Silkie thread!

[Clay34]

Thanks for the thoughts Sylvester, that's exactly what I was thinking too. Now have to talk to the wife to figure out the next step? Personally with agressvie hens, I think that I should rehome all 4 of the silkies. My layers beat the crap out of my Newhampshire rooster until he was older and then he ruled the coop. He ended up a pressure cooker fooder after continually trying to attack everything in sight including the UPS driver. I attribute some of his behavoir to how the hens treated him.

 

[cochinsarecute]

We started with two Partridge Silkies and had to rehome one that turned out a roo - he was the sweetest temperament but crowed too much and had to be re-homed.  We got another Silkie pullet in Black and got her from a breeder at around 3-4 months old since I didn't want the heartache of re-homing another possible roo.  We now have two Silkie hens with a Blue Wheaten Ameraucana who is kind and gentle to the Silkies.  All the other dual purpose and layer LF we re-homed because they were nasty or vicious toward the Silkies (a vicious 7-lb Cuckoo Marans and 2 assertive bully Leghorns).  We do not mix any heavy or dual purpose breeds weighing over 5-lbs with our Silkies now.  Silkies will defend themselves in flock politics but a 2-lb Silkie will get the short end of the stick against a 6 or 7-lb assertive LF.  Our Ameraucana is very kind and non-combative and we are adding a petite dainty Breda to the flock in a couple weeks.  No more heavy LF mixed in with our Silkies any more.  I would've saved myself heartache if I heeded advice not to mix LF with Silkies - our backyard is too small and not much area for Silkies to hide to stay out of harm's way.  As for keeping 3 Silkie roos with only 1 Silkie hen - it should be the other way around with 3 Silkie hens mixed with 1 Silkie roo.  One hen will get stressed being mated too much.  You only need one roo and add at least one more Silkie hen - get a positive pullet that you can identify as a pullet before adding.  I never buy Silkie chicks until much older from a breeder.  Straight run Silkies is just a heartache when you get way too many roos grown out.

I agree that's too many roos another option is my pet chicken .com that's the only place I know of that can sex day old silkie chicks got 8 silkie hens and one roo all sexed correctly. They are hatchery quality but I use mine as broddys so didn't matter to me

 

[Kisune]

Are banana peels good for silkies?

 

[Fancychooklady]

Are banana peels good for silkies?

They much prefer the banana to the peel.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Thanks for the thoughts Sylvester, that's exactly what I was thinking too.  Now have to talk to the wife to figure out the next step?  Personally with agressvie hens, I think that I should rehome all 4 of the silkies.  My layers beat the crap out of my Newhampshire rooster until he was older and then he ruled the coop.  He ended up a pressure cooker fooder after continually trying to attack everything in sight including the UPS driver.  I attribute some of his behavoir to how the hens treated him. 

If your wife has grown fond of the little guys, a separate Silkie pen is always an option. You would still need to buy in more pullets or rehome a couple of boys. The good thing about silkies is that they don't require a lot of space and their inability to fly means that they don't require high fences.
My white silkies are behind the shed in the garden , their coop is a large dog kennel and they make no attempt to mix with the main flock.

 

[Fancychooklady]

This is my newest Silkie. I named her SNOW. ..her Lil friend is a Sizzle. A cross of a Silkie/Frizzle

Lovely.

 

[Fancychooklady]

What age do you suggest when buying from breeders?

10-12 weeks . Some will say that they can sex them before that , but there is still an element of risk before then.

 

[codieshell]

Is this a lavender chick

 

[codieshell]

hen r rooster age is 4-5 mths old

 

[codieshell]