Silkie thread!

[aaswanson]

Hi! This is such a great thread; i've been learning some valuable info all afternoon. We just got our first chickens 10 weeks ago- 2 buff orp's and 1 blk australorp. Last week our blk australorp past away so after doing some research we got 2 silkies yesterday and I am loving them! They are the cutest and sweetest little things. I pick them up and they just lay down and fall asleep in my hands. I want them to remain as friendly/docile as they are now. Does anyone have tips for that or is it all dependant on the bird itself?

Here's a picture of my two peepers. They're 2 weeks old...still debating on names.

 

[blipit007]

Oooh! Count me in!

I'm probably going to have to send some of them somewhere if they're all boys.

Unless I can convince the farm owner to let me rehome this ugly looking PQ splash rooster we have to make room. He just looks like he got hit by a truck and never recovered.

Ok, maybe he doesn't look that bad, but he's still not very pretty. lol

I got construction sand in bags from Agway in Branford. It did say may contain some silica, but like PaintedFeathers said, it is almost impossible to find without. I like the riverbed idea... didn't think of that!

Don't use playsand, you want a nice coarse sand. If you live near a river and can get river sand that would be awesome and FREE, but you can order sand from a landfill or buy bags of it. Your supposed to use non-silica sand but I have had no luck finding it so I use all-purpose or tube sand.

Silkies are usually very sweet birds. But handle them as much as possible. Along with your other chicks! Yours are adorable!

Hi! This is such a great thread; i've been learning some valuable info all afternoon. We just got our first chickens 10 weeks ago- 2 buff orp's and 1 blk australorp. Last week our blk australorp past away so after doing some research we got 2 silkies yesterday and I am loving them! They are the cutest and sweetest little things. I pick them up and they just lay down and fall asleep in my hands. I want them to remain as friendly/docile as they are now. Does anyone have tips for that or is it all dependant on the bird itself?

Here's a picture of my two peepers. They're 2 weeks old...still debating on names.

 

[PaintedFeathers]

Hi! This is such a great thread; i've been learning some valuable info all afternoon. We just got our first chickens 10 weeks ago- 2 buff orp's and 1 blk australorp. Last week our blk australorp past away so after doing some research we got 2 silkies yesterday and I am loving them! They are the cutest and sweetest little things. I pick them up and they just lay down and fall asleep in my hands. I want them to remain as friendly/docile as they are now. Does anyone have tips for that or is it all dependant on the bird itself?

Here's a picture of my two peepers. They're 2 weeks old...still debating on names.

You seem to be off to a good start! Welcome to the world of Silkies

. Give them treats by hand, like mealworms or sprouts, and handle them as much as possible. They are very pretty little whites!

 

[Brie6895]

Ok dont laugh! I've been doing research online about silkies and now I'm worried I have psyched myself out of getting one. I've read that they have holes in their skull even into adult hood and that they are prone to brain Injuries because of this. That they need a slowly slanting walk way to the coop that isnt far from the ground, but we've already built our coop and id say it is 2 to 2 1/2 ft off the ground. I also read that they could even hurt themselves just by trying to get onto the bigger perch with the rest of the birds. I'm also worried about only having 1 of them with 4 other LF birds that will be using a higher perch. I know I could have 2 perches but I don't want her to feel left out I'm worried I will come home one day after growing so attached to her and seeing her hurt and not being able to help her! Can someone please tell me this is rare or that I am over reacting. I've been so excited to finally find one for sale and now I'm worried it would cause me more stress to own one.

 

[PaintedFeathers]

Ok dont laugh! I've been doing research online about silkies and now I'm worried I have psyched myself out of getting one. I've read that they have holes in their skull even into adult hood and that they are prone to brain Injuries because of this. That they need a slowly slanting walk way to the coop that isnt far from the ground, but we've already built our coop and id say it is 2 to 2 1/2 ft off the ground. I also read that they could even hurt themselves just by trying to get onto the bigger perch with the rest of the birds. I'm also worried about only having 1 of them with 4 other LF birds that will be using a higher perch. I know I could have 2 perches but I don't want her to feel left out

I'm worried I will come home one day after growing so attached to her and seeing her hurt and not being able to help her! Can someone please tell me this is rare or that I am over reacting. I've been so excited to finally find one for sale and now I'm worried it would cause me more stress to own one.

