Silkie thread!

[bantambury]

Bantambury- the likely problem is that there are just too many roosters for the amount of hens you've got. Looking at that last pic you posted I see at least 2 (and that buff chicken with the black tail in the bottom right corner, is that a rooster too?). Anyway, you should pick one and get rid of everyone else. I've noticed when I have more than one boy, they have a tendency to "gang bang" my lesser dominant hens, leaving them with bald heads and bare backs. The one cockerel probably isn't the only one responsible for her chicken pattern baldness is what I'm getting at. Good luck to you.

The black buff is a roo but was inly visiting the coop he does nit live there. There are 3 hens to 2 roos in the coop, which is one hen too few...ive known since they were young. Cadbury protects marshie more than hurts her all eggy does is mate.

 

[subhanalah]

The black buff is a roo but was inly visiting the coop he does nit live there. There are 3 hens to 2 roos in the coop, which is one hen too few...ive known since they were young. Cadbury protects marshie more than hurts her all eggy does is mate.

I Thought you needed 10 hens for every one roo?

 

[NYREDS]

Not necessarily. I mate in smaller units, sometimes mating just pairs. The problem in the situation you were responding to is that there are multiple males with too few females. The males are competitive which with so few females leads to overmating. Four females would still be too few to correct this problem. The person with the 2 males & 3 females would be smart to remove one of the males.

 

[subhanalah]

Not necessarily. I mate in smaller units, sometimes mating just pairs. The problem in the situation you were responding to is that there are multiple males with too few females. The males are competitive which with so few females leads to overmating. Four females would still be too few to correct this problem. The person with the 2 males & 3 females would be smart to remove one of the males.

That's what I meant, if they are being kept communally. Thank you for clarifying!

 

[heirloomorps]

I Thought you needed 10 hens for every one roo?

We do 3-5 to one roo. Any more than that and we find that fertility drops. It does depend on the rooster though.

 

[bluenkimchi]

Sorry, too much reading from the very beginning of this thread. But who says there's no LF/standard size silkie in the USA

Here is my pair I got yesterday from my local egg ranch place in comparison with a bantam hen and two standard size Lf roos. They have everything a regular silkie has, tuft/crest minus the beard , multiple toes, blue/black skin(dark skin), blue/white ear lobs, pea comb/ walnut or what ever kind of combs they usually have, hookless/barbless featherings, and feather legs and feet, though their shapes/stances might not be correct, but I don't care about that

.

I think I read somewhere, someone mention that meat silkies are hybrids? So, i 'm not sure if these LF are pure or not, but the local egg ranch has been selling these LF silkie for over 3 decades.

pullet with mature beardless and tuftlesss bantam hen


same pair from above pic


cockerel with light brahma roo


The same pullet from the first picture with an EE roo

 

[BuckNBark Farm]

Sorry, too much reading from the very beginning of this thread. But who says there's no LF/standard size silkie in the USA

Here is my pair I got yesterday from my local egg ranch place in comparison with a bantam hen and two standard size Lf roos. They have everything a regular silkie has, tuft/crest minus the beard , multiple toes, blue/black skin(dark skin), blue/white ear lobs, pea comb/ walnut or what ever kind of combs they usually have, hookless/barbless featherings, and feather legs and feet, though their shapes/stances might not be correct, but I don't care about that

.

I think I read somewhere, someone mention that meat silkies are hybrids? So, i 'm not sure if these LF are pure or not, but the local egg ranch has been selling these LF silkie for over 3 decades.

pullet with mature beardless and tuftlesss bantam hen


same pair from above pic


cockerel with light brahma roo


The same pullet from the first picture with an EE roo

The ones that I see at shows are HUGE. Mine are always the smallest.

 

[Jharper]

The ones that I see at shows are HUGE.  Mine are always the smallest.

X2

 

[bluenkimchi]

The ones that I see at shows are HUGE. Mine are always the smallest.

X2

Are you guys talking about LF that are super fluffy and large or large fluffy bantam silkies? Would love to see pictures when any of you guys can get some pictures

 

[Jharper]

Are you guys talking about LF that are super fluffy and large or large fluffy bantam silkies? Would love to see pictures when any of you guys can get some pictures 

I don't have any pictures, but some of those silkies were HUGE compared to my silkies.