Silkies - They’re simply SPECTACULAR!

[LadiesAndJane]

I have some eggs (non-Silkies) scheduled to hatch on Wednesday (1/26)! Can't wait..... I only have 2 white egg layers (Blue Andalusian) left so I wanted to incubate some of their eggs. Of course, all the potential daddies are blue egg layer lines so who knows what color the offspring will lay.

Post photos of your babies when they hatch! Doesn’t matter if they’re not Silkies! We love to see baby chicks anyway regardless!
Blue layer times white layer will give you usually a light blue layer.
Assuming the fathers have two copies of the blue egg gene.

 

[kurby22]

I'm curious how much coop space you all use for silkies?? Obviously more is better than less...but do you get away with smaller space with silkies versus other bantams like cochins and Wyandottes (my bantam cochins are at least half a size bigger than my silkies)? I am getting a coop to dedicate towards bantams, so they have more space with chickens their own size...and so I am redoing all the sq footage math. I know they say 1-2 sq ft for bantams...but do you go closer to 1 or always go higher? Just curious! Also another question, if they really only ever spend time in the coop for sleeping...should I bother to move the bantam cochins to the bantam coop? They sleep way up in the top rafter of the coop and I'm not sure they will like having to roost down low again. I know it's for those times when they are forced to stay inside all day for days...but where I live in CA, that really is pretty rare if at all. Last year it happened maybe 5 times all year that they stayed in for more than a day in a row. Anyway, thanks!

 

[LabMomma]

I just ordered 8 new chicks from Meyer Hatchery this morning, and two of them are black silkies!! I wanted a blue silkie and white silkie but all they had available were black. I can't wait for them to come! The chicks will arrive July 12-14! They are straight run, I really hope I get a hen! I have been thinking of names, and if both are girls, I might name them Millie and Minnie. Any other name suggestions? Including for roosters?

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Yes!

They are satin silkies! Came from Fielder Farms in Alabama! Gorgeous chickens too!!! She shipped me 6 and 5 hatched!

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

You will likely get mostly black chicks. Some may have markings like your Satins. Really hard to tell.
With your Silkie crossed over Satins, you’ll get 50-50 smooth or silkied feathers. That is approximately half the chicks will have silkied feathers and half will have smooth feathers.

What about with the satin roo with a splash silkie hen?

How did you learn all this? Anywhere I can go to learn or terms I should search for to learn?

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

I just ordered 8 new chicks from Meyer Hatchery this morning, and two of them are black silkies!! I wanted a blue silkie and white silkie but all they had available were black. I can't wait for them to come! The chicks will arrive July 12-14! They are straight run, I really hope I get a hen! I have been thinking of names, and if both are girls, I might name them Millie and Minnie. Any other name suggestions? Including for roosters?

I have a Milli n Vanilli! (90s group that got in trouble for lip singing on awards LOL)

 

[TJAnonymous]

View attachment 2971165

I've seen that before but it doesn't really tell you what you get when you start with a white egg.... All my (non-Silkie) roosters are either Easter Eggers, Ameraucana, Cream Legbar, or Silverudd blue. So basically all of them have at least one blue egg gene... Also what would you get if you cross a Marans egg color with a tan egg color (think BO or RIR)? Just so many variations... I did cross some RIR and BO with my Easter Egger roosters and, from what I can tell, those babies are laying tan eggs like their mamas. But to be fair, I have nearly 50 hens so it's hard to tell sometimes who is responsible for what egg color.

 

[LabMomma]

I have a Milli n Vanilli! (90s group that got in trouble for lip singing on awards LOL)

Awww! That's so cute!

 

[Chickeria]

Of course not all of them do.... But If they have competition... That's a different story

I can confirm that

Himawari, my recessive white silkie hatched last May, apparently has started laying! I have never seen her anywhere near the nest boxes and I have never seen Eko mate with her. She still acts like a little kid, she’s such a goofball, definitely follows the beat of her own drum and though she is part of the flock she is very individual still. Her eggs and Amai’s look almost identical so I didn’t know she was laying until I got three eggs in one day from the Silkies instead of two!!
The other two Silkie girls are broody and their eggs look very different.
So looks like I have eggs from her in the incubator that are developing as well.
Be interesting to see what comes of that mix.View attachment 2967968

She is beautiful I love her blue beak! ...I think perhaps every flock has kind of a little Himawari = a little one following the beat of the own drum I'm so curious about the eggs you are incubating - they are in lockdown now, yes? Fingers crossed

I'm looking forward to everyones babies that are developing at the moment and will hatch soon

Funny, you can easily tell which polish i think is male.. its as big as the D'uccle!!

