Silkies - They’re simply SPECTACULAR!

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

I did something kind of similar when I had all my females separated from my males. I had a couple specific hens I wanted to pair with one of my cockerels and I'd put one hen in with him in a small pen for a couple hours per day and alternate days with each of the hens. It took about a week or so for one hen to start laying fertile eggs and a couple weeks for the other. This was a cockerel who was inexperienced with mating but picked it up pretty quickly. How long they will stay fertile can really vary depending on the male I think. I've always had the girls stay fertile for at least a week though.

Well if it worked for you hopefully it will work for me! It's pouring with rain today so not ideal weather for a chicken date walking together in the grass, so I'll have to set the scene another day

 

[WallacetheKhakiCampbell]

I was at my local breeder the other day and they had two silkie roosters for sale (very cheap). I don't have a rooster right now but am looking into getting one. Are these good roosters? I wasn't the biggest fan of their looks at first but I found the darker colored ones better looking than the bright white ones.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

I was at my local breeder the other day and they had two silkie roosters for sale (very cheap). I don't have a rooster right now but am looking into getting one. Are these good roosters? I wasn't the biggest fan of their looks at first but I found the darker colored ones better looking than the bright white ones.

Do you have photos? Hard to say otherwise.

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

I was at my local breeder the other day and they had two silkie roosters for sale (very cheap). I don't have a rooster right now but am looking into getting one. Are these good roosters? I wasn't the biggest fan of their looks at first but I found the darker colored ones better looking than the bright white ones.

Unfortunately no matter what breed rooster you have, you can get good ones and bad ones. It's hard to tell what their behavior is like without bringing them home first to try. Silkies tend to be more docile so if your going for that characteristic then it's likely but then I've had more alert and jumpy Silkie roosters and some very calm and docile. None have attacked me though and all have alerted for predators... Are you wanting rooster for breeding or protection for your hens? Or a pet?

 

[PioneerChicks]

I was at my local breeder the other day and they had two silkie roosters for sale (very cheap). I don't have a rooster right now but am looking into getting one. Are these good roosters? I wasn't the biggest fan of their looks at first but I found the darker colored ones better looking than the bright white ones.

If their from a good breeder they could be good quality. Or they could be not-so-good ones that the breeder doesn't want in his plan. Or they could be good roosters but the breeder has used them as much as possible and is switching out his roos. Pictures would be helpful.

 

[LynnaePB]

I was at my local breeder the other day and they had two silkie roosters for sale (very cheap). I don't have a rooster right now but am looking into getting one. Are these good roosters? I wasn't the biggest fan of their looks at first but I found the darker colored ones better looking than the bright white ones.

I agree 100% with Silkielee about the possibility of getting good or bad with any breed.

Saying that I've had some poor luck with silkie roosters myself in regards to human aggression. I've heard of plenty of silkie roosters that are big sweethearts to their owners, their hens, and their chicks I just haven't had one like that myself yet. All of my silkie roosters have been pretty good at calling out alarms and most are willing to run to the defense of a hen if they believe she is in trouble which I think are good traits. In regards to how the roosters treat their hens on a day to day basis that varies a good bit between roosters. A lot of my males are kind of in the middle on that one....not terrible but they could definitely be a bit nicer about it when a hen isn't really in the mood. In a large enough flock I haven't had much trouble with my silkie roosters hassling any of the hens too much and they've generally been pretty good other than the occasional attack towards myself (they seem to view me as a rival).

I think a lot depends on the line. Some breeders don't take temperament into account much as long as a bird is good looking and healthy. Others may put a big emphasis on breeding away from aggression. I'm just beginning my own line and I've got a long way to go to breed away from the aggression that my silkie males seem to be prone to at this point.

If I was thinking of getting any rooster I'd definitely want to ask the breeder/owner about how that individuals temperament has been in the past. It may not always translate to your set up/situation but it is a good way to get some better insight into how an individual rooster might be.

 

[CuteFluffyButtSilkies]

I was at my local breeder the other day and they had two silkie roosters for sale (very cheap). I don't have a rooster right now but am looking into getting one. Are these good roosters? I wasn't the biggest fan of their looks at first but I found the darker colored ones better looking than the bright white ones.

Post some pictures. Hard to say without pictures

 

[ronkonkoma]

My buff baby seems to LOVE my paint boy, but he has his black (split from paint) girls and she has her frizzled man. It’s like a love triangle

 

[ronkonkoma]

 

[ronkonkoma]

my frizzled dun chocolate Silkie mix.