Silkie thread!

[Sansilkies]

What is ACV?

 

[emvickrey]

What is ACV?

Apple Cider Vinegar

 

[tinkerfairy]

This may sound like a dumb question, but are silkies bantams or standard size? I bought my 6 out of the bantam bin at tsc, but my dads neighbor has adult silkies and they look a lot larger than my 2 adult bantams. I have one little buddy out of my 6, its black still had its egg tooth, now going on its second week home its just starting to feather in the tips of its wings. Its very calm I can hold it and it lays down and stretches out in my hand and goes to sleep. I'm converting a little tikes play house into a house for my bantams, I was going to keep the silkies with them, but I may have to end up putting them in there own pen and have there own house, right now all of my bantams are still inside they range from 6 weeks to 2 weeks, tsc said they'd be having one last shipment so may find some new ones to add to the flock. One of my whites has white down the other bright yellow with some white wonder if it could be a buff or maybe a light splash, so far its just feathering white but it only has the start of wings. I like keeping them in while they're tiny they get handled daily at least twice. I'm trying to get them all used to me so they won't just run away terrified when I visit them

 

[seminolewind]

I think silkies are not really bantams unless they are bred to be. I just like my standard size ones. I don't let them free range because they are not smart enough (sorry). I wouldn't worry too much about them running away from you because I don't know them to be that fast. I've had mine in with Polish with no problems at all. My last silkie roo is 7 years old. I have a hatch of 10 that are 2 weeks old.

 

[Fancychooklady]

This may sound like a dumb question, but are silkies bantams or standard size? I bought my 6 out of the bantam bin at tsc, but my dads neighbor has adult silkies and they look a lot larger than my 2 adult bantams. I have one little buddy out of my 6, its black still had its egg tooth, now going on its second week home its just starting to feather in the tips of its wings. Its very calm I can hold it and it lays down and stretches out in my hand and goes to sleep. I'm converting a little tikes play house into a house for my bantams, I was going to keep the silkies with them, but I may have to end up putting them in there own pen and have there own house, right now all of my bantams are still inside they range from 6 weeks to 2 weeks, tsc said they'd be having one last shipment so may find some new ones to add to the flock. One of my whites has white down the other bright yellow with some white wonder if it could be a buff or maybe a light splash, so far its just feathering white but it only has the start of wings. I like keeping them in while they're tiny they get handled daily at least twice. I'm trying to get them all used to me so they won't just run away terrified when I visit them

As far as I can tell you only have bantams in the states. Once wet there really isn't much to them.
Here in Aus we have fowl and bantam , though in my 10 years of breeding them I've never seen any LF.

http://www.freewebs.com/silkiebreeders/silkiestandards.htm
And the U.S. SOP.

http://www.browneggblueegg.com/Standard.html

 

[tjbuckshotbarn]

Here are some of my Easter babies

 

[silkiecuddles]

They're so cute! Easter chicks are awesome!

 

[MumsyIII]

This may sound like a dumb question, but are silkies bantams or standard size? I bought my 6 out of the bantam bin at tsc, but my dads neighbor has adult silkies and they look a lot larger than my 2 adult bantams. I have one little buddy out of my 6, its black still had its egg tooth, now going on its second week home its just starting to feather in the tips of its wings. Its very calm I can hold it and it lays down and stretches out in my hand and goes to sleep. I'm converting a little tikes play house into a house for my bantams, I was going to keep the silkies with them, but I may have to end up putting them in there own pen and have there own house, right now all of my bantams are still inside they range from 6 weeks to 2 weeks, tsc said they'd be having one last shipment so may find some new ones to add to the flock. One of my whites has white down the other bright yellow with some white wonder if it could be a buff or maybe a light splash, so far its just feathering white but it only has the start of wings. I like keeping them in while they're tiny they get handled daily at least twice. I'm trying to get them all used to me so they won't just run away terrified when I visit them

Not a dumb question. I've been raising and breeding silkies for nearly three decades. In the USA, they are shown as females 32 oz pullets 28 oz Cocks 36 oz cockerels 32 oz and they are bantam class. Back yard silkies, hatchery silkies, and free bred silkies can be and often are larger but they are not considered exhibition quality birds. Larger silkies often lack the finer type and look far different than that on the show room bench. All classes of silkies can give the owner pleasure and maike a fun flock for newcomers or old timers like me. There is no such thing as the perfect silkie. Breeders and exhibitors and judges are still working at the SOP. (Standard Of Perfection) And hobbists like me have projects we work on just for our own satisfaction.

I free range my silkies. Have for years. They go in at night. They are smart enough tI ko know how to take care of themselves if they know where to find their feed and water dish and pen or barn each night. I look after them when they are out during the day, and shut them up every night. I don't run my silkie flock with my larger HRIR flock like I used to because the cocks from that big bird flock can kill a silkie with one kick. My Paint silkie doesn't remember this and has been knocked out cold more than once by my #1 breeding cock from the red pen. Silkies are pint size but don't tell them that. They still think their tuff stuff. Hah! My paint roo has a thing for red girls and he keeps trying.

I keep my breeding trios separate for a month or two at a time when I'm collecting or hatching. When breeding season is over I keep six or more male silkies in their own pen. They squabble for a few hours putting their pecking order in line and then they are fine. At this time I have fifty silkie chicks growing out, eleven cocks and cockerels and twenty females of various ages. This is my busy time of year.

Enjoy your silkies. They are wonderful. Keeping them dry and safe is the number one concern.

 

[Roxannemc]

Im so excited as this weekend I hatched out the first silkies from my own eggs .
I just got into silkies spring before last and had no hatches last year. then a silkie friend told me to clear the vent area of feathers.Once i did this spring ..Had some really nice ones hatch from my Cat Dance silkies eggs who parents eggs fromeggs i bought from Karens( Kalar) CatDance silkies in Oregon i think she is.
My rooster is a really nice looking porcelain boy but needs a little color ajustment.lol
mated to my black hen.
Maybe no suprise to you silkie hatchers but most cjicks were blue with lighter top knots( what do you call it?) and one partridge.
Now i have to put my nice colored porcelain hen with my great formed porcelain roo and get some hopfully really nice looking porcelains.

 

[SJchickens]

I'm going to see a breeder today that breeds silkies. Hoping to buy some. Wish me luck! From what I hear I just must have one.