Silkies?

[azure_]

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

Well silkies shouldn't get too wet because their fur like feathers aren't very protective

 

[Owenp_2]

Just a little chicken humor that flew over your head..
Silkies are awesome cute little fluff balls that are pretty useless and helpless but their eggs make the best deviled eggs because you can just pop the whole thing in your mouth. I keep them because their so cute and when people see them they always fall in love with them.
I do house mine separate from my leghorns and Isa browns because my silkies have little man syndrome and want to try to be the boss over the bigger girls and I'm afraid the leghorns will team up and jump on one of the bossy silkies and hurt them. So you'll have to see how yours do with integrating and if you can house them together. Yours might have a better temperament than mine and mesh just fine. You don't know until you try.

I understood the joke after I posted that lol!And I am thibking abouut building another coop soon. So we will see how it goes. Thanks!!

 

[Chicalina]

Okay, I do not get a lot of rain where I live and they do have access to shelter. Thanks!

that's great. I read somewhere here the other day, someone saying silkies are delicate, and not hardy. Mine survive cold winters and hot summers just fine, and have never had any disease. And it rains here a LOT! Granted, we don't get Alaskan winters or Arizonan summers here but we get a good range of temps. They are sweet natured and pretty. What more could you want!

 

[MrFluffyandGirls]

Well silkies shouldn't get too wet because their fur like feathers aren't very protective

I live in coastal SC and it's always raining here and mine get wet all the time. They'll peck around in thunder storms eating bugs that float up and it has not been an issue for mine. It's not a cold climate here though.

 

[azure_]

I live in coastal SC and it's always raining here and mine get wet all the time. They'll peck around in thunder storms eating bugs that float up and it has not been an issue for mine. It's not a cold climate here though.

Well my silkies almost always got hypothermia. They we're shivering and soaked to the bone. I live in Massachusetts which is in the US.

 

[Chicalina]

the heads and crests get a bit soggy on mine but their feathers on their body are just wet on the outside, never down to the down. They can look bedraggled though. UK here and often wet.

They don't seem to mind much

 

[Owenp_2]

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!!!

Thanks, and I thought about doing something the crest and bread whether that be trimming them or not so this was very very helpful, thank you!

 

[the3quail]

I have 1 silkie hen, they are amazing! Everytime we come outside, she runs to us. They are very friendly, but you CAN NOT just put new chicks out with them. They will show their dominance, with a pecking order, which can kill new chicks. Do daily sessions, putting the silkie in their cage for about 10 minutes. if she/he pecks, give the babies a treat, but make sure the silkie knows she doesn't get one if she pecks.

 

[Chicalina]

I have 1 silkie hen, they are amazing! Everytime we come outside, she runs to us. They are very friendly, but you CAN NOT just put new chicks out with them. They will show their dominance, with a pecking order, which can kill new chicks. Do daily sessions, putting the silkie in their cage for about 10 minutes. if she/he pecks, give the babies a treat, but make sure the silkie knows she doesn't get one if she pecks.

Any chicks need gentle introduction to a flock. This is not a silkie thing, it is a chicken thing.

In fact, Silkies are more likely than any other breed to adopt the chicks as their own!!

 

[Chicalina]

Okay! Do you have your silkie with other hens and roosters that are hard feathered?

My silkies are part of a mixed flock of various breeds. They are all happy and thriving.

You will get your submissive and dominant chickens in this breed just as in any other, though they aren't known as particular bullies.

As someone else said, ensure their crests are trimmed if needed. Mine don't have massive pouffes so I don't need to.