Silkies?

[Owenp_2]

Hey everyone for those of you who dont know I have six hens and a rooster and I have been wanting to breed my rooster with my hens. However I do not want to hatch along chicks past thanksgiving. My rooster is still maturing so I dont think he will meet my breeding season this year. My friend hatched around twenty silkie chicks. She has some buff, black and mixed colored silkies that are three weeks old. I am highly considering buying them I just wanted to know you guys´ thoughts and opions on silkies and if you have any tips that apply to silkies only and not other breeds. Also should I get them?
Thanks,
Owen

 

[MrFluffyandGirls]

So are you wanting us to grade your chicken math or tell you how adorable and irresistible silkies are so you have a legit reason to get them?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Do you have sufficient space for the new birds to integrate in? Are your other birds Silkies or what breed(s) are they? If they're not similar in size, if necessary, are you able to set up a completely separate area for the Silkies if they have trouble integrating into the non-Silkie flock?

 

[Eric R]

Silkies

1. Pecking Order - They will inevitably get picked on if they can't see. Same thing with Polish. The reason is that they don't move away from a more dominant bird when they are supposed to because they don't see it. So the dominant bird will peck at them to make them move. This can be worse if the dominant bird wants to make the point stick. I personally trim the crest and beard if needed so that they can see. This allows them to behave like a chicken. And the best part is they can defend themselves. My silkies and polish aren't at the lower end of the pecking order at all. Yeah they don't look as cute but they also don't look cute with blood on their faces or alone in a separate pen because I refuse to give them a trim.

2. Broody - If you like having chickens as pets go for it but if you like eggs and don't like feeding chickens for nothing in return, don't rely on your silkies. They go broody a lot! It's cute the first few times but after having to deal with so many chicks and what to do with them and the fact that some will die for different reasons, it gets not so cute really quick. But if you like having chicks all the time then the good news is silkies can be really great moms IF you trim their crest and beards so they can see. They need to be able to find food, protect/alert the chicks from predators and from other chickens. Good luck having them do that without being able to see.

3. Rooster issues - I don't l know about ya'll but I have some roosters that treat my silkies just like other hens but have had 2 so far that treat them like another rooster. I'm not sure why other than that to a rooster, silkies just look like other roosters. Don't be surprised if you have this happen.

4. Free ranging - If you free range, silkies are an easy target for ground predators like dogs, coyotes etc. They can do ok from hawks IF you trim their crest and beards. Also they do a good job of listening to the rooster's warnings if you have a rooster. Mine free range just fine but stick close to the rooster and run and hide before the others do. But just know they won't be the fastest or hardest to see if you have white ones.

5. Personality - This is where it gets good. They have great personalities. They are more curious than my other chickens. They aren't afraid to come right up to you just to see if you have somehthing to eat or just to say hi. And they LOVE food/snacks. They are glutinous if you ask me. It's hilarious. They can actually be really fast if it means gobbling up more food that the rest and they look funny doing it. But, oh yeah, they need a hair cut in order to see for them to be able to do this.

Good luck!!!

 

[yakitori]

oh wow, I guess I’m pretty fortunate my big girls didn’t pick on the little ones too much. I only have one that is not a silkie mix, so maybe that’s what is making a difference.

I leave mine in the run with the older girls and so far it’s going well. One of my orloffs likes to pick on them more than others, but the three small ones are active with full crops and don’t seem worse for wear. Hoping it will stay that way!

My 7week silkie (mixes)


My 15 week normal feathered girls. They really like my front door steps for some reason. Their coop and run are in the back yard...

 

[Chicalina]

yes absolutely. they inherit attributes from their parents. From what I've seen, the silkie strains in the UK mostly tend to have sensible crests, but the ones in the US are more Trumpian in hairstyle! Bigger isn't always better!

 

[yakitori]

One of my silkies (silkie mix) is really a dear. She's spunky with the other chickens but very chill with people. I hope it's a pullet, but suspect "she" will be a roo



I end up having to clean her more because she's white and every single poop stain shows, lol. She enjoys the hair dryer though!

And here is my other one, an actual silkie, she thinks she can fly

 

[yakitori]

I just got some silkies in addition to my five 15 week olds. love them for their very sweet personalities! They're still 7 weeks young so I'm not entirely sure about what it will be like when they grow up, but for now they are very different from when my normal sized chickens were that age. Not as hyperactive for sure. I guess depending on what kind you get, but their inability to fly and see well makes them not as self sufficient as the others. I would probably never let these out of the run in fear of having them snatched away by a hawk.
Do I love them over my other birds... not really. But I think it depends on how you prefer your pets, cute and cuddly?Then silkies are for you. Minimal maintenance? maybe not.

Of course, I probably haven't had them for long enough to give an accurate assessment, so hopefully others will chime in because I'm interested in learning more too!

 

[Owenp_2]

From what I've heard, an issue that's not pecking order related is that they can't fly up to roosts, so they will sleep in nests below other birds and get pooped on. Apparently you need a low roost or a ramp to a roost, and train them to use it.

Ok well in my coop the roosts are either really high up or easily accessible by the ramp so thats no problem none of mine have to fly up to the coop anyways they can reach it from the platform. Thanks for your feedback.

 

[Chicalina]

From what I've heard, an issue that's not pecking order related is that they can't fly up to roosts, so they will sleep in nests below other birds and get pooped on. Apparently you need a low roost or a ramp to a roost, and train them to use it.

Mine fly up to their roost fine. Well, jump and flap up the steps to it, like the other hard feathered chickens do.

They have feathered feet and aren't very waterproof generally, so bear that in mind if you get a lot of rain. They need an outdoor dry area during the day. A covered run is ideal.