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 am getting two silkie chicks in July, and I was wondering at what age did everyone's silkies start laying? How old were they when they first went broody? How many times a year and what time of year do they go broody? How do your silkie roosters get along with your other breeds of rooster? Thank you!
Ah! Congrats!
You'll luv em...and they r definitely addictive!
I have 3 silkies that are 10 months old...1 roo n 2 hens. I can't attest to other breeds as I only have silkies BUT my Vanilli started laying at 6 months old and first broody at 7 months old (she goes broody quite often but usually fairly easy to break.) The other one Milli didn't start laying til closer to 8 months and only broody once.
I don't think they care what time of the year it is...they just go broody as silkies are known to do.
 
Ah! Congrats!
You'll luv em...and they r definitely addictive!
I have 3 silkies that are 10 months old...1 roo n 2 hens. I can't attest to other breeds as I only have silkies BUT my Vanilli started laying at 6 months old and first broody at 7 months old (she goes broody quite often but usually fairly easy to break.) The other one Milli didn't start laying til closer to 8 months and only broody once.
I don't think they care what time of the year it is...they just go broody as silkies are known to do.
Thank you!
 
I am getting two silkie chicks in July, and I was wondering at what age did everyone's silkies start laying? How old were they when they first went broody? How many times a year and what time of year do they go broody? How do your silkie roosters get along with your other breeds of rooster? Thank you!
Silkies will start to lay anywhere from 5-8 months of age. The hatchery quality ones usually start on the earlier end of that range. It is also not unheard of for some to start laying at a year of age or even older. Mine start laying normally between 7-8 months of age. They can go broody anytime really, even before they start laying! 🤣 How often they go broody depends on the individual bird. I have one that is broody more often than she is not.
I only have one boy, so unable to answer your last question.😊
 
I am getting two silkie chicks in July, and I was wondering at what age did everyone's silkies start laying? How old were they when they first went broody? How many times a year and what time of year do they go broody? How do your silkie roosters get along with your other breeds of rooster? Thank you!
Congratulations! You’ll love them! 🥰

PuffPuff laid her first egg at 13 months old, she had a bit of a rough start, otherwise I think she would have started laying sooner. She went broody exactly one month after she started laying 😅
My last Silkie, Pumpkin, started laying around 5-6 months old and went broody about a month later as well. Mine like to go broody in the frigid winter weather when I can’t let them hatch anything
🥶🤣
 
Congratulations! You’ll love them! 🥰

PuffPuff laid her first egg at 13 months old, she had a bit of a rough start, otherwise I think she would have started laying sooner. She went broody exactly one month after she started laying 😅
My last Silkie, Pumpkin, started laying around 5-6 months old and went broody about a month later as well. Mine like to go broody in the frigid winter weather when I can’t let them hatch anything
🥶🤣
Thank you!
 
Silkies will start to lay anywhere from 5-8 months of age. The hatchery quality ones usually start on the earlier end of that range. It is also not unheard of for some to start laying at a year of age or even older. Mine start laying normally between 7-8 months of age. They can go broody anytime really, even before they start laying! 🤣 How often they go broody depends on the individual bird. I have one that is broody more often than she is not.
I only have one boy, so unable to answer your last question.😊
Thank you! That's very helpful! I had no idea that they even went broody before they started laying!
 
Yeah these terms r just over my head.
But basically sounds like you and @LadiesAndJane are saying my black silkie even with my 2 satin girls will most likely give me black chicks....right?
If that is the case I don't need to keep Mango for mating purposes right?



you should test mate to see what you get. we never know what hidden genes they have.
 
Yeah these terms r just over my head.
But basically sounds like you and @LadiesAndJane are saying my black silkie even with my 2 satin girls will most likely give me black chicks....right?
If that is the case I don't need to keep Mango for mating purposes right?

Mango would be good with your splash anyway in a BBS pen. :)

He definitely isn't an ideal partner for trying to get more silver penciled but also not the worst partner. You aren't likely to get any silver penciled in the first generation with him though.

If you can find a silver penciled boy that would be the best partner for the silver penciled girls. Because the males don't show penciling the same way he might not look penciled but if he is from a silver penciled line you can be confident he probably carries penciling. A gray would be a decent second choice (they are basically the same as a silver penciled but without the penciling). With a gray you'd have to breed the penciling back in however. In the first generation with a gray partner you would probably get partial penciling.

I am getting two silkie chicks in July, and I was wondering at what age did everyone's silkies start laying? How old were they when they first went broody? How many times a year and what time of year do they go broody? How do your silkie roosters get along with your other breeds of rooster? Thank you!

Mine usually start laying around 6-7 months with an occasional one starting as early as 5 and I had one start as late as 9-10 months. They usually go broody within a month or two of laying here though it depends on the individual. Mine go broody at any time of the year and a lot of them do it quite frequently (every other month to every two months or so). I have had silkie boys in a mixed flock a few times in the past. They were raised separately from the large breed roosters and hens though with some smaller girls and they pretty much kept to themselves and stayed in their own small flock with their smaller girls they were raised with. I think it really depends on the rooster though. My silkie boys more often than not do not get along well with each other but again it depends on the individual and some are mild mannered enough they can get along ok with other more mild mannered boys.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom