Silkie thread!

[Nevaschickens]

My partridge Silkie chick passed today. we are going to get a few more silkies tomorrow. It's still so sad to lose a little one.

 

[subhanalah]

Awww...I'm so sorry for your loss.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Hi I have 4 young Silkies, only a few weeks old and was wondering what advice people have for getting them used to people? I don't know whether to just grab them and offer them feed in my lap as a bribe or wait for them to come to me? I have a mixed flock of Silkies, Plymouth Rocks and Wyandottes all much older although at least two are roos and will be rehomed soon.

I sit with them and put feed between my feet . They come in and walk all over me. Put some food on the ground and tap with your finger , hold your Hand , palm up and slip your hand under their belly. Just hold it there for awhile at a time then try picking them up. They don't like you clasping them from above and will run if you try. If you ever intend on showing your birds this is how you train them to be handled by a judge. Hand between their legs, and lift gently till they are resting their entire body weight in your hand.

 

[JHek]

Thank you Fancychooklady, I think that's what I need to do, I have been trying to work out why sometimes they're fine being handled and other times they flip out. If anyone has tips on sexing Silkies by the way please let me know!

 

[2chixintown]

I used to have a buff silkie hen and a gorgeous blue splash rooster! But sadly sold them as we couldn't keep a Roo.

 

[Sylvester017]

When you say the LF chicken breeds bully, is it because they are setting the pecking order? Because I mixed LF and bantams and they fought for a day or two then they straighten out and get in to their place in pecking order ranking.

I don't interfere with flock politics. However, when a 7-lb Marans claws and chews a 2-lb/6-month-old Silkie pullet trying to lay her first egg, I put my foot down. 2-lb Silkies can hold their own but not against a vicious attack by such a large hen. The Marans went aggressively after the 4.5 lb White Leghorn alpha but the Leg was able to keep the Maran in her place. The Marans is re-homed in my egg-seller friend's flock and is still an unpleasant nasty temperament - just a bad bird I guess. She still occasionally nips or chases the gentler breeds like Leghorns, EEs, and Ameraucanas. She's grown huge spurs now too so I'm not sorry I re-homed her.

Eventually my usually sweet White Leg came out of her moult aggressive toward her 4 flockmates so I re-homed her to my friend. She was chasing all the hens out of the nestboxes but wasn't using them herself. She roo-ishly nipped and mounted the Silkies and LF pullets which is normal for an alpha but the Silkies are just too small to get that much rough-housing weight on them. The Leg chased everyone away from water, feeders, or foraging spots and I didn't want the others suffering nutritionally. When it escalated to damaging attack pecks on the Silkies I put my foot down. She just went nuts and kept getting worse so is in my egg-seller's flock and doing fine with other mature adult LF.

Currently my two Silkies are the oldest hens in my flock and the 2 LF pullets submit to them. The Silkies nip and chase them and the Buff Leghorn and APA Ameraucana just run away or jump over them to get out of the way. We have no more serious injuries occurring and the pecking order has the Silkies as alphas. I like it when the smaller Silkies are the alphas.

 

[gootziecat]

I would like to present a question here about a first time Silkie broody. She and 2 other first time broodies, hatched chicks together just a couple of days ago. There is one pullet that, for a reason unknown by me, seems to get agitated and will start running around chasing and pecking the chicks, hard. It looks like the Keystone cops, all these chicks running around and this hen whacking them. I don't know why she does it or what sets her off. Once she settles down, she will allow chicks under her. So far, she has not injured one. This pullet did hatch in a different nestbox from the other 2 pullets but they all sit together and "pool" the chicks. They are in a coop with other chickens but are separated where nothing bothers them. Does anyone have ideas or experiences with this aggression? I would appreciate advice or ideas.
Thank you.

 

[sonderah]

 I would like to present a question here about a first time Silkie broody. She and 2 other first time broodies, hatched chicks together just a couple of days ago. There is one pullet that, for a reason unknown by me, seems to get agitated and will start running around chasing and pecking the chicks, hard. It looks like the Keystone cops, all these chicks running around and this hen whacking them. I don't know why she does it or what sets her off. Once she settles down, she will allow chicks under her. So far, she has not injured one. This pullet did hatch in a different nestbox from the other 2 pullets but they all sit together and "pool" the chicks. They are in a coop with other chickens but are separated where nothing bothers them. Does anyone have ideas or experiences with this aggression? I would appreciate advice or ideas.
Thank you. 

Idk about chicken Momma's, but sometimes I wanna do this to my children too. Just chase em around and play "whack a mole". Lol

Sorry I know it is a serious question, I just couldn't resist.

 

[gootziecat]

LOL! And they wonder why some animals eat their young.

 

[sonderah]

LOL! And they wonder why some animals eat their young.

Right!!
Maybe ur Silkie has bipolar. Seek therapy!!