Silkie thread!

[Fancychooklady]

Fancychooklady - I envy your ability to have enough of one breed that they can be a flock by themselves but in my backyard and zoned area,  5 is the maximum hens allowed and no roos so we had to carefully choose how to mix Silkies with LF.  Like you I believe the breeds do navigate together and being in groups usually aren't bothered by other breed groups in the same area. However in our little backyard it is crucial not to have one huge LF among a couple 2-lb Silkies. Heavy LF like Orps, 'Lorps, etc though gentler tempered can still be tempted to bully smaller gentler bantams just because they can in a small yard situation - sadly experienced this when a 7-lb Marans viciously attacked a POL Silkie who screamed. The Marans also went after the alpha Leghorn. Needless to say she was instantly re-homed to an egg seller. No more breeds over 5-lb in the flock now and only docile types.

As for Silkies brooding other fowl - they will brood ANYTHING and hatch a snake egg if it was in their nestbox. My Partridge tried to brood a cucumber slice and another found a faux plastic egg to set so I don't think it's other breeds they respect so much as the opportunity to be a momma period. With their diminutive stature it probably makes the little buggers feel important to show off offspring of any kind - LOL!

I too have ' garden chickens ' and they are confined to a small area. I have a GLW living in harmony with my white silkie. Your situation was unfortunate , but not always the way it will be for others. I'm sure there are others that co habitate their breeds , my friend is in suburbia and it is her dream to have one of each.

 

[BelleFarm]

I ordered a pair of pullets twice last year shipped from East Coast to West. The shipping is a base price, plus weight, plus zones, plus optional insurance. My 2 Leghorn juvies at 3 months cost $110 shipping. My 2 Ameraucana juvies at 2 months cost about $65 to ship. The Legs weighed more. I didn't want chicks shipped as I don't feel comfortable about shipping babies through the USPS as some shipments are flown cross country mail. With older juvies the breeder and I felt more comfortable about shipping them. It's so much fun to open the box and watch them poke up their heads to see what's going on. A mellow stress-down time in a kennel with feed and water and they are right as rain again. You do have to be in touch with the breeder with tracking numbers and call the post office 20x a day to make sure they call you for pickup and not have the mail carrier travel around with live birds in a hot mail truck all day. Not all USPS workers are sympathetic toward animals.

thank you for your knowledge, I'm glad you shared

 

[chick rookie]

Chick rookie, I may have some later this spring, I'll let you know.


Have any of you all bred polish with silkies? I got a polish chick today and my brain started making up cute little mixes lol.

ok cool brad said he might too so between the 2 of ya I might get me some girls....

 

[kimmerjo]

I hear babies!!! Can't see any yet mama has them covered!!! Will post pics when they peek out

 

[Jharper]

I hear babies!!! Can't see any yet mama has them covered!!! Will post pics when they peek out

Yay! Congrats!

 

[Mollie4dogs]

I would like to get DNA testing for my Silkie chick. Do any of you know where I can get this done? I want to get the chick sexed. I've no idea where to begin to find out where to get this done.

Thanks for any recommendations.

 

[kaylahelms70]

My silkies roosters are not loud and they are super sweet!

 

[subhanalah]

I would like to get DNA testing for my Silkie chick. Do any of you know where I can get this done? I want to get the chick sexed. I've no idea where to begin to find out where to get this done.

Thanks for any recommendations.

me too!

 

[kendradillon]

this is pip squeak!! we cannot tell if hen or roo, its 6 weeks old now

 

[subhanalah]

Hahaha! Love the 'hawk!