View attachment 2968704

Im still keeping an eye on the smallest silkie chick. She is running around and eating and drinking and jumping over the bigger chicks... but.. i notice her crop still looks full in the mornings. Any thoughts or suggestions? Or should i just leave her be? She seems to be acting ok.

So cute And I loved the pictures of Esmeralda bonding with the little ones
How is your smallest Silkie in the meanwhile? If her crop still seems to be full you could try and feed her a little bit solid coconut oil. Just a small chunk.

Now I have 3 broodies! 1 on eggs (Char) and Puff is on day 3 in broody jail cage and still laying eggs inside the cage daily! And now Smokey is broody too -just put her in another jail cage! I decided it's best to allow just 1 to hatch eggs and have a week or 2 with chicks before I allow another to start sitting on eggs. Then they can be in the broody coop on their own in peace.

Broodiness is contagious

So the therapy pet lady never contacted me this morning like she promised so I gave the boys to someone else who wanted both of them. They are now enjoying their new home.... And I am feeling relieved that I didn't have to cull them.

I don't think I'm going to let the girls hatch out any more chicks this spring unless I'm sure I can build a bigger coop. There's already 7 babies from the last broody (Elsa). I really hope most of them AREN'T boys....

What's annoying is that I've advertised those boys at least 6 times and got no takers. This time I got 6 people! Ugh...

That's great that you did find a new home for the boys

Well I gave in to Puff and decided to try her in a cage to start with instead of with Char. I gave her 9 eggs. The cage is a bit too small though (unlike the luxurious broody coop she's use too) so I might have to corner off an area for her and leave the cage door open during the day. She didn't instantly tuck the eggs under her as she would normally so maybe she doesn't like the new setup or is only half broody since I already tried to break her.
Once her chicks hatch I'll move her to the broody coop for better security.
View attachment 2970207

Pic of Chickaletta with her Christmas chick on the roost - she's had her chick roosting at night for the past week now.
View attachment 2970219

I bet Puff is not only half broody I bet Puff is sitting happily as if cemented on her 9 eggs in the meanwhile
Awwww Chickaletta and her baby

Questions...I have the following and am wondering what color combos as well as satin or silkie for each. I'm really unsure about Mango, Milli and Vanilli with them being my first ever chickens, silkies and well I luv em even if they could care less bout me most of the time lol.
But Joey and Grayson are adorable and super sweet...only 10 weeks old but such potential! Zoey and Josie...much like Milli and Vanilli (must be a pullet/hen thing) cuz they are just distant and not luving at all.
If I did a chart like this would yall be able to help me get an idea of what I would be looking at for offspring?
If this is a chart worthy of yall helping me PLEASE LET ME KNOW and I'll continue filling it out the remainder of the way!

I just wanted to better understand so that i can figure out what to do bout who to keep and who to not keep, etc.

MALE	FEMALE	offspring SATIN	offspring SILKIE	OFFSPRING COLORS
black silkie	splash silkie	​	X​	BLUE​
black silkie	View attachment 2970245black/white satin	​	​
black silkie	View attachment 2970252silver pencil laced satin	​	​
		​	​

.

Such cuties

I'm curious how much coop space you all use for silkies?? Obviously more is better than less...but do you get away with smaller space with silkies versus other bantams like cochins and Wyandottes (my bantam cochins are at least half a size bigger than my silkies)? I am getting a coop to dedicate towards bantams, so they have more space with chickens their own size...and so I am redoing all the sq footage math. I know they say 1-2 sq ft for bantams...but do you go closer to 1 or always go higher? Just curious! Also another question, if they really only ever spend time in the coop for sleeping...should I bother to move the bantam cochins to the bantam coop? They sleep way up in the top rafter of the coop and I'm not sure they will like having to roost down low again. I know it's for those times when they are forced to stay inside all day for days...but where I live in CA, that really is pretty rare if at all. Last year it happened maybe 5 times all year that they stayed in for more than a day in a row. Anyway, thanks!

I will have to look in my blueprints and to convert from m² into sq ft! Will do that tomorrow (it's night here), blueprints are in the garage.

I just ordered 8 new chicks from Meyer Hatchery this morning, and two of them are black silkies!! I wanted a blue silkie and white silkie but all they had available were black. I can't wait for them to come! The chicks will arrive July 12-14! They are straight run, I really hope I get a hen! I have been thinking of names, and if both are girls, I might name them Millie and Minnie. Any other name suggestions? Including for roosters?

Awww Millie and Minnie are cute names
...Perhaps Monty for a little roo

 

[Obsessed With Silkies]

They are satin silkies! Came from Fielder Farms in Alabama! Gorgeous chickens too!!! She shipped me 6 and 5 hatched!

About how much are the hatching eggs? I'm in love with them and would like to get some in the future! Thanks!