What breeds compliment a single Silkie well?

[jasowenm27]

A fox got to my flock (3 faverolles, a brahma, and 3 silkies) and now there is only one small 3yr old frizzle silkie left It's so sad to see her all alone and we want to get her some friends asap. I'm thinking of bantams so they're a similar size, I don't want her to be picked on by larger breeds - pre fox, my mixed size flock did work well, but they were all hatched together and besties from birth.

Does anyone have any advice on which bantam breeds would be best to keep her company, and how many would be ideal. In a perfect world they would be good layers and not too broody! But main priority is to find the best companions for my lone survivor.

 

[fluffycrow]

How about bantam Polish? They should do great with calm birds such as silkies, and aren’t known as the broodiest of bantams.
Not sure how well they would lay though

 

[thecatumbrella]

I think this is the best suggestion! Plus both breeds are at a similar disadvantage with their poofy heads. Maybe start with just a couple so your Silkie isn't completely outnumbered. Once the 3 are bonded, you can expand?

 

[GoosesGeeses]

@Debbie292d

 

[NatJ]

How about bantam Polish? They should do great with calm birds such as silkies, and aren’t known as the broodiest of bantams.
Not sure how well they would lay though

Standard Polish might be an option as well. They are still pretty small, even when they are not actually bantams. And in the USA where I am, it is much easier to find Polish standards than bantams.

Of course Polish are handicapped by their crests, which make it hard for them to see. This could keep them from picking on the Silkie, but if another fox comes, they would have trouble getting away from it.

we want to get her some friends asap. I'm thinking of bantams so they're a similar size, I don't want her to be picked on by larger breeds - pre fox, my mixed size flock did work well, but they were all hatched together and besties from birth.

If she goes broody, you could let her sit on fake eggs, then buy chicks for her to raise. Give her the chicks when she has been sitting for about 3 weeks.

If she raises chicks, you should not have any integration troubles, no matter what size they are.

Silkies are known for going broody, and that is more likely in the spring (not sure where you live: half of the world is having spring but the other half is having fall.)

Of course, if she does not go broody, or is not a good mother, that idea would not work.

Does anyone have any advice on which bantam breeds would be best to keep her company, and how many would be ideal. In a perfect world they would be good layers and not too broody! But main priority is to find the best companions for my lone survivor.

What country are you in? In the USA, Easter Egger bantams might be a good choice. Because they are not a pure breed and have no standard for appearance, the hatcheries are mostly focused on breeding them to be good layers, which also means not too much broodiness. I don't know about other countries.

 

[jwcarlson]

The only chickens I've had that weren't kinda mean to the silkies or frizzles I've had over the years have been my Orpingtons (buffs and Jubilees). And a couple Delawares, those seem to be pretty sweet as well.

 

[jasowenm27]

How about bantam Polish? They should do great with calm birds such as silkies, and aren’t known as the broodiest of bantams.
Not sure how well they would lay though

Standard Polish might be an option as well. They are still pretty small, even when they are not actually bantams. And in the USA where I am, it is much easier to find Polish standards than bantams.

Of course Polish are handicapped by their crests, which make it hard for them to see. This could keep them from picking on the Silkie, but if another fox comes, they would have trouble getting away from it.


If she goes broody, you could let her sit on fake eggs, then buy chicks for her to raise. Give her the chicks when she has been sitting for about 3 weeks.

If she raises chicks, you should not have any integration troubles, no matter what size they are.

Silkies are known for going broody, and that is more likely in the spring (not sure where you live: half of the world is having spring but the other half is having fall.)

Of course, if she does not go broody, or is not a good mother, that idea would not work.


What country are you in? In the USA, Easter Egger bantams might be a good choice. Because they are not a pure breed and have no standard for appearance, the hatcheries are mostly focused on breeding them to be good layers, which also means not too much broodiness. I don't know about other countries.

Sounds like Polish will be the best bet, theres some bantams available near us actually (in UK).

My silkie has been broody for a week, which is why she survived the fox! I hadn't thought about giving her chicks but maybe would be a good idea... not sure if she'd be a very good mother - but she is broody a lot!

If we went ahead with chicks in a few weeks, would it be best to still get a couple of Polish bantams to keep her company do you think??

Thanks everyone for all the advice.

 

[Debbie292d]

A couple of years ago, I posted asking what breed would get along best with my silkies. There were many mentioned, and whilst they aren't bantams, Speckled Sussex won. What if you got a couple more silkies, then get a few of something else that are docile but better layers, and not as broody?

 

[fluffycrow]

Sounds like Polish will be the best bet, theres some bantams available near us actually (in UK).

My silkie has been broody for a week, which is why she survived the fox! I hadn't thought about giving her chicks but maybe would be a good idea... not sure if she'd be a very good mother - but she is broody a lot!

If we went ahead with chicks in a few weeks, would it be best to still get a couple of Polish bantams to keep her company do you think??

Thanks everyone for all the advice.

That is up to you. Any chicks you keep will become her companions after they are weaned. Whether you would want to add more after that is totally your call.
If you decide on giving her chicks, best to time it out like a natural cycle. As close to the three week mark avoids most issues (though some hens will never accept chicks that weren’t hatched under them, but that’s quite rare). She’s also early enough in her cycle that if you can get eggs soon, she might be able to sit long enough to hatch them naturally.
If you decide on getting a different breed, introducing them as chicks would be a good idea. That way they grow up with a silkie as a mother figure, which should lower the chances of them bullying her later on. Seniority also helps. No guarantees though.

I would listen to Debbie for all things silkie. She’s the silkie queen! Maybe half the chicks can be silkies, and half another breed of your choice? That way she won’t be so outnumbered

 

[NatJ]

If we went ahead with chicks in a few weeks, would it be best to still get a couple of Polish bantams to keep her company do you think??

I can't quite tell what you are asking.

If you are asking, would Polish Bantams be a good choice as chicks? The answer is probably yes.

If you are asking, if you get some kind of chicks, should you also get adult Polish Bantams to keep the Silkie company while the chicks are young? The answer is probably no. A broody hen does not really want to deal with other adult chickens. A hen who is raising chicks will mostly keep other adult chickens away from her chicks and herself. By the time she wants to socialize with other chickens, the chicks she raised will be old enough to almost count, and they certainly keep her from being completely alone.

If you want to get some adult Polish Bantams just because you want more adult chickens sooner, you certainly can choose do that. But I would not expect your currently-broody Silkie to make friends with them while she is broody or raising chicks. They would basically be a separate flock for a while.