Silkie thread!

[FishMtFarm]

First hatch of the year! A blue Silkie, partridge Silkie, and a frizzle mix x Silkie.

 

[FirstTimeClucky]

How old do Silkies have to be in order to breed? Right now I have my cockerel in a separate pen where he can see the pullet. He has started crowing but only occasionally. He's about 5 months old and the pullet is about 8 months. She has been laying eggs regularly for about 2 months.

When the time is right, how should they be introduced?

 

[NNYchick]

He will probably start trying to get the hen interested now as long as their is no other rooster around that is more dominate than him. It has been my experience that cockerels take a little while of practicing to start getting the mounting right. Is there a reason you have them separated? Most likely the Pullet will need time to accept him and he will need time to find his confidence to get her to submit, if they are new to each other. I think it is all going to depend on his personality too. I lost my Alpha cockerel in October and he did not care if the girls squatted or squawked when he mounted them. but My cockerel now I noticed when he took over alpha if the girls squawked when he tried he would quickly get down and even now I see him drop wing and dance for them and if they don't squat he just walks away.

 

[FirstTimeClucky]

He will probably start trying to get the hen interested now as long as their is no other rooster around that is more dominate than him. It has been my experience that cockerels take a little while of practicing to start getting the mounting right. Is there a reason you have them separated? Most likely the Pullet will need time to accept him and he will need time to find his confidence to get her to submit, if they are new to each other. I think it is all going to depend on his personality too. I lost my Alpha cockerel in October and he did not care if the girls squatted or squawked when he mounted them. but My cockerel now I noticed when he took over alpha if the girls squawked when he tried he would quickly get down and even now I see him drop wing and dance for them and if they don't squat he just walks away.

I kept them separated because he had been raised without contact with other chickens and I didn't know how he'd react to her. I also wasn't sure if putting them together too soon could cause problems like fighting or the pullet getting hurt when he tries to breed her. He's been kept in sight of her for over a month now. I have a bantam cochin hen in a separate pen there (she picks on the Silkie pullet). He flew into her pen once. I've since clipped his wings. He seems pretty gentle, at least with me. He wasn't chasing or harassing the cochin hen when I found him in her pen.

The Silkie pullet seems eager to breed, she squats whenever I put my hands in her pen. As long as it won't cause harm I will try supervised intros in the same pen.

Here's another question: when she lays fertile eggs, is it better to allow her to hatch them herself or should I be getting an incubator? I don't plan on breeding on a large scale.

 

[Martin Huevo Farm]

Got a good shot of my silkie yesterday. I'm going to guess he is roo (5 month)

 

[NNYchick]

If it were my birds I would put them together supervised to see how they act. Know that there will be pecking order disputes and the girls being older may bully him some because he is young. What I have been told is let them work it out as long as no one is being injured or being kept from food and water. At 5 months old he is just coming into his hormones and you may not see him harassing the pullets at first, just watch how they do.
I am just starting to hatch, I did my first hatch in the incubator and put them in the brooder. For me chicks in the house was not as fun as I thought it would be they are messy and then there is worrying about acclimating them to weather and older flock. My second hatch I just did under my Broody, so much less work. I am able to go out and pick them the chicks up with out too much fuss from the broody. I think the main difference is people tend to spend more time with chicks when raised inside brooder and that makes a people friendlier chick. Not sure if that is true if you are willing to spend time with them in the coop and the broody will let you handle them, I think they can be just as friendly. Right now the big difference I see in the 2 ways is it is a lot less work and time spent worrying with the broody hatched and raised chicks. No worrying about tempitures, humidity, are they eating/drinking, finding their way under the heat. My second hatch is only 4 days old and my first hatch is 5 weeks old. So far I do have to say my hatch under the broody seem to be less fearful already, but time will tell how each group will be.

 

[JudysMuscovy]

First hatch of the year! A blue Silkie, partridge Silkie, and a frizzle mix x Silkie.
View attachment 1271261

So cute! Are you selling any?

 

[FishMtFarm]

Oh I put 52 more eggs in so yes, I will be. Silkies, showgirls, and frizzle mix silkies.

 

[juliejohnson805]

I've been offered 2 silkie roos and a hen that are about 4.5 months old. I currently have a mixed flock of EE's, Dominques, Barred Rock, Orphingtons and a lone Jersey Giant. I am currently without a roo but I had not thought about silkies. My plan was to try to add a roo this summer and try to start breeding later on.
Are silkie roo good protectors? Do they play well with others?

 

[FishMtFarm]

Silkie Roos would not be a good protector. They are small and just not very mean. They do play well with others tho!