Silkies - They’re simply SPECTACULAR!

[Chickeria]

So… After a good start with the silkies, little Hanabi had to be removed as she wasn’t staying under the heat and Amai was being a bit rough with her. She is so tiny I was concerned she might get stepped on, so I took her out. She was with the other hatchery chicks until this morning when the last of them went to their new owners. I then was able to place her with this newly hatched silkie chick that hatched last night. Just placed them together and Hanabi is showing the baby how to eat. Hanabi is one week old and the silkie is 12 hours old and they are about the same size
This of course is just a temporary solution as these Silkies were hatch to order and will be going to new owners as well next weekend. Hoping Hanabi is big enough at that point to go back in with Amai and Eko.View attachment 2637053View attachment 2637055

Omg congrats what a gorgeous baby How are the others still incubating doing?
Awwww - together with Hanabi Incredible how tiny Hanabi is, from the picture I would have never thought Hanabi is one week old and the silkie baby one day!

 

[Chickeria]

How old are you Roos again? When I started raising chickens again, my horse trainer (who also keeps chickens) told me that every time she tried to raise roos together, they did fine until they were between 1 yr and 15 months old. Something in that age span flips a switch where they try to kill each other. I currently have two Easter Eggers that are about 14 months old. Despite being raised together, they've shared a tentative peace which I attributed to a LOT of space and a LOT of hens to share between them. But a few weeks ago, I thought the dominant one was going to kill the other. I had to forcefully go after the dominant roo to give the other one time enough to get far, far away. They are back to tentatively co-existing again but now I've put nets up over my chicken yard so none of my chickens can hop the fence and go rogue. I'm a little worried about how that might affect the dynamics between the two roos....

Anyway, I choose to make a 2nd coop & run for the Silkies so they wouldn't be bullied by the bigger chickens. I can't imagine that I'd have either enough girls OR enough space to make 2 Silkie roos get along.....

My friend has bantam Brahmas and often the breed is described as the roosters getting along very well, and so it was with his roosters (to be honest he always has and had a too high rooster number in relation to hen number ), they really got along well, for years (I think he mentioned he once did have one who was different regarding being compatible and he gave him away or culled him), there was only chest bumping now and then. Then he bought bantam Brahma hatching eggs again and got scammed, the hatching chicks were mixes out of bantam Brahma and Deutsches Buschhuhn. The mixed rooster from that hatch clearly has different character traits, is more aggressive and never says no to a fight (for example he went over the fence and nearly killed the 10 years old bantam Brahma rooster). His mixed offsprings, too. Dynamics changed completely. Now harmony is more or less gone. The bantam Brahma roosters suddenly started to fight, too. I'm anxious the whole situation will escalate some day.
I think it can be breed related and for sure individual related how it works out. From what I read silkie roosters can get along fine if the individuals fit (and there is the right space and the right hen number of course).
I'm already very curious how many roosters I have (next to Sindbad). I think I will try if two roosters will get along together with the hens (well if there are enough hens ), other roosters will be together in a bachelor pad.

 

[Chickeria]

Btw, I love the way most of you come up with unique and cool names for your chickens. I haven't named most of my Silkies yet. The only one I've named is the one with the chronic eye infection. Every time I put medicine in his/her eye, he/she does this weird head shake like he/she has a nervous tic or something....so I've started calling him/her 'Twitch.'

But I have 2 lavender splash, 2 white, 2 black, and 2 buff Silkies to name. Open to ideas....

Twitch is a cute name How is Twitch's eye doing actually? Does (s)he still need treatment?

...I planned to name one baby Yeti if there would have been a buff baby. Well I didn't know light/yellow babies can feather out to buff So I thought there is no buff baby and we chose other names. You do have 2 buff babies - so if you like the name

 

[kchapman81]

First and foremost - ABSOLUTELY NO HATING ON SILKIES ALLOWED!!! If you aren’t here to support our fuzzy friends, don’t respond.

Silkies get a bad rap for the following:
"Looks like a dust mop"
"Too hard to maintain"
"Poor immune system"
"Dumber than rocks"
"0 predator awareness"
And oh, so much more.

Well my friends - I thought so too, until I actually got silkies for myself. These are some of the most wonderful birds out there.

I’ve found them to be highly heat tolerant, wonderful mothers, having the strongest immune systems in my Bantam flock, GREAT LAYERS (that’s right folks), adorable as all get out, and more.

I currently have 9 silkies - and my rooster has been nothing but a gentleman to his ladies. They free range daily and I’ve not had a silkie get killed by a predator yet. My hens average 5 eggs a week - not too bad for a silkie, eh?


Most of the time, these silkie haters haven’t even owned the breed, but rather pretend they know everything.


So... let the fun begin! Support our silkies!

Pictures always welcome.

Be mindful, and respect others...

Off-topic discussions are allowed, though try to maintain the subject of silkies.

-Kayla-

I got my two silkies about a month ago and love them so much already! To the left is Pepper and the right is Cinnamon! Perfect addition to our backyard flock!

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Omg congrats what a gorgeous baby How are the others still incubating doing?
Awwww - together with Hanabi Incredible how tiny Hanabi is, from the picture I would have never thought Hanabi is one week old and the silkie baby one day!

Thanks!
There is a third one hatching as we speak and nine others are in various stages of incubation, but so far all look pretty good.
Hanabi is a feisty little character!

 

[PippinTheChicken]

I absolutely love everything about them!!!!
Here's why:
-they have unique, fun personalities
-they are hilarious
-they are sweet
-they are soooo cute

 

[PippinTheChicken]

i can get photos of my full-silkie flock

 

[LadiesAndJane]

View attachment 2639747
I got my two silkies about a month ago and love them so much already! To the left is Pepper and the right is Cinnamon! Perfect addition to our backyard flock!

Congratulations on your new littles! What a great photo!

 

[PippinTheChicken]

I have large fowl silkies, not bantams but they are just as great, and they have more fun packed inside their big bodies!!!!

 

[Chickeria]

View attachment 2639747
I got my two silkies about a month ago and love them so much already! To the left is Pepper and the right is Cinnamon! Perfect addition to our backyard flock!

Awwww What a cute picture! Pepper and Cinnamon are beautiful!