Silkie thread!

[Sylvester017]

Thanks I am so happy about it. I can't stop smiling. It's like the day I told my H I wanted a few hens and he said to "Go for it" It's like Christmas!

Does Juliet look young in the pic?




Do any of you have just 1 silkie?? Do they need a same breed buddy?

Chickens are "flock" birds. I always try to have at least 2 of every breed. I have 2 Silkies and 2 LF in my 4 hen flock. They take turns who they buddy-up with but usually the Silkies are always foraging side-by-side when not in their hormonal broody moods.

 

[RedReiner]

I have a friend looking for Frizzled Silkies, pet or breeder quality. For her small Flock. She lives in New Jersey, can anyone recommend someone on the east coast or close to Jersey that might have some? she is hoping to find Buff. please message me if you know of anyone Thanks!!

You should try in your state's thread in the "where am I, where are you" subforum.

I live in Washington and she lives in New Jersey, I was just asking for any breeders closer to her, what good what it do me to post in my "state" forum? Sorry I did not know looking for breeders was not allowed on this thread....

 

[Fancychooklady]

My last 40 incubated consisted of silkie, blue laced red Wyandotte , silver laced Wyandotte , coronation sussex and light sussex. These chicks were all raised together and around 6-8 weeks of age they split into their breed groups. I have no mirrors in my brooder or pens so I'm not sure how they know which group they belong with , but they do. The silkies are mild mannered and meek and it seems natural for them to stick together. It is quite different with the LF that are raised by bantams.
They appear to have more tolerance towards the smaller birds and are not so arrogant.

 

[Sylvester017]

At what age would a silkie start crowing if it was a roo and possibly the only one in the flock?

My boy was around 7-1/2 months old. Once he started crowing he wouldn't shut-up. There were no other roos - just his sister which he promptly kept mounting several times a day so we re-homed him. A real sweetie but he didn't know how to turn off the "repeat button" in his throat! They're all different but that's what happened to us.

 

[Sylvester017]

I read that silkies don't do well with pellets. That's what I've been feeding. I was wondering if its ok to try adding medicated chick start to try before I go buy a big bag of crumbles?

Soak the pellets overnight and they'll be nice and soft for the Silkies in the morning. Even my LF hens like the moistened feed. That's what I did when we accidentally got a big bag of pellets rather than crumbles.

 

[Sylvester017]

I live in Washington and she lives in New Jersey, I was just asking for any breeders closer to her, what good what it do me to post in my "state" forum? Sorry I did not know looking for breeders was not allowed on this thread....

I didn't know about the breeder info either. Gotta get my geek DH to show me around the different sections on BYC. There's so-o-o much info for someone tech-challenged like me LOL

 

[subhanalah]

I live in Washington and she lives in New Jersey, I was just asking for any breeders closer to her, what good what it do me to post in my "state" forum? Sorry I did not know looking for breeders was not allowed on this thread....

Then look in the New Jersey thread. I did not know you lived in a different state. I was only trying to help you get better information.

 

[sonderah]

Soak the pellets overnight and they'll be nice and soft for the Silkies in the morning. Even my LF hens like the moistened feed. That's what I did when we accidentally got a big bag of pellets rather than crumbles.

I can do that. I was curious if they r ok with pellets, like if its bad for them to "digest". They seem to be eating it fine though.

 

[subhanalah]

I can do that. I was curious if they r ok with pellets, like if its bad for them to "digest". They seem to be eating it fine though.

Pellets are just pre-crumbles, lol. That's my understanding of it anyway. But soaking your feed for anything more than 24 hours will help make the nutrients more available to their digestive system,and would likely make them happier (and maybe even eat less and waste less!)

 

[sonderah]

Pellets are just pre-crumbles, lol. That's my understanding of it anyway. But soaking your feed for anything more than 24 hours will help make the nutrients more available to their digestive system,and would likely make them happier (and maybe even eat less and waste less!)

I did not know that about the nutrients!! That's awesome! Will have to give it a try!