Silkie thread!

[kmollyhughes]

They are so sweet! And surprisingly good little layers...if you don't have 3 going broody on you all at once like me. Lol. Fluffy little balls of love. Also highly recommend smooth sizzles. Think they are tied for first place in my book. Really good little mamas, and tolerate my kids constant attention without any issues. Great breed

 

[kabhyper1]

I feel so badly that you all have lost birdies.

 

[kabhyper1]

I took some pics of my little turds tonight. I am still unsure of sex on some of them. Man they are difficult to tell.


Gracie

The pin feather gang. They are filling out like crazy!

Needs a name.

Chance.

Bell

Henley

For size. Gracie and Chance and Bell are the biggest

The camera hog herself. ..Gracie

 

[PaintedFeathers]

I've been reading up on Silkies- I plan to get some.

My question is: as docile and socialble Silkies are reputed to be, is having more than one roo an issue? Will they fight? I would prefer one roo and a couple of hens (ideally). If I were to buy online and the company only offers straight runs, and I end up with more than one male, will that be a problem? I've been going through my chicken breed books and even a Silkie book, and none of them make mention of keeping roos together.

Appreciate any advice!

--Mollie

I have little problem with my roo's, a squabble here and there but nothing major, and I have 6, 3 silkies, bantam barred rock, porcelain D'uccle, and a rusian orloff (HUGE!)

On another note, I highly recommend getting your silkies from a breeder =) They will be better quality, and it cost the same to raise breeder quality birds as it does hatchery quality =) Depending where you are, I have some chicks for sale now and another hatch due christmas. I have silkies/sizzles/showgirls as well as silkie mixes. I'me in Weare, NH

 

[JesNflock]

Here is my trio...I think two of them are bearded and one non-bearded. What are your thoughts?


Are these two considered bearded?



(I think this one's a Roo)

Edited to add: They are 9 weeks old.

 

[Teila]

My two little darlings, coming up for 9 weeks old. I kept these two and 3 have gone to what I think and hope is a very good home.
Tina on the left, Suzi on the right (fingers crossed I got that right and they are not Tom and Sonny)

 

[BuckNBark Farm]

Hey K.EPP- how are the blue boys doing? And that sweet little white sizzle?

Pam

 

[jajeanpierre]

that's just the thing, the ones who have died have come from 3 separate breeders.and one of the chicks came from my own flock. I guess my hopes of breeding to sell chicks is out the window.

Find out what killed them. It sounds like you might have some sort of pathogen. Animals don't die without a reason. It is either poor husbandry or disease. Accidents really fall under the poor husbandry category.

 

[jajeanpierre]

I've been reading up on Silkies- I plan to get some.

My question is: as docile and socialble Silkies are reputed to be, is having more than one roo an issue? Will they fight? I would prefer one roo and a couple of hens (ideally). If I were to buy online and the company only offers straight runs, and I end up with more than one male, will that be a problem? I've been going through my chicken breed books and even a Silkie book, and none of them make mention of keeping roos together.

Appreciate any advice!

--Mollie

Mollie,

I don't recommend more than one rooster for two hens. The cockerels may be fine together, but the hens will be harassed. You can keep a bachelor pen of all roosters and probably not have a problem. I currently have two cockerels, a hatchery Silkie and a bantam Cochin, with 11 pullets (8 bantam and 4 Polish) with no problems. Occasionally, my large fowl Ameraucana cockerels will fly over the fence into that mostly bantam mix and there doesn't seem to be a problem. The bantam cockerels seem to be smart enough to not confront the big Ameraucanas. My large fowl flock is three pullets and four cockerels. I've put off slaughtering the extra two Ameraucana cockerels that are really not good quality. It is winter (low sex drive) and they are young. My sex imbalance won't be good come spring.

I recommend you think about processing (slaughtering) your excess cockerels from a straight-run order. No one wants extra cockerels--any homes you get for them (unless they are super show quality) will be short term homes until they end up in someone's pot. It might as well be your pot. I've heard of people just setting them free, which is a horrible way for a loved chicken to end it's life---torn apart by an animal. If the animal is going to end up dead, take responsibility and make sure it's death is as stress free and kind as is possible and enjoy the fruits of your labor of love. Silkie meat is really good, too.

 

[Suzierd]

I've been reading up on Silkies- I plan to get some. 

My question is: as docile and socialble Silkies are reputed to be, is having more than one roo an issue? Will they fight? I would prefer one roo and a couple of hens (ideally). If I were to buy online and the company only offers straight runs, and I end up with more than one male, will that be a problem? I've been going through my chicken breed books and even a Silkie book, and none of them make mention of keeping roos together.

Appreciate any advice!

--Mollie

If you get to many Roos I would try and find them homes no reason they can't live a nice long life in a new home people can still love a hatchery Silkie just as much. Another option would be to buy from a breeder and get old enough to tell the sex. Best of luck, I love my Silkies!