Silkie thread!

[ChcknNurse]

I just got my first Silkie chicks in mid-July. I wasn't told how old they were. I think they were 6 weeks old. I started out with a Maran hen someone gave me because she was lame. She lived with me for a few months and I got attached to her, but when she didn't seem to be getting better I took her to the vet, who told me she had a hip deformity and would always be in pain. So sadly I had to have her euthanized. After that I really missed her and decided to get a couple more chickens, smaller and more suited to be pets. So - Silkies.

My two fluffballs are doing fine. Right now they live in a big pen in my bedroom. I'm pretty attached to them and I enjoy watching their antics. First thing in the morning when I uncover their pen, the first thing they do is play. They chase each other and play fight, rearing up like roosters and kicking at each other. During this morning's chase, the brown (partridge cuckoo?) one ran smack into their roosting perch. He just shook his head and went right back to chasing the other one. I'm wondering if I should start trimming the feathers around their eyes? They're growing new feathers right now, both are covered in pin feathers.

I take them out at least once a day, one at a time, and put them on my lap and stroke them. They're getting more tame, now they put their feet on the palm of my hand, snuggle down, and they're starting to peck at my fingers and arms to explore. It's also a good way to check their health and how they're maturing.

It's funny watching them walk around on those big muff feet that look like those old mukluk boots we used to wear back in the '70's. It's especially funny watching them scratch when they're eating something tasty. The brown one actually moonwalks, sliding backwards as he shuffles his feet. I can tell when they've been eating from their feeder, the shavings are all kicked away in front of it. I give them a couple of tablespoons of chopped greens each morning, usually romaine. They love them - but WILL NOT eat them unless I serve them in a Special Red Dish. As soon as they see that red dish in my hand, the brown one starts his moonwalk routine.

Last night I had a bit of a scare. I went to cover them up for the night and the white one was gone! The sides of their pen are tall and I know they can't fly, and I've never seen them jump that high. I was searching all over the place, when I happened to see something sticking out of their feeder, which is made from a plastic gallon jug (see pic). He had climbed right up, inside the jug, to sleep! Only his tail and a bit of his butt were sticking out. The other one had crowded as close as he could get to that jug, which is how I noticed. I have no idea how he thought he was going to get back out again. Anyway, I got him out. I've now blocked off half of the opening on the jug so he can't climb inside again. I'm glad that I've always made a habit of going to check on them, many times a day.

Of course I don't know their sex yet, though they're changing every day as they mature. I'm calling them "he" for now. The white one has bright blue earlobes, which I've read mean "male" but I've done enough research to know that you can't really tell a Silkie's sex until it crows or lays eggs. The partridge one is getting some long orangey feathers on his neck now, and tonight I noticed some "stringy" tail feathers. Again, signs which I've read could be a rooster. I just want to know so that I can hopefully get a collar if I do have a roo. The way my luck often runs, I'll have two roos. I hope they will get along when they grow up.

Here are a couple of pics...
View attachment 1115768 View attachment 1115769

They are adorable. Please make sure you are offering chick grit, since you are feeding other food than chick crumbles it's important.

I am the same about the he/she labeling. With the exception of silkies I seem to be almost always right from very early on. With these, I can be observing mannerisms and think rooster and be way off. I may as well just assume rooster and be pleasantly surprised, lol. I have decided since it's the YEAR OF THE ROO, I don't have a chance in 2017.

 

[hbrown322]

Here are my two silkies ~8weeks old. Any guesses

on the sex, or is it still too soon to tell?

 

[Hinotori]

Here are my two silkies ~8weeks old. Any guessesView attachment 1122574View attachment 1122578 on the sex, or is it still too soon to tell?

Still too early to be certain.

 

[ChcknNurse]

My little partridge is getting long, shiny orange feathers on the back of his neck now. I was told that he's also a "cuckoo", does that refer to the stripes on his back feathers? It's hard to see now because his eyes are now almost hidden by feathers, but he's also got chocolate brown stripes around his eyes, running from beak to back of the head. Here's a pic of the striped feathers, it was taken before the orange neck feathers grew in. You can see a bit of the striping around his eye.
View attachment 1117746

Cuckoo pattern is the little stripes, yes. However, since you said partridge & not cuckoo, I wonder what the parents were.

I do have a couple of partridge that would appear to be cuckoo. However, the breeder doesn't have that pattern and I expect it to grow out. Also, I have a Cochin that had a very clear barring pattern that grew into a birchen. Finally I have a blue cuckoo silkie/cochin.

 

[ChcknNurse]

I know I have thought of soup. I would have no problem with that, the part that really makes my stomach turn about that is they are such good quality and would do great in a breeder pen and of course the ones that are turning out roos are the ones we paid a lot of money for with the intent of breeding silkies.