You will have to just watch her with the other larger birds, but she should be fine =) Yes your psyching yourself out haha! They CAN learn to use a ramp, I would get 2, personally, because "birds of a feather stick together" lol Silkies pile on the ground, they can't fly so they usually can't perch. If you live somewhere it will get cold you will definitely want a couple more (won't be long anyway after you get her

they are addicting!) Yes they do have a "soft spot", just like a chihuahua or a baby. The vaulted skull babies are even more prone to head injuries, but you can usually treat them at home easily if something happens. Silkies are awesome birds, don't miss out!

 

[countrygirl74]

You will have to just watch her with the other larger birds, but she should be fine =) Yes your psyching yourself out haha! They CAN learn to use a ramp, I would get 2, personally, because "birds of a feather stick together" lol Silkies pile on the ground, they can't fly so they usually can't perch. If you live somewhere it will get cold you will definitely want a couple more (won't be long anyway after you get her

they are addicting!) Yes they do have a "soft spot", just like a chihuahua or a baby. The vaulted skull babies are even more prone to head injuries, but you can usually treat them at home easily if something happens. Silkies are awesome birds, don't miss out!

I apparently have one of the weird silkies - lol! All three of mine (2 roos and 1 hen) all used the ramp. Only one of the roos preferred sleeping in a nesting box, of all places, and the other 2 roosted with the rest of my big ones. My silkie hen actually prefers the highest roost.

Good advice on getting a few for warmth. My silkie hen would burrow under all the big girls when I first put them outside for the first time in the middle of winter. They all kept her warm when they were young.

 

[ChickNmamma]

Ok dont laugh! I've been doing research online about silkies and now I'm worried I have psyched myself out of getting one. I've read that they have holes in their skull even into adult hood and that they are prone to brain Injuries because of this. That they need a slowly slanting walk way to the coop that isnt far from the ground, but we've already built our coop and id say it is 2 to 2 1/2 ft off the ground. I also read that they could even hurt themselves just by trying to get onto the bigger perch with the rest of the birds. I'm also worried about only having 1 of them with 4 other LF birds that will be using a higher perch. I know I could have 2 perches but I don't want her to feel left out

I'm worried I will come home one day after growing so attached to her and seeing her hurt and not being able to help her! Can someone please tell me this is rare or that I am over reacting. I've been so excited to finally find one for sale and now I'm worried it would cause me more stress to own one.

Ok, I have a question related to this: If Silkies do not have a vaulted skull do they still have the holes and/or brain problems?

I have a hatchery (low grade for sure) Silkie that did not have a vaulted skull. She was raised with 45 other chicks, bantam and large fowl. She never had a problem. She still lives with the bantams - gets jumped on by Crazy Boy the Silver Phonenix, sleeps 4 1/2 feet off the ground with the rest of them, jumps off the roost every morning and does a controlled fall to the ground. She has never been injured - never been sick.. so I don't know if it is because she was not vaulted (definitely not) or if I was just lucky.

I have another Blue Silkie who was placed with the Bantams temporarily (to break a broody because I had nowhere for her to stay safe) and she also flew up to the roost (in two stages) and slept there with the rest at night and did the controlled falling in the morning (lots of flapping and landing not so gracefully). She never was harmed by this - or Crazy Boy either.

I have my other Silkies in a coop that is 2' off the ground - they go up a ramp to go to sleep. They have not fallen off the ramp - and the 3 week old babies are finally going up to sleep inside too - and they have fallen down from there and were not injured. None of them are valuted skulls either.

Yesterday I hatched my first and only valuted skull chick from my Partridge pair. It is in with its siblings (not vaulted) and I hope I will not have any problems... just wondering.

