Silkie thread!

[kmollyhughes]

That is one reason why I love them so. 
Just picked up two little hens yesterday, a white and a buff.  Slowly rebuilding after a mink took out almost the entire flock in just one evening.

Totally agree. I use them...well, any broody as often as possible. So much easier. I usually have 3-4 sitting at a time. Marans and Ameraucanas are great mothers as well. That's probably why I have sooo many chicks. Lol Their fault. Not mine. Ahhhh ha ha ha

 

[chicken pickin]

I have about 40 hens. All different breeds and sizes. After molt and time change I've been getting two eggs regularly. Both from one of the Silkie houses.

Same here. I have lots of chickens and no eggs lol but I do get 2 eggs a day regularly from my 2 Silkies.

 

[chickee]

They're awesome layers...until they go broody. And they will...over and over and over and over... Lol

X2 Same here.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Same here. I have lots of chickens and no eggs lol but I do get 2 eggs a day regularly from my 2 Silkies.

Of all my breeds the silkie and Wyandotte are the only ones that lay all through winter. In spring most of my silkie pullets are actively employed ' incubators '. My little ' feather dusters ' love nothing more than the pitter patter of little feet.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Can I get a few opinions, please?
I picked up a really lovely splash Silkie cockerel today. Currently he's in quarantine, all by himself. We're supposed to get really cold the next few days (low around 14F-BRRR). I'm really worried about him being in there all alone. I got him from a long time BYC member, so I feel pretty comfortable adding him to my Silkie coop. Or maybe putting a pullet or 2 in with him so he'll have some one to snuggle with (I have 2 other roosters in that coop, so I'm a little concerned about him getting beaten up, and if I separate a couple of pullets, I'll have to integrate all of them into the flock. And, I'm worried he and the pullet(s) will fight in quarantine, where there isn't much room to escape). Running a heat lamp to the quarantine coop isn't an option, its too far from my house. I'd have to use at least 3 extension cords. If I could, I would. I forgot to ask her how old he is, but I'm guessing he's around 5-6 months old, definitely fully feathered.
What concerns me the most, is he rode in a heated car for a pretty good part of the day while his previous owner visited with family and delivered other birds.

What say you Silkie lovers, what's the best option here?

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Nevermind. My DH suggested I put my 2 month old chicks in with him. They've only got a tiny bit of fuzz clinging to their new neck feathers and have been under a 40 watt bulb for a while now, so I think it'll work out just fine.

He's obviously thinking quicker than I am tonight. I blame that on getting up at 5 am this morning for work :/

 

[Sylvester017]

Anyone else have a good laying silkie? Mine lays just about everyday

I HAD A PARTRIDGE PULLET THAT STARTED LAYING 5-6 EGGS/WEEK FOR ALMOST A YEAR. WE WERE SO WORRIED BECAUSE SHE WAS KEEPING UP WITH OUR LEGHORN. FOR SUCH A LITTLE BIRD WE WERE AFRAID SHE'D DIE LAYING SO MUCH. HOWEVER, WHEN SHE STOPPED TO MOULT/BROOD IT WOULD TAKE HER UP TO 6 MONTHS BEFORE RESUMING LAYING. NOW AT NEARLY 4 YEARS OLD SHE HAS SURPASSED HER 6 MONTHS HIATUS FROM LAYING AND WE ARE WAITING TO SEE IF SHE STARTS UP AGAIN. AFTER LAYING SO WELL HER FIRST 2 YEARS, WE DON'T MIND SEEING HER SLOW DOWN NOW. SHE IS SO FUNNY, SWEET, AND DAINTY. OUR PARTRIDGE LIKES TO HELP IN THE GARDEN AND IS NOT AFRAID TO SIT ON OUR SHOVEL OR HOE WHILE WE DIG. WE HAVE TO FENCE HER OFF FOR HER OWN SAFETY BECAUSE SHE HAS NO FEAR AROUND OUR DIGGING. OUR BLACK SILKIE IS A GOOD LAYER AND IS NEARLY 3 YEARS OLD, IN FACT SHE IS THE ONLY HEN LAYING IN OUR FLOCK AT THE MOMENT BUT SHE NEVER CRANKED OUT THE EGG NUMBERS LIKE OUR PARTRIDGE. BOTH GIRLS LAY 1.25 OZ. EGGS CONSISTENTLY WITH A RARE ONE OCCASIONALLY COMING IN AT 1.5 OZ.

 

[nate1the1great1]

Nate, Do your geese get along with your chickens? 

Yes actually my geese took over for a hen with the babies they guarded them and followed them and they followed for 4 months and the hen was a americauna bantam and she died the other night bc of the cold and my 4-h project roo OEGB died from the cold and now I have heat lamps in there pen but yes they get along great

 

[nate1the1great1]

And my silkie hasn't been in the nest for a week and no eggs this week but I had to pitch the eggs bc they froze bc its soooo cold

 

[Sylvester017]

Yes actually my geese took over for a hen with the babies they guarded them and followed them and they followed for 4 months and the hen was a americauna bantam and she died the other night bc of the cold and my 4-h project roo OEGB died from the cold and now I have heat lamps in there pen but yes they get along great

Oh, I'm so sad you lost your chicken bantams. I don't get freezing temps but the other night all 3 of my hens shared one nestbox for warmth (they don't use the roosting pole). I hope Colorado doesn't get a bad winter again like last year!