Silkies - They’re simply SPECTACULAR!

[PippinTheChicken]

Fries has layed her first egg since May!

 

[PioneerChicks]

@LadiesAndJane I'm not sure if you've posted this elsewhere, but I'd love to see a few picture of your Polkies! I've never seen any before but they sound cute!

 

[LadiesAndJane]

@LadiesAndJane I'm not sure if you've posted this elsewhere, but I'd love to see a few picture of your Polkies! I've never seen any before but they sound cute!

Sure!
I only have one right now. She is half silkie and half Polish. She was actually an accidental hatch because I put her mom’s egg in the incubator thinking it was one of the Silkies at the time! She is a real sweetheart and one of my favorites. The upcoming chicks will be 3/4 Silkie and 1/4 Polish, so assume will look even more silkie-like. (50/50 chance of having silkied or smooth feathers). Hoping for some paint Polkies!
This is Kinoko, she has a gorgeous sheen to her feathers:

Some of these photos I have posted previously.

 

[PioneerChicks]

Sure!
I only have one right now. She is half silkie and half Polish. She was actually an accidental hatch because I put her mom’s egg in the incubator thinking it was one of the Silkies at the time! She is a real sweetheart and one of my favorites. The upcoming chicks will be 3/4 Silkie and 1/4 Polish, so assume will look even more silkie-like. (50/50 chance of having silkied or smooth feathers). Hoping for some paint Polkies!
This is Kinoko, she has a gorgeous sheen to her feathers:View attachment 2862473View attachment 2862472View attachment 2862470View attachment 2862471
Some of these photos I have posted previously.

She is ADORABLE!!! What is her personality? I honestly love her smooth feathers and how she looks "chubbier" than the average polish! Okay if my coop wasn't overloaded right now I would be seriously interested in some!

 

[PioneerChicks]

Updates from our farm!

We've been trying to rehome the majority of our silkies and keep only a few for next years breeding. We took our 2 1/2 month olds to a youth entrepreneur fair and let kids (and adults) pet them. Some of the interactions were simply adorable! Silkies are really special birds and sometimes I forget that until I see new people meeting them! We rehomed 5 roosters that day!




One of the handsome boys whom we rehomed!

I thought this one was a girl until I took a closer look and realized he is a late bloomer! Good thing I didn't name him Anidori-Kiladra yet! (Any Goose Girl fans out there?) Within the past month he developed crossbeak but it's mild and he gets along fine. Too bad though because I really love his personality and coloring! It is hard to tell from the pictures but it is fiery-orange! He went to a new home with another boy were they will teach the kids responsibility and help with pest control.




One of next years breeder girls! Isn't her plumage stunning? Not an official variety of course, but I love it! I decided to name her "Hope"!



Stellaloona (one year old) is going through a rough molt! Excuse the messy coop, I cleaned it later that morning!

 

[LadiesAndJane]

She is ADORABLE!!! What is her personality? I honestly love her smooth feathers and how she looks "chubbier" than the average polish! Okay if my coop wasn't overloaded right now I would be seriously interested in some!

She has a very calm and sweet personality. She likes cuddles too!

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Updates from our farm!

We've been trying to rehome the majority of our silkies and keep only a few for next years breeding. We took our 2 1/2 month olds to a youth entrepreneur fair and let kids (and adults) pet them. Some of the interactions were simply adorable! Silkies are really special birds and sometimes I forget that until I see new people meeting them! We rehomed 5 roosters that day!



View attachment 2862507
One of the handsome boys whom we rehomed!


View attachment 2862514
View attachment 2862515
I thought this one was a girl until I took a closer look and realized he is a late bloomer! Good thing I didn't name him Anidori-Kiladra yet! (Any Goose Girl fans out there?) Within the past month he developed crossbeak but it's mild and he gets along fine. Too bad though because I really love his personality and coloring! It is hard to tell from the pictures but it is fiery-orange! He went to a new home with another boy were they will teach the kids responsibility and help with pest control.


View attachment 2862518
View attachment 2862519
One of next years breeder girls! Isn't her plumage stunning? Not an official variety of course, but I love it! I decided to name her "Hope"!


View attachment 2862520
Stellaloona (one year old) is going through a rough molt! Excuse the messy coop, I cleaned it later that morning!

What a great way to rehome the boys! Wish we had something like that here. Your birds are all super cute! Would love to see what Stellaloona looks like when she is finished molting. Her coloring is very unusual.

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

So perpetually broody Layla, quite suddenly decided not to be broody anymore!
She had been off the eggs, I believe for a few hours before I noticed. I grabbed the eggs and put them in the incubator while I let the chickens out to "free range". Layla wanted to be out as well. When they went back in the run after another hour, she showed no indication of wanting to go back to her nest, which she usually does. Right now, she is still just wandering around the run with the other girls, living her best chicken life.
I checked the eggs after they warmed up and the little embryos are moving around nicely. It is DAY 9. Should I see if she will set again, or just call this a failed attempt?

It was her first time and she's still a pullet? Sometimes after a year old they get a better idea of what to do.... But most Silkies seem to just have the broody thing 100% know-how! (That's my Chickaletta and Puff) ..And some only half committed act like yeah whatever take long breaks off eggs and don't do the 'bok-bok' for chicks to follow them after hatch.
If she's not fully commited to being broody then probably best not to allow her back on the eggs or you may end up having to check every hour she's still on them, even at night!
Nugget (who abandoned her chicks and attempted killing them) was off and on her eggs.
At least you have a backup incubator that's great the chicks inside are ok!

 

[LadiesAndJane]

It was her first time and she's still a pullet? Sometimes after a year old they get a better idea of what to do.... But most Silkies seem to just have the broody thing 100% know-how! (That's my Chickaletta and Puff) ..And some only half committed act like yeah whatever take long breaks off eggs and don't do the 'bok-bok' for chicks to follow them after hatch.
If she's not fully commited to being broody then probably best not to allow her back on the eggs or you may end up having to check every hour she's still on them, even at night!
Nugget (who abandoned her chicks and attempted killing them) was off and on her eggs.
At least you have a backup incubator that's great the chicks inside are ok!

Thanks!
She is a year and a half old. She has been broody, I think, 117 times!
Second time placing eggs under her though. First time they ended up being infertile.
She just decided she was over it, I guess.

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

Thanks!
She is a year and a half old. She has been broody, I think, 117 times!
Second time placing eggs under her though. First time they ended up being infertile.
She just decided she was over it, I guess.

Oh ok then strange she abandoned the eggs was she broody very long before you gave her eggs?
Some don't like to be moved from their nest they started going broody on, homed into that location. Some don't care where you put them or move them or disturb them as long as there's a nest of eggs to sit on!
Smokey is a good broody but has to be seperated, she isn't very protective like some of my others and did kick out some eggs and left them cold. Puff and Chickaletta brood in the main flock and nobody messes with them and their eggs or chicks.