Silkies - They’re simply SPECTACULAR!

Trying to get a head-count on silkie lovers...

  • ME! - I like silkies!

    Votes: 826 96.2%
  • ^

    Votes: 98 11.4%

  • Total voters
    859
@Hinotori of the first 4 eggs hatched from my F1 gals x Silkie roo, I got two looking more like silkies, the other two are hard feathered wings.. The one on top, and the one to the right have split feathers on the wings.. So I lucked out. There are 4 more younger siblings that are just now starting to get wing feathers.. Another week and we should see if the 50/50 rule holds. I'm pleased none the less. btw, that lil stinker on the left is a brownish grey. Offspring of the hatching hen.

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There are some normal feathered in the hatch of F4s, but most of the chicks have been male in my hatches this year. I'm more concerned with their body shape still. The F2s from the cochin look like silkies. The little black ones are indistinguishable from the black silkie of the same age.

So many of the silkies are molting, broody, or have chicks that Im not getting a lot of eggs. More eggs from the two project pens. Currently other than size they look like they are from my mostly EE large fowl flock with the color. I need to catch the hens in the last pen and check leg bands. One of the F3s looks like a silkie and I don't know which she is, but she is laying a green egg.

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There are some normal feathered in the hatch of F4s, but most of the chicks have been male in my hatches this year. I'm more concerned with their body shape still. The F2s from the cochin look like silkies. The little black ones are indistinguishable from the black silkie of the same age.

So many of the silkies are molting, broody, or have chicks that Im not getting a lot of eggs. More eggs from the two project pens. Currently other than size they look like they are from my mostly EE large fowl flock with the color. I need to catch the hens in the last pen and check leg bands. One of the F3s looks like a silkie and I don't know which she is, but she is laying a green egg.

View attachment 3305941
Those egg colors from your silkies are awesome!
 
Those egg colors from your silkies are awesome!

They only carry 1 copy of the blue egg gene so far. I have to test breed the cockerel from this year that I liked. If his daughters to regular silkies lay blue he carries it. I'll use him on some of the project birds as well so I don't lose a year waiting if he does.

I've taken to marking the leg bands as well as using colored zip ties so I know who is who at a look. I have a log of the band number and color to who it is as well.
 
Dropping in to say hello!! Well as of first molt, both Betty and Bambina, my tiny polkie and silkie, have decided they have had ENOUGH with the bullying and they now tag team against anyone who gets in their way! 🤣 They even have Elsa running, occasionally. They are still so small, but have figured out how to make their feathers pop and look MASSIVE while karate kicking and silkie-fly-jumping!

Hanging w the big girls..
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I can look just as tall as you!
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Cutest fluff ever...
20221011_174639.jpg
 
Dropping in to say hello!! Well as of first molt, both Betty and Bambina, my tiny polkie and silkie, have decided they have had ENOUGH with the bullying and they now tag team against anyone who gets in their way! 🤣 They even have Elsa running, occasionally. They are still so small, but have figured out how to make their feathers pop and look MASSIVE while karate kicking and silkie-fly-jumping!

Hanging w the big girls..
View attachment 3306587

I can look just as tall as you!
View attachment 3306588

Cutest fluff ever...
View attachment 3306589
Adorable! They've grown so much! It is amazing how the dynamics can change literally by the day in the pecking order!
 
Adorable! They've grown so much! It is amazing how the dynamics can change literally by the day in the pecking order!
Definitely! I had two roosters together in one pen with their ladies and they got along fine. They did hatch out together so I call them "brothers" even though one's a buff, (his name is Cheddar) and the other is a partridge (his is Falcon). In the mornings Falcon would chase Cheddar around just to kind of say, hey, I'm the boss here! Other than that they would get along just fine. Until one morning... Cheddar was being chased and I said, "Cheddar, you have to learn to stand up for yourself!" The next day and everyone after, they don't get along! He learned to stand up to Falcon and now, when they get out of their coop in the morning, Cheddar chases Falcon! Now I have to separate them. It's crazy!
 
Definitely! I had two roosters together in one pen with their ladies and they got along fine. They did hatch out together so I call them "brothers" even though one's a buff, (his name is Cheddar) and the other is a partridge (his is Falcon). In the mornings Falcon would chase Cheddar around just to kind of say, hey, I'm the boss here! Other than that they would get along just fine. Until one morning... Cheddar was being chased and I said, "Cheddar, you have to learn to stand up for yourself!" The next day and everyone after, they don't get along! He learned to stand up to Falcon and now, when they get out of their coop in the morning, Cheddar chases Falcon! Now I have to separate them. It's crazy!
Yeah Joey and Grayson were brothers Luke that and Joey would chase Grayson every single morning for bout 45 mins...Grayson was fast and Joey relentless.
Bluey is 6 months younger and half brother of Joey but Joey does not care one bit...now that I got a couple girls laying the fight is on!
My girls are even pickin at each other! Hilarious to see a tiny d'uccle go fight my cochin boy!!!
Never a dull moment that's for sure!
Joey gets conjugal supervised visits only now lol! I did cover Bluey's eyes though...that count?!
 

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