Table of Contents
Silkie Chicken Facts
What are silkie chickens known for?
Silkie hens are well known for their broodiness and are probably used more often than any other chicken to hatch valuable eggs of less reliable breeds. Since a broody hen stops laying, Silkies tend to have low egg production.
Do Silkie Chickens like to be held?
Silkies are gentle, kind birds who love company and adore being held and fussed over.
How long do silkie chickens live?
Quick Facts About Silkie Chickens
| Species Name: | Gallus domesticus |
|---|---|
| Temperament: | Friendly, gentle, talkative, intelligent |
| Color Form: | Black, blue, gold, red, gray, buff, partridge |
| Lifespan: | 7-9 years |
| Size: | 8-14 inches tall, 2-3 pounds |
Jan 8, 2022
Why are silkies called silkies?
Silkies are a breed of chicken named for its unusual soft, fluffy silky plumage. Silkie chickens have several unique genetic and behavioral traits that make them stand out from other chicken breeds.
Can silkies fly?
The fact that silkie chickens are unable to fly due to their fluffy plumage makes them the easiest of all chickens to keep as pets because they are that much easier to contain. Silkies are also known for their calm, friendly temperament, which makes them exceptionally great pets for homes that have children.
What Colour eggs do Silkies lay?
Their eggs are a white/cream color with occasional tinting. How many eggs do they lay? They are considered poor layers, giving only 2-3 eggs per week.
How do you bond with a silkie?
Like any other animal, the quickest and easiest way to tame silkies is to, well, bribe them with treats! It can be in the form of mealworms, oats, raisins, and sunflower seeds. My flock loves eating Grubblies and cracked corn, so you might want to give those a try.
How often do silkie lay eggs?
How Often Do Silkies Lay Eggs? A silkie chicken can lay about 120 eggs per year, about 2-4 eggs per week.
How smart are silkie chickens?
Though they are small in stature, silkies are big on personality! My silkies especially are total characters and are actually pretty smart. A silkie roo was the first chicken I trained to walk on a leash and I often took him to events to teach people about raising backyard chickens for eggs.
What do you feed silkies?
Feed your silkie chickens layer crumbles rather than pellets, as pellets are sometimes too large for silkies to eat. You can feed them a mash made of bran, grated apple and carrot mixed with meat meal and a little vegetable oil once or twice a week. Toss out table scraps such as vegetables and bread for your chickens.
How do you keep silkies clean?
It is quite difficult to keep Silkies clean. The combination of the fluffy feathers and feathered feet turn them into sponges that soak up dirt. The only way to keep Silkie chickens clean is to have a covered run that keeps the weather out so it never gets wet and muddy.
How fast do silkie chickens grow?
Silkie hens or pullets generally mature around 8-10 months and cockerels about 10-12 months. They hit their full size around 4 to 5 months and get their first real adult set of feathers about this time as well. All chicks go through three partial and one full moult before they mature.
Why do silkie chickens have 5 toes?
Silkie chickens- bless them, do like to do things a little differently and like humans have five toes adorning each foot. There is no real reasoning behind why silkies have five toes or what this means for them, just another quirk that makes them truly individual in the chicken breed world!
Can you mix Silkies with other chickens?
Silkies get along nicely with other chickens and animals because of their calm and friendly temperament. Because of their small size and unique looks, many chickens may pick on them. Before you try mixing different breeds together, you need to know what to watch for and how to protect your Silkies.
What colors do Silkies come in?
Silkie chickens come in solid colors such as White, Buff, Black, Blue and Self-Blue. The patterned varieties include Paint, Splash, Partridge and Gray. I have recently come to love the Naked Neck Silkie. This Silkie is a cross between a Silkie Bantam and a Turken (commonly known as a naked neck chicken).
How do Silkies sleep?
Most silkies don’t roost. They sleep in a pile on the floor. It’s always preferable for hens to roost rather than sleep on the floor.
Can Silkies jump?
Silkies can jump between 8 and 16 inches up to a perch. Mine can’t really jump up much more than 12″. Big jumps also involve a lot of flapping which can be quite comical to watch.
What is a blue silkie?
The Blue Silkie Bantam is a gorgeous variety of the Silkie Bantam breed, miniature chickens that originated in China and Japan. Silkie Bantam chickens are an Asiatic, feather-footed breed covered with an extraordinary abundance of soft, fluffy, hair-like feathers.
How cold is too cold for silkie chickens?
What Is Too Cold for a Silkie Chicken? Surprisingly enough, chickens, in general, can withstand temperatures below freezing. However, cold hardy breeds like Silkies can withstand up to zero degrees Fahrenheit when provided shelter.
Are Silkies loud?
Silkies are known to be less noisy compared to other chicken breeds. This is mainly due to their smaller size making them less capable to produce the volume larger chickens are able to. They have docile natures and tend to be less rowdy, but some silkies can be noisy at times.
How do you tell male and female Silkies apart?
Female Silkies will keep their bodies more horizontally positioned, where males will stand more upright, keeping their chests forward and their necks elongated. Males will also hold their tail more upright, where females will keep it horizontal or slightly dipped toward the ground.
How much space do Silkies need?
