utility chickens but don't brood. The Amers/EEs can lay the fertile eggs and the Silkies can brood the eggs for them. In fact, my Amer will find a nestbox with a Silkie in it to lay her egg for the Silkie to set. Funniest thing because I have no roos to have fertile eggs.

I didn't know anything about trimming chicken toenails either until my Silkie's rear toe started to curl funny. Amber Waves Silkies referred me to the nail trimming thread on BYC to learn how to do it. I trim all the chickens nails whenever they start getting really long. Usually free-ranging helps keep them trimmed but not well enough. I'm thinking about getting one of those electric trimmers used for dogs but meanwhile I use human nail clippers - so far I haven't hit the quick in the toenails yet. About once a month I do a health inspection - skin, vent, feathers, legs, toes - check crops at roost time or feel it quickly while giving treats. Just like any other pet.

Washing fluffy butts is easy if your chickens are used to your handling. We take one chicken at a time at night from a nestbox (they sleep in them) and in a dim lit kitchen put the hen in a little warm water and with baby shampoo keep loosening the gunk in the feathers/vent area. So far all the breeds we have don't complain being in the warm water or having their butts cleaned. My DH holds a chicken in the water just in case they want to flap while I have 2 hands free to work on the hen. Takes a couple long washes on the bigger hens as the water gets really dirty. I run clean warm water when draining the dirty water so I can give one final shampoo to the butt feathers. Then towel dry with heavier duty paper towels (bath towels don't absorb well) and blow dry being careful not to burn the skin. Silkies are a little faster to shampoo and the fit in the shallow bathroom sink. We don't put them in warm water but just run warm water on their rear where the washing needs to be done with baby shampoo. Still need DH to hold the Silkie but the process is the same but faster than with a LF. Butt washes are not routine but an "as necessary" requirement.

Since the 2 Ameraucanas I ordered as juveniles seemed so skittish and flighty I asked the breeder about cutting their wings. She didn't say not to but said "I wouldn't." I only cut the wing of one bird in my life and it wasn't necessary. Every bird I've added to the present flock has never had a wing cut. My flightiest Amer has flown over the 2 foot garden fence when she's frightened and so has the Buff Leghorn, but they NEVER have flown out of the yard and they each very easily could if they wanted - but they stay in the yard near their coop home. We feed them, we give them treats, why would they WANT to fly away. Now wilder temperament birds like Jaerhons, Fayoumis, Campines, etc will fly out of the yard or fly into trees to roost so I wouldn't trust those breeds without an enclosed roof or a clipped wing. The breeder said she doesn't like clipping her chickens and never found it necessary so I trusted her judgment as a breeder.

I have 4 hens and wish I could have a half dozen which would be ideal to have some as pets and some as utility and I think I could handle the health care. No dogs, no cats, no other pets so 6 hens would be nice. I don't really have the room for 6 comfortably either in the coop or the yard so I keep just the 4 for now.

 

[Fancychooklady]

I love the mini horse and the silkies!

Thanks, my point is that silkies are just as at home in the barnyard as the Wyandotte . There are 3 special consideration I take with my silkies.
1 smaller pellets
2 shelter, they really don't fair well in the wet.
3 lower perches for them to sleep on and a ladder.
Mine mix in with my other breeds and get along nicely with our other animals.

 

[austinbndr28]

Thanks, my point is that silkies are just as at home in the barnyard as the Wyandotte . There are 3 special consideration I take with my silkies.
1 smaller pellets
2 shelter, they really don't fair well in the wet.
3 lower perches for them to sleep on and a ladder.
Mine mix in with my other breeds and get along nicely with our other animals.

I agree with you. Wyandottes and silkies are my most favorite breeds. They both are friendly and come in an assortment of colors!