I'm starting to think it would be worth it to pay the $5 each to get the DNA test to just know early.

 

[Diannastarr]

Hmm sounds like the best thing for me to do is use the tarp but put shavings in, instead of sand. That will at least prevent the shaving mess. With those big fluffy feet they can kick a surprising amount of shavings around. I hoped that the play sand would be ok for their feet, and cleaner because I can scoop the poop out. They're indoors, so the sand would only get wet from their droppings and possibly near their water. But I'll save the sand for the quail. Scooping isn't a problem, I already scoop two cat litter boxes every day.

I just thought of something - is it a good idea to offer them a pan with sand every so often for dust baths?

Re the blue earlobes: When I first got my Silkies I had three of them, two were partridge. Unfortunately the other partridge died suddenly. It was a couple of weeks older than the others, and had the bright blue earlobes. Maybe the white one will develop the blue lobes. Right now his lobes are pretty small.

Here are a couple of pics of the partridge's new orange feathers. They look a bit paler today. He still has a lot of new feathers coming in.
View attachment 1119392 View attachment 1119393

just a heads up about play sand, from the hard ware or other stores, a member on here told me years ago that sand is called ((( silica sand ))) and the bag even has a warning on it..!!! its even dangerous & bad for children...!! and that can kill your birds if they eat it..! google it ...!! but i read its better if you buy construction sand thats not silica sand, so check it out on line it worth it. take care

 

[FirstTimeClucky]

just a heads up about play sand, from the hard ware or other stores, a member on here told me years ago that sand is called ((( silica sand ))) and the bag even has a warning on it..!!! its even dangerous & bad for children...!! and that can kill your birds if they eat it..! google it ...!! but i read its better if you buy construction sand thats not silica sand, so check it out on line it worth it. take care

Yes, I'm familiar with play sand vs. silica sand. I've been using play sand as a substrate for fish tanks and some reptiles, for years. I look for the pre washed, non silica variety. There are many brands of play sand out there, you have to read the label. I believe masonry sand is the silica stuff, it's used to make mortar and cement.

I didn't end up using the sand for my Silkies after all, since I was told that it's too abrasive for the feathering on their feet. However, I switched my coturnix quail over to sand and it's working great - no more stink and it's easy to scoop their poop out every morning. Plus, it's easy to find the eggs. I had them on shavings before and they bury their eggs in it, plus the eggs are perfectly camouflaged to be harder to find in shavings!

 

[Diannastarr]

Yes, I'm familiar with play sand vs. silica sand. I've been using play sand as a substrate for fish tanks and some reptiles, for years. I look for the pre washed, non silica variety. There are many brands of play sand out there, you have to read the label. I believe masonry sand is the silica stuff, it's used to make mortar and cement.

I didn't end up using the sand for my Silkies after all, since I was told that it's too abrasive for the feathering on their feet. However, I switched my coturnix quail over to sand and it's working great - no more stink and it's easy to scoop their poop out every morning. Plus, it's easy to find the eggs. I had them on shavings before and they bury their eggs in it, plus the eggs are perfectly camouflaged to be harder to find in shavings!

well golly im not to sure about any of that, but what i was told , i guess you just have to read the lables..? then to be safe.

 

[FirstTimeClucky]

Cuckoo pattern is the little stripes, yes. However, since you said partridge & not cuckoo, I wonder what the parents were.

I do have a couple of partridge that would appear to be cuckoo. However, the breeder doesn't have that pattern and I expect it to grow out. Also, I have a Cochin that had a very clear barring pattern that grew into a birchen. Finally I have a blue cuckoo silkie/cochin.

When I first got my Silkies, I had three. I asked for a partridge, a cuckoo and a white. I could tell the difference between the partridge and the cuckoo right away, because the cuckoo had striped wing feathers and the partridge was exactly the same colour but with no stripes. Unfortunately the partridge one died suddenly.

I don't know much about Silkie colours yet, and it doesn't help that different sites contradict each other as to which colours are accepted for Silkies. Some sites don't list cuckoo as an accepted colour. I also found that cuckoo is just the striping on the feathers and can come in different colours. I believe that mine is a partridge cuckoo (or cuckoo partridge?) Or maybe I'm the one who's cuckoo.

Anyway, here's a pic that shows the striped feathers. He/she is also developing "two tone" feathers on the back of the neck. They started out bright orange, but then faded to a straw colour with a dark brown "centre".

 

[Diannastarr]

well golly im not to sure about any of that, but what i was told , i guess you just have to read the lables..? then to be safe.

O and i love silkies so are you in AZ..? im in az : )