Silkie thread!

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I have a batch of cuckoo silkie eggs that are due for lockdown tomorrow with splash silkies. What color do the cuckoo chicks start out as?
 
Thank you to those that responded to my question on silkies being bantams. I read to get colored silkies there were other chickens mixed in somewhere in the background that white was the only true color of pure silkie. I have one little silkie that is different than the others. We call it cookie, I don't know anyones gender yet all are too young. Cookie has a comb none of the others have a trace of one, this looks like a normal comb a small row of little spikes, I read a silkies comb is different than most, could this be from a different breed being in its background? I also haven't been able to find a match on cookies color and pattern, cookie started off a red brown with a dark brown kinda black around the eyes and some on the body, not a chipmunk pattern or anything, the wing feathers are coming in striped. I also have a little blue one that's feathers look like they curl a little, I read silkies cant fly but these 2 get some air when they try, both have black skin and 5 toes, I got them at tsc, I'm wondering if they aren't quality or something, not that it matters much they're for pets. Just curious. I'm wondering if they're both males I see chest bumping and attitudes from both, they're in with 4 bantams one I know is a young roo. Its some type of black clean legged bantam with a normal comb, he's a proud fellow too, they're in with a bantam D'Uccle, a black bantam with a flat spot for a comb, and a white hen with grey here and there and bright green legs. But I've noticed everybody is bickering lately they all run each other around and fly up at one another, but at night they all sleep in a pile in a small cardboard box. I will be a bit disappointed if all my bantams turn out to be roos. I got them for pets but I wanted to raise some too. Seems I'm having bad luck picking roos from tsc I think I have 5 in my regular size chickens. I'm going to check tsc this week for a few more bantams and silkies. I don't mind having roos, but id like to have more hens than roos. The oldest of my group is around 6 weeks, they youngest are going on there 2nd week, I read hens submit to roos by bowing but I see a lot of harmless chest bumping and chasing, no one gets hurt, I hope I just have bossy hens. One of my standard size hens is bossy just like a roo she doesn't bow even to a young roo, she's like a queen bee
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I'm allowed to have roos, I won't have to get rid of them but I cant raise babies from a bunch of little crowers
 
I finally warmed Scary Spice up enough to stay on my shoulder!!! She started getting a red comb last week and it's getting even more red now. I think I have a rooster and have to change her name! Just sharing a few pics!
I had to make a larger brooding space for them today. It was so messy when I came home from work. It was never so bad before! They were scratching at water! Does anyone have an idea on a good brooder size to keep them in the entire 6 weeks? I've upgraded three times already.
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seminolewind said:
Wow, I had no idea they could free range. It just sounds scary to me.

MumsyIII, I hope you are saying that the roos can live together in a group. I did have 2 roos and a hen that lived together fine for years. But I wondered if that was common or not.
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I move my silkies around all the time and have about twelve separate breeding pens for trios but I like to rest everybody when I have enough eggs going or chicks hatched. At first I housed the boys separately but it got too crazy keeping food and water dishes for everybody. Then I put three together and there was fighting but I made sure there was plenty of room for them to get out of the way of the head cock and no one was getting too bloody. Then I added three more and that seemed to work too. It does take them some time to figure out who is top cock and who is least. I worry most about the guy who is least because I don't want him to lose too much condition from not getting his fare share of the food and water. Three or four cocks to a pen works best for me now. It helps even more if they have grown up together. I have never brought in a new cock and put him in the pen with all strangers. I think that would be a bloody mess. I think it all depends on how much room there is in the pen. I do know that chickens scream like crazy when they fight but it doesn't mean anyone is really getting hurt. Fighting silkies remind me of dualing pillow cases. It does make a ruckus though. I watch them closely after moving birds around so I can referee if needed. Sometimes there is always that one guy that just can't get along with anybody.
 
I'm wanting to raise some silkies when mine are older, I only have 6 right now I think I'll get a few more before tsc stops having them in the store. I hope I have a roo, I just hope to end up with more hens than roos. I was going to keep them with my bantams, but have now decided to give them there own pen. There house is an old little tikes play house im adding a floor I've screened in the windows for there safety. We started out with 2 but now 6, I think all will be bearded, they have puffy cheeks. Does anyone know if a chick that starts off with white down with a yellow in places will just be white? Or maybe something different? So far I have 2 that are friendly my youngest black and grey, and a little white one, they allow me to handle them and will walk up and onto my hand, so far the oldest 2 and others run away and chirp loudly when I try to hold them and everyone gets handled daily
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im still trying to get everyone used to me. With my large chicks they took up with me right away and flock to me when they see me and all compete for attention. Most of my bantams and silkies don't seem to want attention at all, I'm very gentle with them and try my best not to scare them, they're all inside in large storage tubs with shavings food and water dishes and a cardboard box to sleep in, that seems to work well with them they have room to run around and scratch, they're too tiny for me to consider moving outside even the oldest that are 6 weeks fit in one hand and only a few inches tall
 
Sylvester017 said:
As chicks - no way at all which is why they are always sold as "straight run" no sexing.
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Fancychooklady said:
Silkies come in bearded and non bearded. I have both. Personally, I keep the bearded penned for their own protection. The non bearded have vision as a result of the lack of muff that comes with the beard. They shouldn't be bald unless you are referring to ' showgirls ' that are naked necked.
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ok thanks :) I think I'm getting non bearded, but I would love a couple of bearded :)
 

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