Silkies and foraging...

[lauranickerson]

Are Silkies just horrible foragers or what? I have about 23 chickens and they all forage very well except my Silkies (and my BLR Wyandotte, but she's basically at the bottom of the pecking order and would rather spend her time in the coop with the Silkies).

Sometimes I see them out scratching around, but it's only either where I feed them (about 30 feet away from the coop) or somewhere inbetween.

I'd be totally okay with them being home-bodies if this means they will go broody, but they've kind of always been this way...

What gives?

 

[Basil G]

I have two silkie hens and my dad calls them vampires because they won't leave the coop unless the sun is down (no the others aren't bullying them they just come out in the dark). My silkie rooster runs around the yard, but doesn't forage. I think its just a breed thing.

 

[lauranickerson]

Thanks for the reply! Good to know! I guess I'll deal with it, because they are so darn cute!

 

[TheEggCollecter]

Yea silliest don't seem to be good forgers. I am not sure if your silkies have top feathers or not but it good be they just can't see? Not sure, I am new to silkies.

 

[lauranickerson]

Thought about really looking them over, but every time I pick them up, there are not feathers over their eyes or anything. I may be able to cut them back more than they are, but if they don't need it, I'd rather not...

Thank you for the suggestion! I'll look at them tomorrow!

 

[TheEggCollecter]

Thought about really looking them over, but every time I pick them up, there are not feathers over their eyes or anything. I may be able to cut them back more than they are, but if they don't need it, I'd rather not...

Thank you for the suggestion! I'll look at them tomorrow!

Yes, if there are feathers over their eyes I would trim them.

 

[lauranickerson]

There aren't. :/ Guess they're just scardy cats. They've been better the last couple days. Maybe they just hated the cold.

 

[eggsontoast]

I only have one Silkie but the only place she "forages" is in her bowl of crumbles and that's only when she accidentally steps in it and spills it! She's not the smartest chicken in the world, but she is the cuddliest, so all is forgiven.