Silkies - They’re simply SPECTACULAR!

[Sara S]

Bob is gorgeous!!

Thanks! I’ll send you a sibling once I hatch some little buddies

 

[AngBantamLuv]

Yes, LF roos are definitely interested in bantam hens. My giant Lav Orp rooster would mate with my little white Silkie all the time. I watched him a lot to make sure she wasn’t hurt, but he was very gentle for how huge he was! And her eggs were definitely fertile. I am sure since Polish are quite a bit lighter framed than Orpingtons that your bantams will be okay

Oh good.. i like at least having the option to keep the tolbunt! If it doesn't work out, that's ok, but if it does

 

[Chickeria]

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 looked in my blueprints: coop space for my bantam Silkies is 25,8 sq ft. I started to build the coop when I knew how many from my 15 shipped eggs hatched - 12 babies hatched.
I used the information in this link (found here on BYC)
http://www.adoptabirdnetwork.com/topics/chicken-space-requirements
for orientation. So everything was aligned for 12 bantams, because this would have been the possible maximum and I wanted to be prepared for any situation, knowing if I would have to split up the group more space would be no problem, and preventing to have not enough space for everybody.
Sadly one of my little girls died. And from my 11 babies 5 are cockerels, so now I have 1 cockerel and 6 girls in the coop, the other 4 boys do have their own place (boygroup).
I don't have other breeds, so I'm sorry I can't be of any help with most of your questions.

 

[Chickeria]

More pics of bob….View attachment 2972266View attachment 2972267View attachment 2972268View attachment 2972269View attachment 2972270View attachment 2972271View attachment 2972272View attachment 2972273View attachment 2972274

How cute! I love the close-ups!

Chicks have all internally pipped! Two of them decided to pip backwards and upside down!
One seems to have turned around and is now pipping in the right place. Have safety holes in all of them and watching closely the one that is trying to come out backwards. May need to be assisted. It is chirping now and then so seems to be doing OK so far. Still needs to absorb the blood vessels. Looks like it is either paint or white, I see some yellow feathers. This is one of Himawari’s pullet eggs!

How exciting
That's wonderful all of them pipped internally - fingers crossed that they will all hatch well, and especially that the little one using the 'back door' will do just fine

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

give her 1 of char's eggs and let them brood chicks together. if you give her new eggs she probably will get up when char's eggs hatch. unless you have incubator a

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!

My coop is 11 X 11 feet and I have 13 in there at the moment which includes chicks. I have more hatching soon so I intend to have up to 16 I think, at the moment there is plenty of spare roost space too. I have an enclosed run plus huge outside space beyond that they free range in during the day with plenty of trees for protection.
As my roosts are on shelves and nest boxes it adds extra space underneath so it adds at least another 12 x 3 feet extra to the coop.
Since yours only are in the coop at night I'd just made sure there is adequate roost space with extra space so they can spread out and reduce bullying at roost time.

 

[kurby22]

My coop is 11 X 11 feet and I have 13 in there at the moment which includes chicks. I have more hatching soon so I intend to have up to 16 I think, at the moment there is plenty of spare roost space too. I have an enclosed run plus huge outside space beyond that they free range in during the day with plenty of trees for protection.
As my roosts are on shelves and nest boxes it adds extra space underneath so it adds at least another 12 x 3 feet extra to the coop.
Since yours only are in the coop at night I'd just made sure there is adequate roost space with extra space so they can spread out and reduce bullying at roost time.

Awesome thank you! This is super helpful for me to plan things better and make sure they're all happy.

 

[kurby22]

I looked in my blueprints: coop space for my bantam Silkies is 25,8 sq ft. I started to build the coop when I knew how many from my 15 shipped eggs hatched - 12 babies hatched.
I used the information in this link (found here on BYC)
http://www.adoptabirdnetwork.com/topics/chicken-space-requirements
for orientation. So everything was aligned for 12 bantams, because this would have been the possible maximum and I wanted to be prepared for any situation, knowing if I would have to split up the group more space would be no problem, and preventing to have not enough space for everybody.
Sadly one of my little girls died. And from my 11 babies 5 are cockerels, so now I have 1 cockerel and 6 girls in the coop, the other 4 boys do have their own place (boygroup).
I don't have other breeds, so I'm sorry I can't be of any help with most of your questions.

Thanks so much!! I have never seen this website you linked to, it's awesome and super helpful. Yay, thanks so much!

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

Oh good!! Hopefully this will be the case w mine. I *think* ill have one LF polish roo and a bantam silkie roo.

Unfortunately not always the case, my 3 boys all crowed, alot, even at night. Now I have one and he doesn't crow at night, only a few times during the day.

 

[Quarterhorses1]

I had two sillies and they were simply spectacular!! They were two Roos, and they tore my hens apart so they had to go to a new home I miss them soo much.

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

Chicks have all internally pipped! Two of them decided to pip backwards and upside down!

One seems to have turned around and is now pipping in the right place. Have safety holes in all of them and watching closely the one that is trying to come out backwards. May need to be assisted. It is chirping now and then so seems to be doing OK so far. Still needs to absorb the blood vessels. Looks like it is either paint or white, I see some yellow feathers. This is one of Himawari’s pullet eggs!

Congrats!!!

Pics!!!???