Silkies - They’re simply SPECTACULAR!

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

  • ME! - I like silkies!

    Votes: 781 95.9%
  • ^

    Votes: 94 11.5%

  • Total voters
    814
I still have to add my reconfigured deep trays so they can have sand litter.. will work on that as soon as im done painting my kitchen cabinets (hopefully this week). I decided, instead of a chicken house extension, i will build them a chicken playground. Ill make it with a base that has enough of a wall to hold sand in (plus sand kicking) but want to add a swing, some perches, maybe a see-saw, a digital keyboard, and an actual chicken TV!! Ill burn some chicken tv youtube shows to dvd and play it on repeat for them. I tested it out, amazing!! They were entranced!! They actually followed the chickens w their eyes, reacted of they came up too close to the screen. It was pretty cool.

Hurry up cabinets!! I have things to build!!
 
Yes, i was so lucky to find a nearby person who also is on BYC.. and she sent me transition pics 😆 i know it sounds silly, i just get so attached.

So.. having them indoors 100%, the constant broody breaking was difficult, because it was constant, in a separate cage, with no litter, so poopy smells were all over the house and stuck to the silkie feathers. Also, they realllly are as loud as a big chicken when it comes to their egg songs (might have just been mine) and they sang for everyone's eggs 🤣, and finally, they seemed to really want to forage, like that instinct to do chicken stuff was really strong.. whereas the D'uccles were ok sitting on the couch watching tv. The fact that they took to the new home so quickly, and even integrated w the other silkies and cochins made me realize it was the right decision for them.

Space wise, i could only keep one of the cochins.. i reallllly loved the feel of the blue frizzle, but she was a bit mean.. so she went with the insurance chicks to a little boys backyard. I just kept Elsa..

Here are some newer ones, but she is fluffed and full feathered now.. she loves to be held and falls asleep instantly. She and the duccles get along really well, although there was a pecking order upheavel. Things are settled now and they even preen each other throughout the day.

View attachment 2614155View attachment 2614157View attachment 2614158
They are so sweet! Yor splash is gorgeous! 🥰
I have two sexed pullet red cochin bantams coming next week. First time with cochins.
My silkies are definitely loud! The girls sound like small geese and almost honk when they lay! My cockerel is actually the loudest, and not just when he crows, he is constantly making clucking and warning sounds, mostly if he sees a cat, that freaks him out the most. Also sings with all the girls when they lay eggs. I think he has some anxiety issues.🤣
So far my silkies have been broody, more than they haven't been. I gave up trying to break them. Seemed so pointless and never works, even with the broody cage.
I am going to try to give Layla some chicks to raise, I think that will make her happy.😊 But now, one of the others is broody, too...
 
I still have to add my reconfigured deep trays so they can have sand litter.. will work on that as soon as im done painting my kitchen cabinets (hopefully this week). I decided, instead of a chicken house extension, i will build them a chicken playground. Ill make it with a base that has enough of a wall to hold sand in (plus sand kicking) but want to add a swing, some perches, maybe a see-saw, a digital keyboard, and an actual chicken TV!! Ill burn some chicken tv youtube shows to dvd and play it on repeat for them. I tested it out, amazing!! They were entranced!! They actually followed the chickens w their eyes, reacted of they came up too close to the screen. It was pretty cool.

Hurry up cabinets!! I have things to build!!
That's awesome! Chicken TV, I love it!🥰
 
Yes!! It seemed like id get one broken, put her back, then 2 days later, the other went broody, so 3 days to broody break, went back, 2 days of peace, then both broody 🤣 surprisingly, i read that the duccles go broody, but they are coming up on a year next month and haven't gone broody once.

The cochins are soooooo sweet. They have a sweet coo they do throughout the day, like a quiet dove.. mine does have a loud egg song, but it is momentary, and that's it for the day.. very quiet and sweet. Loves to be held and cuddled.. definitely will consider them again in 8-10 years.
 
Ok so Elsa hasn't had her beauty spa day yet.. but here she is today, playing on the sofa.. she will look prettier after a bath and blowdry. 20210413_095722.jpg
 
I liked the ones I hatched from Happy Chicken Farm. I get some faults no matter who the breeder is but overall quality seemed good. Kacey was really nice and packed well too.

Here are the ones I hatched. It's tough to judge someone's breeding program just from a small sample hatch but gives an idea of what might hatch. I hatched these guys a couple years ago so the breeding program is probably even better by now! :)

Silver gene white cock hatched from paint eggs (his feet look nicer but they look bad here as he'd been in the mud). He'd probably look even nicer if he wasn't in a bachelor pen.
View attachment 2613403

Dominant white from paint cockerel

View attachment 2613405

Paint cockerel. Sadly his tail got more stiff feathers from this point on which was passing on to babies so I stopped breeding him. He was great to use with partners to correct bad wings though as he mostly had nice winged offspring.
View attachment 2613407

Black from paint pullet (she got even typier as an adult but I don't have pictures offhand).
View attachment 2613458


Paint hen (a little splashy looking and larger than most of my girls but pretty)
View attachment 2613428

Same hen

View attachment 2613434

White from paint pullet (sorry for the bad picture, she had a muddy crest, she unfortunately had wry tail so wasn't used for breeding).

View attachment 2613436

A lot of these were eventually rehomed. The only one I have left is the silver gene cock. The paint hen and black hen as well as the paint boy gave me some nice offspring and contributed to my current flock. :)

How is your hatching going? Well I hope! :fl
Awesome! They look like very nice birds! Right now I'm working to get a rooster from her this fall, and it's working!

Today is hatch day (technically it started last night)! We've got two silkies already and one zipping. There are probably a few pips in the last five eggs that I can't see. I won't be keeping these guys (they already have a home) but I love watching them hatch!
 
Ok so Elsa hasn't had her beauty spa day yet.. but here she is today, playing on the sofa.. she will look prettier after a bath and blowdry.View attachment 2614548

Aww what a pretty girl! :love
Awesome! They look like very nice birds! Right now I'm working to get a rooster from her this fall, and it's working!

Today is hatch day (technically it started last night)! We've got two silkies already and one zipping. There are probably a few pips in the last five eggs that I can't see. I won't be keeping these guys (they already have a home) but I love watching them hatch!

That is great! After buying so many hatching eggs I think getting a nice grow out cockerel is probably usually a better way to go to get the best chance at really good quality. I'm thinking I might do the same sometime as I am having a tough time getting a really nice looking black or paint male that has little to no leakage for my paint program.

I'm lucky that I have a really good breeder just an hour away. I'm hoping I can manage to get a nice boy from her. Her stock sells so fast it can be really hard to get anything other than hatching eggs though as it is first come first serve.

I'm glad to hear you've got two little ones hatched, I hope the rest all make it out without issue! It's so nice you've got homes lined up already! :D

I just had two more hatch as well. 4 more due on the 17th. :)
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom