Solo Silkie - Is it breed specific or is she just weird?

[mommahen64]

Hi,

I got a mix of chicks at TSC. There was one lone yellow fluff ball so I adopted her (I think it's a her). She always got along with and cuddled with the others - no issues other than she always wanted to be in the middle of the cuddle pile. She has started to isolate herself a bit. She keeps an eye on where everyone is but doesn't tend to roam around like the others. They went outside for the first time the other day and everyone went out scratching but her...stayed in the cage and scratched in there. She's healthy as far as I can tell. Eats and drinks fine and can run fast when she wants to! I thought she needed another silkie so I adopted a little black one who is about 4 weeks old. She pecks the daylights out of it. THe new one is in protective custody with two d'uccle pals it grew up with.

Is she just weird or are silkies loners? Don't know much about chickens - have about 7 weeks experience at the moment. My others are two barred rocks (6 weeks or so), two little D'uccles who came in with the second silkie (four weeks or so), and three bantams (7 weeks and don't ask, I have no idea what the heck they are pretending to be, ha-ha). I have absolutely no idea who is a rooster and who is a hen at the moment....but that's a topic for another post.

Thanks to you veterans who may have some insights.

 

[gritsar]

How full is her poof (crest)? Can she see well enough through it to interact with her flock?

I give my two silkies haircuts to keep their vision clear whenever necessary. They are part of a free range flock and do just fine. Neither one is off by themselves.

I do have a loner in my older flock though. She is a LF buff brahma hen. Always been a loner. Some chickens are just like that, just like some people are.

 

[gbgramma]

I have 16 - 10 week old chickens (hopefully all hens). We open up the house to the pen every morning at 6 and open the door to the yard at or about 10. When we open the yard 15 of the chickens race for the stairs and jump in and run like crazy. The 16th just goes and finds a nice place and hunkers down in the pen. We went in and hand carried her into the yard and she beat us back to the pen! My husband says she just likes the peace and quiet. She appears healthy, eats and drinks with the hoardes, just likes to be alone! (BTW - 6 Americanas, 4 Barred Rocks, 6 Rhodies) The loner is a Rhodie.

 

[CheekyChooks]

My two white silkies are the most 'nervous' of my chickens. My Buff Orp is the bossiest and most confident. My polish is fussy and an attention seeker. My two gold silkie crosses are curious and nosey little busy bodies. My black silkie is very sweet and gentle and a little apprehensive at times. My shamo is the runner of the group, little speed machne. They are all different but I guess I notice my white sikies are the last ones out of the coop and the first to run to safety. They don't just copy the other chickens and go with the flo, they take a little longer before they feel comfortable and let their feathers down.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

She is probably afraid because she can't see well and thus wants to stay in a safe zone. My silkies are like that too, one in particular. Very nervous about open spaces. It keeps them alive, IMO.

Some folks give a little trim around the eyes (from the eye forward) as gritsar said. My silkies mostly stay on the side of the yard with the overhead poultry wire of their own free will.

My larger breeds roam the whole chicken yard on both sides.

 

[mommahen64]

Thanks everyone. I feel better knowing she's ok. Sweet little thing....just odd.