Tips for a newbie on raising silkies :)

[Aussie Lady]

Hello to everyone on this thread

I'm sooo excited as I will be picking up my first ever chicken - my Silkie. At the moment with our weather I will be leaving my pet silkie in the laundry and letting it out to graze. I want to get it settled before I pick up my Australorps. Soon I will have my very first egg. This must sound a bit trivial to most of you as you are by now all "eggsperts" (pun intended) in the chicken business.

Anyway, I had to share my excitement.

By the way,

HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY TO ALL THE AUSSIES OUT THERE - ENJOY YOU BARBY, SHRIMPS, LAMB AND ALL (EVEN CHICKENS!!)

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[Blarneyeggs]

nothing like that first egg! Congratulations! Enjoy every minute, I know I do!!

 

[MadabtChickens]

Hi Aussie Lady! I am not an eggspert at all. I will be starting my first ever flock in the next few months and it's been over 20 years since I collected eggs straight from the nest, so I am in the same spot as you. So excited to start, watch my pullets grow into hens, and then collect the eggs! I will be getting a pair of Silkies along with a few other breeds and plan on making them my pets. Good luck to everybody and congrats!

 

[kiwilady]

Hi from NZ, we are recently back into chooks, having had them originally when the kids were small. Now all the kids are all gone but one and we're starting again! We are hoping to put some silkie eggs under a bantam once she gets broody. That'll be a first for us, never raised 'me from eggs before. I'll come to you for advice! lol. Good luck!

 

[WhiteCochinLover]

I am so excited one of my friends is ordering me silkie chicks and raising them for me and I will probably get to go pick them up in April... These are my first silkies but I already have cochins, RIR, lehorns and wyandott.... Any first time tips?

 

[[email protected]]

Any on know how friendly they are? can they be mixed with normal sized chickens? (I was thinking of getting 1-3 in the spring/ summer)

 

[gryeyes]

Yes, I know how friendly they are... oh, wait, you want somebody to TELL you how friendly they are!

VERY. They are definitely one of the few chicken breeds folk find easy to LET them be house chickens. (Being a house chicken is the silkie's fondest desire.)

And yes, they can get along in mixed flocks, for the most part. If they have really poofy crests, silkies often get pecked by other chickens. But that doesn't mean this behavior occurs in other flocks.

 

[gambit2178]

Silkies are the most friendly as well as sweet chicken ever...just see for yourself...
She sits on my lap every evening as I play PS3...she is myonly indoor silkie

 

[[email protected]]

is she potty trained or something? how would you keep it indoors / sitting on your lap with out pooping every where? or is that what the blanket is for?

 

[Aussie Lady]

Hi Gambit

I was wondering the same thing as Tylerkaz. I have the same Silkie as you do. I thought of having it inside but then I'm not sure if it's such a good idea.