Silkies - They’re simply SPECTACULAR!

[Fluffy Lambs]

Thanks @LadiesAndJane. I usually hatch single comb breeds and i can pick roosters and hens by 4 -6 weeks!! I can see with silkies i am going to have to be very patient!!!

I breed my red roo with a big rose comb to my other mutts, and I can tell if their roos by one week because the comb is so much bigger than the female chicks.

 

[Chickeria]

After reading this entire thread i decided to incubate silkies. I wanted to see for myself what they were like. I put 13 eggs in incubator, 1 was not fertile and 1 was fully developed but did not pip. I ended up with 11 of the most ridiculous and gorgeous little chickens and i decided i really love them. They are now 8 weeks old and i believe i may have 9 roosters and 2 hens!! I was wondering if i could put some photos on here to get expert help when they are 10 weeks old or should i wait longer? I have loved looking at all of your gorgeous silkies. Thank you for sharing with me and introducing me to these fun bundles of fluff!!

View attachment 2787600

Here they are as a little group. I ended up with 4 white, 2 black and 5 sort of grey/brown ones. I know to sex them i would need individual photos of combs and profile.

Congrats on your gorgeous babies
I'm looking forward to more pictures of your sweeties!
I also have a little flock of 11 silkies (4 month old now)

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

All 3 silkies are finally named. The one with the vaulted skull has been Poppy since she was a day old and the suspected boy is Branch. The just left the little one with the single comb needing a name. After going through 100s of name choices and not liking none it finally dawned on me that she has also been named since day 1. I call all my chicks little bits or itty bits as nicknames before a name is given. I've always said one day that name will stick on the right chicken. It dawned on me the other day she responds to Lil Bit, and for once I have a chick that will stay small so the nickname has stuck. I finally have my Lil Bit, now she just needs to remain a girl.

 

[Chickeria]

All 3 silkies are finally named. The one with the vaulted skull has been Poppy since she was a day old and the suspected boy is Branch. The just left the little one with the single comb needing a name. After going through 100s of name choices and not liking none it finally dawned on me that she has also been named since day 1. I call all my chicks little bits or itty bits as nicknames before a name is given. I've always said one day that name will stick on the right chicken. It dawned on me the other day she responds to Lil Bit, and for once I have a chick that will stay small so the nickname has stuck. I finally have my Lil Bit, now she just needs to remain a girl.

What cute names for your cute babies
I love how Lil Bit got her name

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Update on some of my youngsters!
Eko, my only remaining male, is now four months old. He is a lot lankier and taller than I would have hoped, but we’ll see how he looks when he continues to fill out. He is either developing some of those champagne colored feathers that the dominant whites can have, or he is just a little dirty.
He is submissive in that he is a bit afraid of me now, where before he would come running up to me. He is not being overly amorous yet to the girls, so he gets to stay with them for now. Just started crowing and does not crow every day yet.
He and Amai are still best buds, though he is now twice her size.
My two hybrids, Kinoko and Hikari, are going on six months of age. Hikari has been squatting for the past several weeks, I keep expecting to see a blue/aqua egg out there but nothing yet! No signs of eminent laying from Kinoko. She is still a little slow after her traumatic brain injury from my Wyandotte but gets by fine.
Hanabi my honorary “silkie” gets along with everyone and likes to hang with the big girls as can be seen in the photo of her with the three standards. Those three will be moving to the layer coop soon. Waiting for them to be big enough to stand their own against the “mean girls”!

 

[Chickeria]

Update on some of my youngsters!
Eko, my only remaining male, is now four months old. He is a lot lankier and taller than I would have hoped, but we’ll see how he looks when he continues to fill out. He is either developing some of those champagne colored feathers that the dominant whites can have, or he is just a little dirty.
He is submissive in that he is a bit afraid of me now, where before he would come running up to me. He is not being overly amorous yet to the girls, so he gets to stay with them for now. Just started crowing and does not crow every day yet.
He and Amai are still best buds, though he is now twice her size.
My two hybrids, Kinoko and Hikari, are going on six months of age. Hikari has been squatting for the past several weeks, I keep expecting to see a blue/aqua egg out there but nothing yet! No signs of eminent laying from Kinoko. She is still a little slow after her traumatic brain injury from my Wyandotte but gets by fine.
Hanabi my honorary “silkie” gets along with everyone and likes to hang with the big girls as can be seen in the photo of her with the three standards. Those three will be moving to the layer coop soon. Waiting for them to be big enough to stand their own against the “mean girls”! View attachment 2791644View attachment 2791645View attachment 2791646View attachment 2791648View attachment 2791647

