Silkie thread!

[moomoodiddy]

So far I have 5 chicks. Cuckoo and black sizzles. I let my girls go crazy and all of them lay on eggs so it will be a staggered hatch.

 

[sue25]

I just read an article on BYC that says Silkies have a hole in the top of there skull. Part of the brain is exposed. If you touch the top of there head you can feel the Cerebral Hernia. An article at www.browneggblueegg.com has a whole article on it.

 

[Hinotori]

Yes, the vaulted skull may have holes. It puts them at risk of brain damage when around aggressive birds.

I had a silkie rooster who was blinded from a head peck by a normally docile ameraucana hen who just finally got tired of his bullying ways.

 

[FishMtFarm]

Haha!! Now that would be a sight! I use to have a splash hen that was huge. Down fall was she never laid eggs.

 

[moomoodiddy]

Yes, the vaulted skull may have holes. It puts them at risk of brain damage when around aggressive birds.

I had a silkie rooster who was blinded from a head peck by a normally docile ameraucana hen who just finally got tired of his bullying ways.

Same here. I had a gorgeous smooth cuckoo hen with an awesome top hat, put her and some other younger hens in with some new Roos who got a little too excited. Dead the next day with one peck.

 

[Hinotori]

This coloring mix is so adorable. And they photograph so well. Easier than even white birds and much more visible than my partridge.

I'll have to look into getting some actual isabel silkies in a few years when the two pullets I have like this get older.

 

[FirstTimeClucky]

Here's a question: which breeds do Silkies get along with? Someone locally is giving away a 2 year old bantam cochin hen who's stopped laying. I've read that they are docile but I assume this means "with humans". Or is it best to just keep Silkies with Silkies?

 

[Scratchychiken]

Here's a question: which breeds do Silkies get along with? Someone locally is giving away a 2 year old bantam cochin hen who's stopped laying. I've read that they are docile but I assume this means "with humans". Or is it best to just keep Silkies with Silkies?

I have heard they will usually get along with any breed of chicken that is generally described as docile ( Buff Orpingtons, Cochins, etc.)
Of course some feistier breeds could also get along with silkies.
It all depends on your bird's personalities.

 

[FirstTimeClucky]

I have heard they will usually get along with any breed of chicken that is generally described as docile ( Buff Orpingtons, Cochins, etc.)
Of course some feistier breeds could also get along with silkies.
It all depends on your bird's personalities.

I'm not completely sure about their personalities yet, as they're only around 4 months old and have just stopped cheeping and switched to regular chicken noises. I'm fairly sure that my white one is a pullet, but the jury's still out on the partridge one, who makes long bawwwwwwwwk noises (especially while I have the other one out of the pen) while the other one doesn't. I started out with three chicks, but one of them died. I was looking for another Silkie but I also like bantam cochins. Since I don't keep my chickens for eggs (I have quail for that) I thought it might be nice to "rescue" a hen who might end up in the stew pot now that her laying days are over.

 

[moomoodiddy]

Here's a question: which breeds do Silkies get along with? Someone locally is giving away a 2 year old bantam cochin hen who's stopped laying. I've read that they are docile but I assume this means "with humans". Or is it best to just keep Silkies with Silkies?

Birds of the same size usually get a long better, but it depends on the actual bird.