Silkies: Do they work with standard birds?

[black_cat]

I am also thinking that I might not want two as sexed ones are ex-pen-sive, and they don't produce as many eggs as my parents might like.

 

[black_cat]

@SoftSilkie I know that you have silkies (duh) what are your thoughts on this? I"m really desperate for input on it so that i can finalize my plans.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I integrated 3 bantam (2 of them Silkies) to an established large fowl flock with no problems at all. However, the third bantam is a rooster, and his presence may have aided the integration.

But if they are raised together, I wouldn't anticipate problems, tbh. But it is up to the individual birds.

 

[black_cat]

I integrated 3 bantam (2 of them Silkies) to an established large fowl flock with no problems at all. However, the third bantam is a rooster, and his presence may have aided the integration.

But if they are raised together, I wouldn't anticipate problems, tbh. But it is up to the individual birds.

My main concern is that I would need more than one silkie, even if they are raised together. I would adore one and my friend is begging me to get one. Would there really be that much of a problem with only 1?

 

[PioneerChicks]

Thanks for the tag!

I keep all my chickens together, bantams and standards. The silkies do great! I like to get at least three chicks only a couple days old so they can become friends and have some buddies when merged with the older chickens.

Silkies from hatcheries are often not the best quality for show, which isn't too good for fair but because their crests are smaller they can see better and so they can easier avoid pecks. It's really the ones with huge crests that you need to watch out for because they can't see very well.

I think you'll be fine, as long as you merge the silkie with the other chicks at a young age. One silkie should be fine as long as she has some good friends!

Good luck!

 

[PioneerChicks]

I had another thread asking about roosting, I was told that if you make a ramp up to the roost and roost train them with everyone else. I thought silkies could work because they are on the larger side of bantams. It depends on how many chicks I end up getting-if I end up getting four, I won't do a silkie, but if I end up with 5 or 6 I will do 2 silkies.

Lesser quality silkies can fly to lower roosts, but sometimes they just don't like to. Depends on the bird.

 

[black_cat]

Thanks for the tag!

I keep all my chickens together, bantams and standards. The silkies do great! I like to get at least three chicks only a couple days old so they can become friends and have some buddies when merged with the older chickens.

Silkies from hatcheries are often not the best quality for show, which isn't too good for fair but because their crests are smaller they can see better and so they can easier avoid pecks. It's really the ones with huge crests that you need to watch out for because they can't see very well.

I think you'll be fine, as long as you merge the silkie with the other chicks at a young age. One silkie should be fine as long as she has some good friends!

Good luck!

Hooray! These chicks would all be in the same order from MyPetChicken, so they'd all be raised together. I'm not looking to show them, (there are NO places to show near me anyway) so that works out just fine.

 

[black_cat]

Lesser quality silkies can fly to lower roosts, but sometimes they just don't like to. Depends on the bird.

I will have a ramp up to the poop board, and the roost will be 6'' off the poop board. I'll roost train the silkie with everyone else and hope for the best.

 

[PioneerChicks]

Hooray! These chicks would all be in the same order from MyPetChicken, so they'd all be raised together. I'm not looking to show them, (there are NO places to show near me anyway) so that works out just fine.

Wahoo!

I will have a ramp up to the poop board, and the roost will be 6'' off the poop board. I'll roost train the silkie with everyone else and hope for the best.

My roosts are about a foot off the ground. I don't have any ramps, but maybe if I added one my lazier silkies would consider sleeping on them!

If you have any questions, I recommend that you check out this silkie thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/silkies-they’re-simply-spectacular.1334299/
We love answering questions on there!

 

[LadiesAndJane]

I agree with other posters you should have at least two Silkies. That way they can hang out together. I have a young mixed flock (none laying yet) of Silkies, Polish and large fowl breeds. I have four Silkies and two Polish and they definitely separate themselves by breed. They all get along pretty well but most of them were raised together. When I introduced some new chicks (the Polish and 3 other chicks) recently two of the older birds were relentless on picking on the new chicks so I actually ended up selling the two most aggressive older pullets and now everybody seems to be in harmony and happy together! Took still a month to integrate the two age groups.