Silkies for first time chicken owner?

Quote:welcome to the world of "what chickens are best for me"...

no, they will not peck you when you get their eggs... unless they are broody, they might, but it's more a show to scare you than anything... they don't bite as hard as roosters... it's funny/cute...

they are great pets, but white does get dirty... get buff or black... LOL... being bantams makes them the perfect pet...

it varries on hen really... i had a silkie hen that gave me one egg a week, others 6 eggs a week...

quality hens...? hmm... i really like sundown silkies buffs... but there are always people on here selling gorgeous birds...

read up on the standards of perfection for silkies... or google, "show quality silkie" under images to see some nice birds...

not sure how long they live and lay... i'm sure like other birds their laying slows down after 3-4 years in bantams... live..? not sure...

um... they have vaulted skulls and that means on top of their heads they have a soft spot... kind of why i got rid of them all... i don't like carrying newborn babies, and that's what it felt like to me... i also had one that would bob his head when nervous... i guess he bumped his head on something at an early age or something... i gave him lots of vitamins, but it still didn't make a difference...


now...


have you considered cochin bantams...??

 

im a first time chicken owner and i love love love my silkies, my silkie rooster is the friendliest loveable rooster i got,(i have 3 different breed roosters so all my girls can have a boy friend cause im weird like that) but yea i have a 10 month old daughter and he has not once tried to peck her or show any aggression, the nieces and nephews can just come and pick him up, he is very much a gentle man to the hens and lets them know when he finds goodies and gives the goodies to them rather then eating them himself, winter gotta watch for snow building up on their feet feathers, and they also cant fly well, so if you're gonna let them free range watch for predators, i only let mine free range when im home.

 

Silkies are get and they should be fine for you and DD

 

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=11916-silkies-101
this might help

 

if you want real chickens get american breeds. Real chicken lovers eat their chickens that is what their bred for.

 

Just remember, they are individuals. My adults are more apt to follow me around like puppies, while the half grown hang back and watch for what's coming. Chicks bail. Just because most have birds that are easy to handle or roosters that are friendly it does not mean they are all that way. I've got one old girl that every time I pick her up its like the first time all over again. A rooster that when he works up his nerve will flog me. Its how they're wired. Fortunately they are the minority.

When it comes to purchasing a good or high quality Silkie, know your breeder. Know that they've been established with the breed for a while, that they have a good rep. There are breeders out there that are basically Silkie mills. There are several breeders on this board who would be very good to deal with.

Get whatever color you want. If you don't then eventually you'll be selling what you got so you can buy what you wanted in the first place. I raise whites. I let them play in the mud yesterday but I can bet you when I go in this morning they'll be perfectly white again. Research your colors because they all have their inherent issues. White is the only one that is consistent in color, blacks can have discoloration in the hackles of the male, partridge is a tough color to get right, buff has issues with smut and black.

It might cost you in the beginning but begin with good breeder birds, not necessarily show birds. That will help you build from there.

 

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