Silkies - They’re simply SPECTACULAR!

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

Well they are only 2 1/2 weeks old. I thought Silkies didn't fully feather out until they are 4 months old or so? Wouldn't they need heat until they are fully feathered? It gets down to the upper 40s to lower 50s most nights.

Oh yes they are very young and need heat till about 6 weeks old.. I'm guessing you have power to the outside coop for a heat source then?
Usually you have heat source temp around 35 degrees (Celcius) first week then reduce by 5 degrees a week... so around 6 weeks theyll be ok without heat. Mine were outside from week 5 without heat but temp was slightly warmer then yours.

 

[Jenilynchickmom]

I acquired these two in the fall as “silkie roosters” I’ve never heard the black one crow but the frizzle crows non stop lol. I’m curious if I was duped and they aren’t actually silkies? Is it common for silkies to be mixed with other bantams and still labeled a silkie?

 

[TJAnonymous]

Oh yes they are very young and need heat till about 6 weeks old.. I'm guessing you have power to the outside coop for a heat source then?
Usually you have heat source temp around 35 degrees (Celcius) first week then reduce by 5 degrees a week... so around 6 weeks theyll be ok without heat. Mine were outside from week 5 without heat but temp was slightly warmer then yours.

Oh, definitely..... I am putting in an automatic chicken door which requires power. I also use power in the coop for lighting when needed and a de-icer in the winter, etc....

I just checked the weather again this morning. It changes daily in Arkansas. One day they will tell you that it will be in the 50's at night. The very next day, they change their original prediction to something totally different. According to the fart in the wind today, it's going to be in the 30's and 40's at night for the next week. So if we get their coop done this weekend, they will definitely need heat! I'm putting in two broody boxes at the back of the coop. They will have nice fluffy straw in them. Those will help insulate the chicks as well. I'll hang the heat lamp over one of those.... Would love to take the MHP out there but I need it for the new eggs.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

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I acquired these two in the fall as “silkie roosters” I’ve never heard the black one crow but the frizzle crows non stop lol. I’m curious if I was duped and they aren’t actually silkies? Is it common for silkies to be mixed with other bantams and still labeled a silkie?

Replied on your other thread.
Hopefully others will chime in here.

 

[Jenilynchickmom]

Replied on your other thread.
Hopefully others will chime in here.

I appreciate all your help

 

[LynnaePB]

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I acquired these two in the fall as “silkie roosters” I’ve never heard the black one crow but the frizzle crows non stop lol. I’m curious if I was duped and they aren’t actually silkies? Is it common for silkies to be mixed with other bantams and still labeled a silkie?

Beautiful boys! My guess is maybe they are from a satin project. Satins are bred to the same standard as silkies but have regular smooth feathering or non silkie frizzled feathers. They aren't a recognized breed at this point but are often bred along side silkies since people love the variety of feather types and more color options. Satins somewhat regularly are labeled silkies by some despite being a little different due to the feather type. If the breeders project was in the early stages they likely have a notable mix of cochin. They could be mixed with something else as well though, hard to tell.

I'd probably call them silkie mixes at this point since it does appear they aren't especially close to the silkie standard yet. They could be genetically almost full silkie and just not fit the standard very well though.

Whatever they are I think they are just lovely!

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

My 4 month old cockerel seems to have missing feathers /bald on back of his head. Is this possibly from fighting with my rooster or just normal feather growth or something else?

 

[LynnaePB]

My 4 month old cockerel seems to have missing feathers /bald on back of his head. Is this possibly from fighting with my rooster or just normal feather growth or something else?
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Hmmmm it very well could be from the fighting with another male. I know they go through several mini molts as they grow but I'm not sure that it would manifest like that?

When my males fight they often go for the back of the crest so I'd think that might be the more likely culprit. I can't be sure though....maybe just an awkward stage of growing in new feathers....

He sure is a pretty little guy.....that color combo is beautiful and I love how vibrant the red leakage he has is!

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

Hmmmm it very well could be from the fighting with another male. I know they go through several mini molts as they grow but I'm not sure that it would manifest like that?

When my males fight they often go for the back of the crest so I'd think that might be the more likely culprit. I can't be sure though....maybe just an awkward stage of growing in new feathers....

He sure is a pretty little guy.....that color combo is beautiful and I love how vibrant the red leakage he has is!

Thanks for your reply!
I haven't seen them fighting but I guess they probably would sort out the pecking order. Hopefully they worked it out and won't fight again and injure each other.
.. He's a keeper because of his colour and he has always been nice and friendly. Looks like he might get the longer tail too which I love! And give me more red leakage offspring! I'm really hoping for a girl with red leakage but all seem to be boys.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

So the saga of the shipped eggs continues!
Only one viable of the paint here DAY 7, it’s doing quite well. Crossing my fingers! The replacements the breeder is sending, the lavender and mixed colors, have got held up somewhere. They were supposed to be here yesterday morning, shipped express. Looks like they won’t get here until Monday, if then. Post office tracking shows them leaving Seattle but they have not officially arrived in Hawaii yet. Even called the ag department yesterday to find out if they had been scanned in Honolulu and they have no record of that yet. Even if they go through today they still won’t get to me until earliest Monday. In conversations with the breeder, she suspects that the eggs may be x-rayed when they get to Hawaii as the agriculture department is very strict. Obviously they shouldn’t be scanning shipped eggs that have permits to be here, but what can you do? Only explanation we can come up with that explains the low development rate.
Anyway, I decided to take some photos of the cute chicks I have and not dwell on the ones that I don’t have!
The Fab Four are now between the ages of 4 weeks and 5 1/2 weeks of age. Kinoko and Hikari are standing out as awesome little pullets with great personalities. Akira is feathering in quite nicely and has an amazing bunny tail already. She has a very wide comb and if I didn’t already have a DNA test with 99.6% accuracy that she is female, I would wonder.
Little Imari is feathering in nicely as well but unfortunately he has a single comb which is becoming quite evident now. I will likely sell him when he has feathered out and looks nice. Hopefully I can find him a good home. He is the only one that hatched and lived, out of 35 eggs total!
Expensive learning experience. On a positive note, two of my silkie girls are laying again and I’ve been putting their eggs in the incubator. Hopefully they’re fertile and my little cockerel has done his job!