 

[Brie6895]

Ok these post are making me feel better, the only problem is right now she only has 1 silkie that has hatched and she's not sure when she will getting more.
I'm guessing if they are taught at a young age they are more than capable of using a ramp and a roost?
My next question is there are silkies that do not have vaulted skulls?? How can you tell? Also I notice the adult silkies my breeder had we're actually pretty large and did not have huge crest, I could actually see their face. Did she just give them a hair cut or is it possible that she got her silkies from a hatchery?

 

[ChickNmamma]

Ok these post are making me feel better, the only problem is right now she only has 1 silkie that has hatched and she's not sure when she will getting more.
I'm guessing if they are taught at a young age they are more than capable of using a ramp and a roost?
My next question is there are silkies that do not have vaulted skulls?? How can you tell? Also I notice the adult silkies my breeder had we're actually pretty large and did not have huge crest, I could actually see their face. Did she just give them a hair cut or is it possible that she got her silkies from a hatchery?

The vaulted skull has a lot to do with the crested gene - if they have two copies they have a chance of getting a vaulted skull. Some people think that is "proper" - I prefer not to have them because I do know the vaulted ones have holes and can have problems. I still haven't heard if the un-vaulted ones have holes...

Vaulted skulls are very obvious on young chicks. They look like they have a ball on top of their heads. That ball is their skull that has been pushed up - or "vaulted" - like vaulted ceilings. I have heard when they get older you can't tell the vaulted ones from the un-vaulted if they are well crested so I really don't see any benefit and only see drawbacks to having them.

I just happened to take a pic of my newborns today (born yesterday) so I can show you (maybe - rotten pictures). The black chick on the right has a vaulted skull (bump) the Partridge chick does not (no bump). It is easier to see when they are still plastered down from hatching.




Are they un-bearded? Usually most people breed for bearded - and you can't see their faces.

If they have a beard and you can see their faces because it is skimpy and their crests are small then they aren't Show Quality (SQ) birds and she may have gotten them from a hatchery. If they have any crests at all they are better than my Hatchery Quality (HQ) hen, who looks like my teenagers do now - only her crest will never get any better, nor will her tail, stance or foot feathering.

If you aren't planning on showing or breeding them for show - then they are fine - and they are less susceptible to having damage from the vaulted skull, because they probably won't have one.

There have been lots of show quality Silkies posted on this thread - and most people that have knowledge of Silkies have a very good example of SQ Silkies in their avitars.

It really depends on why you want Silkies what will work for you. My HQ Silkie has the same easy going sweet and broody personality as my BQ Silkies (not shown) and my one SQ girl (was shown and won, but not by me).

 

[Feathersprings]

Ok, I have a question related to this: If Silkies do not have a vaulted skull do they still have the holes and/or brain problems?

I have a hatchery (low grade for sure) Silkie that did not have a vaulted skull. She was raised with 45 other chicks, bantam and large fowl. She never had a problem. She still lives with the bantams - gets jumped on by Crazy Boy the Silver Phonenix, sleeps 4 1/2 feet off the ground with the rest of them, jumps off the roost every morning and does a controlled fall to the ground. She has never been injured - never been sick.. so I don't know if it is because she was not vaulted (definitely not) or if I was just lucky.

I have another Blue Silkie who was placed with the Bantams temporarily (to break a broody because I had nowhere for her to stay safe) and she also flew up to the roost (in two stages) and slept there with the rest at night and did the controlled falling in the morning (lots of flapping and landing not so gracefully). She never was harmed by this - or Crazy Boy either.

I have my other Silkies in a coop that is 2' off the ground - they go up a ramp to go to sleep. They have not fallen off the ramp - and the 3 week old babies are finally going up to sleep inside too - and they have fallen down from there and were not injured. None of them are valuted skulls either.

Yesterday I hatched my first and only valuted skull chick from my Partridge pair. It is in with its siblings (not vaulted) and I hope I will not have any problems... just wondering.

I all the years I had Silkies I had only one with wry neck and she made a full recovery. On the other hand about half of mine wont go inside without me taking them in lol! A couple want to be lifted out of the coop as well. a few of mine roost on a roost about 4" off the ground

I only have one that can fly and that is only to get to other Roosters that he hates!