4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[jlegg]

We are about to embark on owning three chickens, we would like a Silkie an Orphington, and another which we havent decided on and wonder if anyone has kept this combination and if anyone can recomend a third variety. As they are going to be pets the egg laying isnt of prime importance. Children are 11 plus so the chicken dont have to be robust enough to accomodate very tight hugs from a toddler.

[Tulip]

Hello, welcome to the forum! I can't think of anyone with a silkie and an orp, but I've heard that silkies are a bit soppy and soft (I know my Orp definitely is), so I'd guess you'd probably need another soppy girl. But I've also read that silkies don't mix well with other birds and are best kept on their own.

 

Silkie owners, any ideas....?

 

If you don''t get any joy here, speak to your local breeder, I'm sure they'd be happy to advise

[tom123]

I know bigmommasally has a silkie, an orp and hybrids all together?

 

Tom

[Janty]

I don't have a silkie but I do keep all different breeds together. The only thing I would say is that you have to think about alternative accomodation should they have problems. My pekins get on well with my big girls now but when they first arrived, the bantams had a bit of a hard time and we had to order an eglu so that they could live separate from the bigger girls.

[bigmommasally]

I know bigmommasally has a silkie, an orp and hybrids all together?

 

Tom

 

Gosh Tom How did you remember that! I was very to see my name in a post!

 

I do have a Orpington, a Silkie and 3 Hybrids all living together in a cube, normal run and 2 extensions.

In my experience (which is quite limited) they get on fairly well, the Orpington (Alice) is at the bottom of the pecking order and the Silkie (Mary) is 2nd from bottom. Mary use to pick on Alice quite a bit in the early days but I don't see hardly any bullying from any of them now. I sometimes think Mary looks a bit of a loner and I think she would be happier with another Silkie to keep her company. (I do have plans afoot to slip another Silkie in with a couple of Ex-Batts but don't tell the OH) Having said that she started laying recently and has seemed alot chirpier since then so she may have not fitted in before because she was the only non-layer and felt a bit left out? Or am I putting my human emotions on my chickens?

I got the Alice & Mary from the same breeder and he said they would be fine together, he had a pen with all his POL's for sale mixed in together.

[jlegg]

Thanks for the advice, I will check out with the breeders good idea, I'm waiting till it warms up a bit before we buy our chickens I wouldnt want chicks indoors with an elderly cat (maybe okay) 2 whippets and a Jack Russell bit dodgy especially as the kids would forget to shut doors, I couldnt bear the carnage and tears! Not sure that they can be trusted as they find the Pheasants very exciting that live wild around here, havent managed to catch one thankfully when they have been out on their walks.

When we do get our chickens they will be outside in the back garden where the dogs dont have access (just in case).

I think I will take the kids to see a breeder and we can than have a look at a few different breeds rather than get attached to pretty pictures, then make our choices. Difficult when you dont live on the mainland to always buy what you would like.

 

Thanks everyone, all very exciting waiting for new arrivals!

[BeckyBoo]

Where do you live - not on the mainland, sounds exciting!! To be honest going to a breeder is WORSE than looking at pretty pictures - I go with all sorts of ideas about what I was going to get but always end up coming away with "pretty" hens!! I have a complete mix of breeds, one Buff Orp, a Brahma, a Poland (did have a silkie but she died) a light sussex bantam, two ex-batts, two gingernut rangers, a calder ranger, black rock, (same thing really) a speckledy a rhode island red two indian game birds a silver laced wyandotte bantam and in the chick house a cream legbar and a brahma (bantam I think). It's the way you introduce them that really counts and if you're getting them all at the same time it shouldn't be a problem.

 

Have fun choosing and welcome to the forum!

 

BeckyBoo

[jlegg]

We live in Jersey, so can be a bit warmer than the mainland but often windier too.

I do have a fear of visiting breeders just in case I love them all, but I shall have to contain myself !

 

Thanks for the help.