Silkies with White Leghorns? Q from a newbie

[southphillysilkie]

Hi all, As a former city girl, I am brand new to the idea of even owning a chicken. My friend 2 houses away has purchased a coop and plans on getting 8-10 Brown Egg Layers (is that a type of chicken or did I make it up?) or White Leghorns. She has graciously agreed to let me house a chicken with her hens. My question: Can I have a Silkie or two with these girls? And is it possible to sex a Silkie to ensure I get females? I have accepted that my chicken may end up not being a Silkie, but I have to know that I did my homework before I lay my Silkie dreams to rest! If I can't have a Silkie are then any suggestions for a cool looking hen or two that can live in PA?Thank you for feedback!

 

[Judy]

It is usually fine to mix breeds, but can be a problem to try to integrate chickens of different ages.

There are several breeds that lay brown eggs. Any chick can be sexed by a professional chick sexer at birth. After that, Silkies are one of the more difficult breeds to sex til they lay or crow.

You might want to look these sites over:

http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-adding-to-your-flock

And,

 

[b.hromada]

and

from S. Florida.

 

[TXmom]

I have 13 chickens, 7 different breeds. I have chickens that will be laying brown, white, and green eggs...including 2 Silkies that get along with them all just fine. They were put together when they were all very young (less than 2 weeks old). You can look at my sig line to see my exact breeds. My brown egg layers are the Rhode Island Reds and Buff Orpingtons.

 

[hen-thusiast]

from UT!

 

[rooster-red]

 

[eaganchickens]

from MN!

 

[southphillysilkie]

Thank you for the greetings and welcomes! I probably should have posted my question in a diiferent forum, I'm new to this

And also thank you for the feedback on Silkies!

 

[B. Saffles Farms]

from TN