Silkie thread!

[DocumentedPure]

Thank you FancyChookLady and Janie Hall for your responses. They RIR seem to be much larger than she is, and she does seem to get stepped on and muscled out of the way a lot of the times. I have thought about separating them until they are larger, but should I keep them in separate enclosures within visibility of one another? Will the silky be okay by itself?

I have put her beak against the water so that she understood that that is where water comes from. I have isolated it so that it will learn that the only way water comes out is not just when me or the bigger hens magically make it appear. But I am not sure she fully understands it so I have been putting a lot more effort into it than was required for the other two. She has finally started to gather that she is supposed to get it from the bottle and not just pecking at random places on the clear container.

 

[Janie hall]

Thank you FancyChookLady and Janie Hall for your responses.  They RIR seem to be much larger than she is, and she does seem to get stepped on and muscled out of the way a lot of the times.  I have thought about separating them until they are larger, but should I keep them in separate enclosures within visibility of one another?  Will the silky be okay by itself?

I have put her beak against the water so that she understood that that is where water comes from.  I have isolated it so that it will learn that the only way water comes out is not just when me or the bigger hens magically make it appear.  But I am not sure she fully understands it so I have been putting a lot more effort into it than was required for the other two.  She has finally started to gather that she is supposed to get it from the bottle and not just pecking at random places on the clear container.  

it just takes time and u being willing to show them. I love my silkies and showvgirls

silkie on the left is Miranda and showgirl is Reba

 

[Janie hall]

it just takes time and u being willing to show them. I love my silkies and showvgirls

silkie on the left is Miranda and showgirl is Reba

and then my sizzle show girl is dolly and showgirl is Dalilah

 

[yoopergirl1211]

Hi! I just got five silkie bantams? today and I don't really know much about them yet. Are they all white? Some have fluffier heads then others. All are adorable! The guy said they were labeled Silkie Bantam Mix but of course didn't know what that meant either. Any info on them would be great! In the meantime I start reading up!

 

[moomoodiddy]

Thank you FancyChookLady and Janie Hall for your responses. They RIR seem to be much larger than she is, and she does seem to get stepped on and muscled out of the way a lot of the times. I have thought about separating them until they are larger, but should I keep them in separate enclosures within visibility of one another? Will the silky be okay by itself?

I have put her beak against the water so that she understood that that is where water comes from. I have isolated it so that it will learn that the only way water comes out is not just when me or the bigger hens magically make it appear. But I am not sure she fully understands it so I have been putting a lot more effort into it than was required for the other two. She has finally started to gather that she is supposed to get it from the bottle and not just pecking at random places on the clear container.

You need to separate them and get a couple other bantam chicks for it.

 

[LopezChickens]

Just a few of my 60 something silkies! LOL!

j

are you guys washing your silkies to get that big and fluffy? And how do you get into shows I have a black hen and rooster in Arizona

 

[LadyVictorian]

I wish my little Splash Sora had more of a crest. I suppose at 2 and a half months old it won't get much better than that will it?

 

[Justjered]

are you guys washing your silkies to get that big and fluffy? And how do you get into shows I have a black hen and rooster in Arizona

I have 2 black silkies from lines with big fluffy crests/beards... they simply look amazing!

I have 5 buff with less crest and dont think they will ever get any bigger... just their genetics.

 

[Sylvester017]

I wish my little Splash Sora had more of a crest. I suppose at 2 and a half months old it won't get much better than that will it?

You just never know how juveniles will fill out as adults. Usually by 6 months they should look close to what they'll look like as adults. Breeding bearded to non-bearded will give less head fluff fullness. If you know both parents are fully fluffed/bearded Silkies then there's better odds the offspring will be fuller. But you never know until they're half grown to know for certain. My Silkies have fluffy crests but because they forage outdoors free-range, half the time their crests are matted or stuck together with gunk and you'd never know they were fluffy-crested. Unless the gunk is bad I don't bother to washcloth them unless the bird looks uncomfortable. To me, your birds are very pretty. Remember that not EVERY chicken breed looks show quality and that's why breeders cull heavily before we see the pretty fluffy Silkie bodies/heads in show-quality pics.

 

[LadyVictorian]

You just never know how juveniles will fill out as adults. Usually by 6 months they should look close to what they'll look like as adults. Breeding bearded to non-bearded will give less head fluff fullness. If you know both parents are fully fluffed/bearded Silkies then there's better odds the offspring will be fuller. But you never know until they're half grown to know for certain. My Silkies have fluffy crests but because they forage outdoors free-range, half the time their crests are matted or stuck together with gunk and you'd never know they were fluffy-crested. Unless the gunk is bad I don't bother to washcloth them unless the bird looks uncomfortable. To me, your birds are very pretty. Remember that not EVERY chicken breed looks show quality and that's why breeders cull heavily before we see the pretty fluffy Silkie bodies/heads in show-quality pics.

Both parents for Sora had crests and beards. The breeder has no beardless silkies and from pictures and videos of her breeding pens is very picky about what she is breeding. I just look at my other three who are literal balls of fluff and then look at Sora. I mean Sora is still pretty in his own way and has the advantage of sight which the other 3 don't have. Been trying to put ponytails in their feathers to make it easier for them but Sora likes to pull them out and run off with them. Still would be nice if his crest could get a little fuller. He's got one hell of a beard though so at least I have that.