Plan four square feet of run area per bantam Silkie; eight to ten square feet for heavier Silkies. Provide perches. Chickens like to roost sleeping with their feet off the ground. An old wooden ladder can work for large birds.
How do you keep Silkies dry?
How do you keep Silkies dry? Cover your pens or runs is really the only way to keep Silkies dry. Mud is no fun for any bird and because of their feather structure Silkies can suffer more than most. You can use a solid roof or cover the run run with a tarpaulin.
Do Silkies like to cuddle?
Silkies don’t mind getting up close and personal with their human friends, in fact, they quite like being cuddled, kissed and groomed, making them eggcellent pets for young children.
At what age do Silkies start laying eggs?
Silkies can start to lay at around 7 to 9 months of age, although some will not lay until they are much older. The older a silkie is when she begins to lay, the more eggs she is likely to produce.
When can Silkies go outside?
Bantam Chicks can be moved permanently to an outside coop from 6 weeks of age, provided they are fully feathered and the coop is sheltered, free from draughts and dry.
How long do Silkies lay eggs?
Silkies will generally consistently lay their eggs for two years or so, then gradually their production will start to decline. A hen won’t simply one day stop laying eggs altogether.
Why do silkie chickens lose feathers?
The first and most common reason why chickens lose their feathers is the ‘annual molt. ‘ A molt is when a chicken sheds its old feathers and replaces them with new feathers. Chickens molt during the end of the egg-laying season, in the fall.
What does a male silkie look like?
Silkie roosters are larger than hens. They have larger and rounder wattles, and their combs are larger and shaped differently: These fleshy growths on adult male Silkies’ heads feature extensions that are like streamers; they appear swept back rather than rounded.
What can silkie chickens not eat?
What Can Silkie Chickens Not Eat?
| Food to avoid | Toxic effect |
|---|---|
| Green potatoes or green tomatoes | Contains a Nero-toxin causing drowsiness, paralysis, and eventually death |
| Apple seeds | Although apple flesh is completely safe, apple seeds contain cyanide which prevents the red blood cells from taking up oxygen |
Mar 3, 2022
What treats can Silkies have?
Good treats for Silkies include:
- Frozen peas or sweetcorn kernels – leave them cold for summer and serve hot for winter.
- Cracked corn.
- Sunflower or safflower seed kernels.
- Mealworms.
- A cabbage hung in the run.
Can you give Silkies a bath?
Do silkies like water?
Some breeds of chicken do swim better than others. Silkie chickens can’t swim at all. Their unique fluffy feather get wet instantly and the sink very quickly. A Silkie finding itself in water will need to get out in a few seconds or it will likely drown.
How do you keep silkies Fluffy?
Begin drying from the tail, up towards the head. Hard feathered birds are dried head to tail but since silkies are soft feather, I dry them tail to head. Drying them this way adds extra volume and more poof! Continue drying the whole bird, using lower heat settings on the crest and under the wings.
Do silkie chickens need heat in the winter?
I found out that I was wrong about the heat, but not wrong that Silkies require special winter care. Despite feathers that look like fur, and twisted feathers like those on this Bantam Frizzle Polish, these birds don’t need heat.
How big are Silkies eggs?
What are chickens with fluffy heads called?
Crested chickens are a group of ornamental chicken breeds characterised by a tuft or crest of upward-pointing feathers on the head.
Why do Silkies have black skin?
The flesh and skin of these chickens is completely black. Silkies owe their unusual black color to fibromelanosis, a rare genetic mutation of hyperpigmentation believed to have first arisen in China.
Do Silkies need a dust bath?
Silkies, like all chickens enjoy a dust bath whatever the weather and you should provide a dry sheltered area for them to have a dust bath in. It will help keep their feathers in good condition and is good for the mental health of the chicken.
Can you have just one Silkie chicken?
Like other species of chicken, Silkie chickens should not live alone for extended periods. Like other types of chickens, Silkies thrive best when they have a group of chickens where they can flock together for company, warmth, and comfort.
What is the nicest breed of chicken?
Below are 18 of the friendliest chicken breeds that will fit right in with your flock and won’t make egg collection a physical chore.
- Silkie Chicken.
- Plymouth Rock Chicken.
- Speckled Sussex Chicken.
- Buff Orpington Chicken.
- Rhode Island Red Chicken.
- Cochin Chicken.
- Wyandotte Chicken.
- Australorp Chicken.
What does a Silkie chicken taste like?
A Silkie tastes a bit like a traditional roasted chicken, but with a light touch of duck, giving it a subtle, exotic flavor that lends itself well to the smoky flavor of the paprika rub in this recipe.
How many breeds of Silkies are there?
According to the American Poultry Association (APA), Silkies are only accepted in six colors: white, black, blue, buff, partridge, and splash. All color variants have black skin, the characteristic extra toe, and fluffy plumage down their legs all the way to their toes.
What are silkie chickens called?
The Silkie (also known as the Silky or Chinese silk chicken) is a breed of chicken named for its atypically fluffy plumage, which is said to feel like silk and satin.
What is the most popular Silkie color?
Silkies are most commonly found in a crisp white tone, but for those of us that like our backyard to be dotted with colorful little cotton balls, the possibilities are near endless.
