Silkies

[teasley]

Cani put silkies in with grown regular chickens thank you everone I do not have Silkies now I would like to get some but I was afraid of my rooster being mean to them I will not be getting any right now any how

 

[Michael OShay]

Welcome to BYC. Glad you decided to join our flock. I wouldn't advise putting Silkies in with standard sized breeds. I tried it once about two decades ago, and with their small stature (and being already handicapped by their crests), they were being battered by the larger birds. I ended up removing them from my main flock, along with my Golden Polish that were also being picked on. I put the Silkies and Golden Polish in a separate flock together and they got along fabulously. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Good luck with your Silkies.

 

[Mountain Peeps]

Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help.

X2 on Michael.

Silkies are probably one of the hardest breeds to mix with other chickens whom are not used to having them around. Silkies are very often bullied and sometimes pecked to death. So, you'll have to introduce them slowly and properly.

Start by keeping the silkies separate from the other chickens but still within each other's sight. (This is known as the see but don't touch method.) After about two or three weeks of this you can mix them. Make sure that there are PLENTY of hideaways and feeders and waterers. Bossy hens will often hog feeders resulting in starving hens.

Best of luck to you!

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! X3, Silkies are hard to keep with standard chickens, if you have a lot of extra space in your coop and none of your standard birds are aggressive you may be able to get away with it, especially if they are pet silkies without the big crests, or you keep the crests trimmed all the time so they can see better... but even if you introduce them properly and have plenty of space, often you do wind up keeping the Silkies separate...

 

[drumstick diva]

Silkies are happiest, I think, with their own kind. They still are subject to feather picking and fights but, no one has an advantage. Often they don't roost but, pile up on the floor , in a corner to sleep. Please cover their run also - they are easy targets for hawks and other predators.

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello there and welcome to BYC!

I agree with the above posters. Silkies are hard to mix in with a standard breed flock. One of the things that makes it hard for Silkies is all the feathers over the eyes. They can't see really well. I would keep these birds separate from your large flock. Watch that they can see to eat and drink. Silkies can become malnourished and dehydrated because they can't see properly enough to eat or drink. I have even heard of a Silkie that wandered into a pond and drown because he couldn't see well.

Good luck with your birds. They sure are cute and fun to keep.

 

[BantamLover21]

Glad you joined us!

X2 on the above posters' advice.

 

[Wyandottes7]

Welcome to BYC!

We're glad to have you.

 

[LIChickens]

Welcome to BYC!

You will find a lot of good information here. Keep on asking questions and you will get many good answers.

You may also want to read the FAQ below.

 

[lizaj]

I would like a pair of silkies at a reasonable price