Silkies for first time chicken owner?

[justmeinflorida]

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Thank you for the great advise...all of it was very helpful.

 

[blkpoodles]

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Snow won't be a problem for me here in Central Florida...we don't get to many cold days. Sometimes between Feb. and April we get some 30-40 cold snaps but they only hang around for a few days at best. I'm also not letting mine free range unless I'm with them. That's why I haven't gotten any yet, still building the run for their coop. We have some ridiculously HUGE hawks in my area...I swear the first time I saw one it I thought was an eagle...LOL!

i should of looked where your from lol, also if you have facebook, there's groups on there for shows and silkies

 

[Animalian]

get one each of a few different breeds. Helps you tell them apart, would be fun for your daughter. A colourful flock!

Not all birds fit the breed stereotype, so it's best to decide for yourself.

For example

RIR's are supposed to be aggressive, my girl Milly is definately the one in charge, but the only time I have ever seen her be aggressive to another hen was when I got new pullets and the older Faverolle kept pecking them, so Milly attacked her/told her off. Now everyone gets along. I also heard they're not too people friendly but she pecks treats from my hand EVER SO LIGHTLY and will sit on my lap and is the most personable of all my hens. She also lays an almost full size egg every day even though she's a bantam (bet you can't tell who the favourite is lol)

Faverolle's are supposed to be placid and wimpy. I think my girl is rather dull, she would have been eaten by an eagle by now without my RIR to guide her. She likes to talk to you though! Also she was very cruel to the new pullets, pecking them and going after them un-provoked, until Milly told her off that is!! She also really hurts my hand when I hand feed her, but is also very easy to catch. Lays an decent egg at least 4 times a week.

Plymouth Rocks are supposed to be friendly, mine is MAD! She is constantly noisy and will freak out and scream if I even touch her, and she will run up to me for treats but will grab them and run rather than feed off my hand. She's pretty though and very good for 'predator watch' alerting the others to take cover. Lays an egg once every two days.

My D'uccle, Ebony is very sweet, calm, gentle, easy to pick up and cuddle, likes watching REALLY closely (stands between my legs) when I clean the coop, also a little 'vacant' but is such a pretty little thing, and their plumage is constantly changing, she was black with a chesnut chest when I bought her, now she has chesnut and white flecks coming out all over. She lays a tiny egg 3 times a week.



My rule originally was to buy one "good laying hen" and one "fancy hen" with each pair I got. Now I've noticed "fancy" often equals absent minded! If I had silkies I would want at least a few, clean legged, non crested/bearded just for safety! They will have better vision and seem more alert in general and the silkies will run for cover if they do!!
For my next pair I'm considering dominiques, wyandottes, silkies, cochins and any bantam sized hen I can get to lay a blue egg! I would also get RIR and D'uccle again but probably not the others.

 

[justmeinflorida]

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I'm going to a chicken swap/sell Oct. 8th ( they have one every 2nd Sat. of the month ), I spoke with the women that runs it and she's very nice. She said if I show up this coming event she'll take me to her farm and show me all her birds, so I can get an up close and personal perspective on the types of birds that are out there. maybe then I'll have a better idea of what I'm looking for. At this point I just keep changing my mind...LOL!

 

[Shayna]

I am a first time chicken owner and just brought home silkies within a month ago. LOVE THEM! I don't think you'll regret it one bit. They do need to be protected a bit more than other chickens I think because the fluff can make it harder to see, and they can't fly a bit. But they're sooo much fun!

 

[blkpoodles]

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so true, even my friends who dont like chickens love the silkies, they are so different and fun to watch, i think its funny when my roo does his little dance around the hens, and he is so protective of them too

 

[Shayna]

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My roo does a funny stompy dance around the hens too. Very cute all around. I call one Puppy because she's always under my feet - well, like a puppy!

 

[blkpoodles]

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My roo does a funny stompy dance around the hens too. Very cute all around. I call one Puppy because she's always under my feet - well, like a puppy!

that's like my lucy, lucy is a red sexlink, she had to supervise us when we were building our chicken coops, its funny, its like she had to make sure we were doing everything right, rudy was too busy getting picked up by the kids lol

 

[blkpoodles]

my dog chesney and my roo rudy, all my dogs get along with my chickens

 

[gumbii]

dogs and chickens rock...