Anyone keep Silkies?

[Smithagain]

We have two bantams at the moment - one light sussex and one partridge leghorn.

The plan is to add three more, to complete the flock. We've just found a breeder who has light sussex's, blue silkies and pekins. We quite fancy one of each, with the silkie for novelty value!

I know that silkies need to avoid getting too wet. There is a sheltered area under our hen house and we have a makeshift roof over one end of the run at the moment, because of the snow. So their food is sheltered and they have somewhere to lurk if the weather is bad.

Both areas are about one metre long by about 75 wide. Is that likely to be enough, or do they need more than that?

And is there anything else we should know about keeping "furry chickens" as my daughter calls them?!

don't know, but will watch thread with interest as would love to have a go at hatching some of these next year

(we have ex-batts at the moment)

we have 1 silkie (1 died )
she has shelter under the coop about 1x1.5m plus there are quite a lot of shrubs for shelter
what you have sounds just about enough
they are v cute!

Aw - sorry you lost one shalli...

Our run is also under trees, and has 6ft close boarded fence on two sides. So hopefully that also helps.

I think we'll go for it. Now waiting for chicken-lady to phone back!

I keep two Silkies, one gold, one blue. You're supposed to give them shelter but whether they use it or not is a different matter!

The area you are describing it big enough but obviously, the more covered space you can give them, the better.

Mine have spent the winter under cover in my WIR but come summer, they'll be out in all weathers!

Hi

I breed silkies for showing - blues, golds, blacks and whites. They are great - very docile. Mine have a sheltered area but do go out on the rain - they'll shelter if they want to.

Watch out for scaly leg (silkies are prone to it) - treat with surgical spirit and vaseline and silkies also get Marek's disease unless they have been vaccinated. Not much you can do about that, I'm afraid. The henhouse should be dusty to deter mites - "Economite" is good - silkies can get them in their crests.

Quite a lot of breeders find that their silkies don't perch to roost - so don't be alarmed if they prefer the floor of the henhouse. Mine love melon and grapes and their dustbath!

Hope that helps and good luck!

isthatporridgeinyourhair, my blue Silkie is a bit of a 'failure to thrive' case. I've just started adding garlic to her afternoon treats (poultry spice in feed already).

Dunno what it is about this girl but she just isn't cutting it for some reason. Can't put my finger on it. She eats, lays etc but she looks a scruff and just doesn't seem to be as fit as my Gold.

I was thinking of trying Nutri-drops but whilst i can find the advertising stuff about them, I haven't found any on-line reviews written by real folk who've tried them on their birds.

Any ideas?

PS - I'm on the look out for a white or black Silkie pullet to add some point this year. Will you have any or do you not sell them?

Doodlez

Mmm...do her eyes look bright and does she demonstrate "normal" behaviour? i.e coming to you for food, scratching, bathing etc?

Have you checked for mites/lice on her (especially scaly leg) and in the house? No other signs of disease - nasal discharges etc?

If she's behaving normally and not suffering from any malaise it may be that she's just a bit scruffy! You can try a vit supplement/calcified seaweed or some cod liver oil added to her scratch feed which will help on feather condition, although not immediately but certainly after she's moulted.

I do sell my spare birds but won't have any until the spring - usually the silkie club website list members wanting to sell birds - some of them from very very good breeders.

Let me know how you get on.

Thanks Porridge.

My girls get treated for lice and redmite regularly, as does their accommodation but tomorrow, I'll pick her up and go over her with a fine tooth comb to double check (not literally with a comb!). I'll double check eyes and nasal area etc.

She's never really come to me. She is very skittish, whereas my Gold can't get get to me quick enough. My blue is just very shy and unconfident. She is much smaller and weighs a lot less than the gold one too. I've just put it down to her being a smaller bird.

Like I say, I'll double check her tomorrow and report back. If you have a minute, will you look out for my post?

With respect to adding another Silkie or two....I have a couple of good sources near by. I'd buy from a fellow Mumsnetter to show support really. . I'm toying with the idea of a Goldtop from Moorlands Poultry as well but can't seem to find out a right lot about them, so may go over in the half term holiday and take a closer look at them.

Doodlez

Bless her! I'll watch out for your post - she might be just made a bit smaller!

Hi Porridge

I bought both girls into the kitchen this morning and had a good look at them. I cannot see evidence of lice or mites on either. Both had clean vents too.

I've taken some photographs of both and put them on my profile for you to see. My blue (she's called Silver) is, as I said, smaller than my gold (she's called Star)!

One thing I noticed when they were both in the kitchen - Star gave Silver's head a few pecks. Now I'm wondering if her feather loss and scruffy appearance are due to Star liking the taste of feathers and using her little chicken friend as a mobile snack!

I've included some pics of feet/legs. They look fine to me. No different to when I bought them, so I don't think scaley leg is a culprit either but see what you think.

Ta.

Doodle.

Hi Doodle

Had a look at your pics. Lovely chooks. Silver hasn't got scaly leg and she looks normal for a blue silkie - the golds just tend to look a bit more "groomed".

I think you're right about pecking - I see on the picture of her head that there seem to be feather stubs on her crest - are these new feathers coming through or are they old feathers? The crests on silkies are normally more pronounced (like Star's). If they are old stubs then she probably has been pecked by Star - you can get anti peck spray which will help.

Hope that is of some assistance - I think you know what you're doing!

Just a thought on the bullying - I think it might help to get a couple more silkies - whilst they will need to establish a pecking order again, in my experience it tends to work in the favour of the chook who is at the bottom!

I think the majority of the stubs are old ones that have been pecked out. I'm sure there must be new ones fighting to get out though - until Missy Hissy Star nabs them!

I shall get the anti-peck spray out again then - bleugh. I got some on my clothes when I used it on my hybrids and it took three washes to get that vile smell off!

I didn't realise the Golds might be more 'groomed' looking than the Blues but after I read your post, I looked a little closer at some Silkie pics on Google images and you're right, they do look a bit shoddy in comparison. That said, I spotted some scruffy looking partridge and I think I've fallen in love

Thank you for your last paragraph - feels like I've got real permission to buy more chooks! As I said earlier in the thread, I'm on the look-out for one or two more, so I shall step up my campaign. After all, anti-bullying is a serious business requiring serious action.....like splurging 60 quid on new birds

Thank you Porridge

Glad to be of assistance.

And...it's your social duty to step in and take action on the bullying front - let me know what you get!