Such a gorgeous flock
Wow, Eko is a beautiful boy! I hardly can believe that he is now twice the size of sweet Amai! All your girls are adorable Kinoko's and Hikari's little fluffy beards make me smile
I'm sorry dear Kinoko still has to struggle with the consequences of having been pecked on the head severely.
The honorary silkie - Sweet little Hanabi! It is so cute to see her sitting between the big girls! I hope everything goes well when the trio will be transferred to the layers

How are your new girls doing who where (are?) in quarantine?

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Such a gorgeous flock
Wow, Eko is a beautiful boy! I hardly can believe that he is now twice the size of sweet Amai! All your girls are adorable Kinoko's and Hikari's little fluffy beards make me smile
I'm sorry dear Kinoko still has to struggle with the consequences of having been pecked on the head severely.
The honorary silkie - Sweet little Hanabi! It is so cute to see her sitting between the big girls! I hope everything goes well when the trio will be transferred to the layers

How are your new girls doing who where (are?) in quarantine?

Thanks!
The new Marans girls, Coco and Bella, are doing great. The “mean girls” are my Wyandotte, Rosie and one of my Polish, Artemis. They go in for the “death jab” not just the usual pecking order peck.
Funny thing is my two adult sillkies are the bosses in that coop. I may eventually move them over to the bantam coop, will have to wait and see. They are both broody, which they are pretty much constantly and the Marans girls, I think had no idea what to make of these puffed up balls of feathers that were threateningly walking towards them making strange growling sounds.
Bella decided to try to attack the silkies, I doubt she had seen a broody silkie before. Layla quickly put her in her place and they have left the silkies alone, which is probably wise, since then. Currently have the two mean girls separated and the two Marans are getting along fine with the rest of the flock. They spend most of their time underneath the shelves in the coop out of harms way! Definitely a process!

The broody silkie terrors!

 

[Chickeria]

Would love to see updated photos of your little flock!

I took some pictures today. Weather wasn't really nice, so the pictures are from the evening.

Teddy and Sindbad (Kasimir and Violetta in the background):

Kasimir, Mirabelle, Sindbad, Brioche, Snowman, Roberta and James pecking sticklewort's seeds from my mom's legs

Little Schorschette (she is the smallest now):

Maku:

Violetta:

"Hi there!" (James):

 

[Chickeria]

Thanks!
The new Marans girls, Coco and Bella, are doing great. The “mean girls” are my Wyandotte, Rosie and one of my Polish, Artemis. They go in for the “death jab” not just the usual pecking order peck.
Funny thing is my two adult sillkies are the bosses in that coop. I may eventually move them over to the bantam coop, will have to wait and see. They are both broody, which they are pretty much constantly and the Marans girls, I think had no idea what to make of these puffed up balls of feathers that were threateningly walking towards them making strange growling sounds.
Bella decided to try to attack the silkies, I doubt she had seen a broody silkie before. Layla quickly put her in her place and they have left the silkies alone, which is probably wise, since then. Currently have the two mean girls separated and the two Marans are getting along fine with the rest of the flock. They spend most of their time underneath the shelves in the coop out of harms way! Definitely a process!
View attachment 2791959The broody silkie terrors!
View attachment 2791961

Beware of broody silkies!!!
Bella and Coco are pretty girls
I love how the broody silkie terrors are brooding next to each other, that's adorable!

 

[LadiesAndJane]

I took some pictures today. Weather wasn't really nice, so the pictures are from the evening.

Teddy and Sindbad (Kasimir and Violetta in the background):
View attachment 2791962

Kasimir, Mirabelle, Sindbad, Brioche, Snowman, Roberta and James pecking sticklewort's seeds from my mom's legs
View attachment 2792026
Little Schorschette (she is the smallest now):
View attachment 2792036
Maku:
View attachment 2792046

Violetta:
View attachment 2792047

"Hi there!" (James):
View attachment 2792048

They are all just gorgeous birds, such fluffy crests and tails! Love the shiny black feathers that Schorschette has.
Maku is so handsome and stately now.
Hope they continue to all get along, you will likely have to give the boys their own space if you plan to keep them all.