Silkies - They’re simply SPECTACULAR!

[CSolis]

Over the side yard fence, a neighbor with 3 silkies told me yesterday that silkies were hard to find here in So. Calif. He said 2 hens and a rooster would cost $50. Is that true? I want to buy several hens this spring that will sit on and hatch their eggs and eggs from full sized hens. Would silky hens be my best choice?

They are becoming more popular as time goes by. Try looking in a local FB group about chickens buy/sell/trade. I have sold and bought chickens from 'notices' in my local group.
Someone has also suggested Craigslist though I haven't looked there.

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

They are becoming more popular as time goes by. Try looking in a local FB group about chickens buy/sell/trade. I have sold and bought chickens from 'notices' in my local group.
Someone has also suggested Craigslist though I haven't looked there.

Yeah anything is really possible at this point...
I've had luck selling on Craigslist to some really great folks!
Last few that I've sold have been on Facebook in my state group pages.
Have you tried looking there @Mojave Desert Chickn Lady ?
And I think prices are all over the place right now too...I never in a million years would have thought I would have gotten $75 for 1 pullet and 1 cockrel both 6 months old. I expected people to ask me to take less and not a sole did! In less than an hour I had over 35 interested...and they venmoed me the $ before even getting the 2!

 

[Mojave Desert Chickn Lady]

Thanks for the information. I'm used to paying $3.50 for RI Red pullets at the feed store. I didn't know some chicken breeds could be worth so much.

Yeah anything is really possible at this point...
I've had luck selling on Craigslist to some really great folks!
Last few that I've sold have been on Facebook in my state group pages.
Have you tried looking there @Mojave Desert Chickn Lady ?
And I think prices are all over the place right now too...I never in a million years would have thought I would have gotten $75 for 1 pullet and 1 cockrel both 6 months old. I expected people to ask me to take less and not a sole did! In less than an hour I had over 35 interested...and they venmoed me the $ before even getting the 2!

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Thanks for the information. I'm used to paying $3.50 for RI Red pullets at the feed store. I didn't know some chicken breeds could be worth so much.

Yeah I think it all depends on the breed, availability, just like with anything else in this ole world.
These were actually bantam cochins I sold.

 

[CSolis]

Talk about unexpected surprises.. I went to get the guy on the left to put in with my blue and tan partridge silkie mix kids.. but ended up being taken by the one on the right as well.. got them home and studied them a while and thought to myself.. that cochin mix isn't a rooster. And to note, I paid $10 each for these two 'roosters'.

I had to move Lil Boy Blue out of the pen with the partridge mix kids and stuck the black and gold one in in his stead.. then took Mr "I'm too big for my pants" and put him in with the Cochin mix and another EE partridge hen. The second hen has given me nice daughters with Gen Lee, but they were picking on mom, so the cochin seemed a good fit. Let them teach him some manners!
Welllllll. wouldn't ya know it? Found an egg in the nest this morning, and I know for sure it isn't Turtle Dove's! Not even close the the size, shape or color eggs she lays..

It's gonna be fun seeing what Lil Boy Blue produces with these two hens!

BTW..um.. Poof Poof is sitting on eggs (AGAIN!) and I have 8 in the incubator from Top Gun's pen where two blue daughters of PP and TG reside.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I've got a box of silkies now. Gotta cull the undesirables and then see how many that lessens. Wish I could tell which were males yet so I didn't accidentally cull those

 

[Hinotori]

Talk about unexpected surprises.. I went to get the guy on the left to put in with my blue and tan partridge silkie mix kids.. but ended up being taken by the one on the right as well.. got them home and studied them a while and thought to myself.. that cochin mix isn't a rooster. And to note, I paid $10 each for these two 'roosters'. View attachment 3376124 I had to move Lil Boy Blue out of the pen with the partridge mix kids and stuck the black and gold one in in his stead.. then took Mr "I'm too big for my pants" and put him in with the Cochin mix and another EE partridge hen. The second hen has given me nice daughters with Gen Lee, but they were picking on mom, so the cochin seemed a good fit. Let them teach him some manners!
Welllllll. wouldn't ya know it? Found an egg in the nest this morning, and I know for sure it isn't Turtle Dove's! Not even close the the size, shape or color eggs she lays..View attachment 3376135
It's gonna be fun seeing what Lil Boy Blue produces with these two hens!

BTW..um.. Poof Poof is sitting on eggs (AGAIN!) and I have 8 in the incubator from Top Gun's pen where two blue daughters of PP and TG reside.

I was going to say, "That's a hen on the right". Just from what I can see of the saddle and hackle.

 

[CSolis]

I was going to say, "That's a hen on the right". Just from what I can see of the saddle and hackle.

exactly what I was thinking.. But then I've never had pure cochins, (pronounced coochins by the gal I bought them from).. All in all it was a good bargain!

 

[BirdLvr56]

Ive had silkie hens successfully hatch and raise chicks in 25°F temps. Coldest we have ever been is 8°F. I just shut the door to their coop at night if it's starting to get near 20°. Mine all have heavy fluff and cuddle.

I have a4-6 wk old silkie I've only had 2 w eeks. She is best buddies with a 12 wk old bcm I got at the same time. I'm a new chicken mama and my 3 mth old flock keeps giving them a hard time. That little silkie never shuts up. Is that normal? Temps here are dropping to 35F at night. These two have there own coop and do fine.

 

[CSolis]

Hot diggity! Just candled the eggs in the incubator, we are on day 5 and all are showing excellent development.. I'm so eggscited!