Silkie thread!

[kellyloveschad]

Broody Silkies are not that bad -- in fact, I find Silkies are gentler-tempered than large fowl broodies I've had. The thing to do w/ broody Silkies is to make sure to take them off nest a couple times daily to eat/drink/dust-bathe/exercise before they go running back to their nest. I don't hatch eggs but let a broody Silkie set an "empty" nest to get it out of her system and then in 2 or 3 weeks she rejoins the flock normal again. When handling Silkies or any hen, use the Judge's Hold to pick them up to avoid touching/squeezing their reproductive sides.

I am glad yours are better then bunny!! My regular chicken are scared of her my dog my kids and both of my roosters!! My pitt bull got her ear bit today!! my broody regular hens like my easter egger I will put my hand right under!! Bunny gets picked up with gloves on by her tail!! I don't think she will ever be able to hatch her own eggs because my rooster are scared of her!!!!!! maybe she is broken!!!!!!!

 

[kajira]

Can he hang with the big chickens when he gets older? I'm very much in love with this little guy or girl but he is the only bantam I have so I am hoping he can

I keep my silkies in their own flock. My bantam cochin lives with full sized chickens, but she was there first, and our bantam rooster was here first. My RIR hen protects her, too.

 

[kellyloveschad]

I picked all my chicken breeds on temperaments.

I hope my silkies do fine with the 8 other chicks I end up getting. I'm getting a welsummer, blue cochin, speckled sussex, easter egger, Columbian wyandotte, light brahma, buff orpington, and an australorp.

I have a easter egger a light brahma and a australorp and a gold and silver wyadotte. My easter egger or light brahma don't care. My two australorp love everyone they are awesome ginger and spice get on the fence to get them the leafs they like!! my wyadottes are brats!! not to my silkies but the pick on my yorkie

 

[Sylvester017]

Can he hang with the big chickens when he gets older? I'm very much in love with this little guy or girl but he is the only bantam I have so I am hoping he can

This is what i am talking about -- having more than one Silkie in a flock of large fowl -- probably why it is working so well for you. The type of large fowl breeds you have, the large area for foraging, etc, all make a difference on how they all interact.

 

[Sylvester017]

I am glad yours are better then bunny!! My regular chicken are scared of her my dog my kids and both of my roosters!! My pitt bull got her ear bit today!! my broody regular hens like my easter egger I will put my hand right under!! Bunny gets picked up with gloves on by her tail!! I don't think she will ever be able to hatch her own eggs because my rooster are scared of her!!!!!! maybe she is broken!!!!!!!

Once in a blue moon a snotty chicken will turn up in a docile breed. I have a sweet little Black Silkie that is a holy terror when she goes broody and really obnoxious when she molts. Once she gets past those stages she's sweet as pie again. Go figure?

Here she is doing her puffy broody turkey dance when no one dares go near her:

 

[kellyloveschad]

This is what i am talking about -- having more than one Silkie in a flock of large fowl -- probably why it is working so well for you. The type of large fowl breeds you have, the large area for foraging, etc, all make a difference on how they all interact.

Do you know how to deal with a mean broody silkie?? It was a nice day so I let my silkies outside the run bunny made snow white bleed!! none of my chickens are mean bunny is a bully idk if that can be fixed!!

 

[kellyloveschad]

Once in a blue moon a snotty chicken will turn up in a docile breed. I have a sweet little Black Silkie that is a holy terror when she goes broody and really obnoxious when she molts. Once she gets past those stages she's sweet as pie again. Go figure?

Here she is doing her puffy broody turkey dance when no one dares go near her:

bunny is always a bully but not like this!! everyone is scared of her she is in jail because I didn't know what else to do! she keeps going after everyone!! bunnies neck feathers go up like a rooster which i know she is not!!

 

[Sylvester017]

@Sylvester017 What is the judges hold?

It's something to train adults and kids alike to do when picking up chickens -- especially hens. It takes a while for people and chickens alike to get accustomed to but eventually they do. I'll post a video that shows how to do it -- w/ my Silkies I would keep my second hand over their wings so they wouldn't flap but my Silkies are so comfortable now I don't need to hold down their wings.

http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGK/Longtail/BRKOhiki.html
(last bottom photo on Ohiki page shows Judge's Hold)

(explains how to use hand and fingers to lift bird from under its breast -- sides are not held or squeezed)

 

[Sylvester017]

Do you know how to deal with a mean broody silkie?? It was a nice day so I let my silkies outside the run bunny made snow white bleed!! none of my chickens are mean bunny is a bully idk if that can be fixed!!

Snotty Black Silkie -- only when she is broody or molting and then she secludes herself in the nestbox and usually doesn't come out unless we take her out for food and exercise. DH puts her out by herself so she doesn't bother the other birds w/ her snotty behavior. After she quits brooding or molting and is back to normal everything is fine again. She just finished her broody time and has been out all day long w/ the other chickens and she hasn't challenged anyone but they remember how snotty she was before and are avoiding her. In a couple days when they learn she's not being snotty any more they'll all be back to foraging w/ each other again. Our other Partridge Silkie has never been a snotty broody but she complains if someone gets too near her and that warning is enough to keep out of her way -- but she doesn't go out of her way to attack anyone like the Black Silkie does. Two different Silkie personalities.

 

[LadyVictorian]

I have a easter egger a light brahma and a australorp and a gold and silver wyadotte. My easter egger or light brahma don't care. My two australorp love everyone they are awesome ginger and spice get on the fence to get them the leafs they like!! my wyadottes are brats!! not to my silkies but the pick on my yorkie

This is why I was very picky about the chickens I got, not only did I want friendly hens that would also double as good pets (picking less effective layers over Barred rocks and Rhode Island Reds because they are skittish) but also chickens who were often described as being the ones commonly picked on or at the bottom of the pecking order. It might also help that all my roosters are silkies as well though I don't think my silkies will be able to breed with the bigger hens.