Sara-W Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 Hi, I went to the Royal Welsh Show on Tuesday and loved their poultry and egg section my sons fell in love with a silkie at the show (had to be dragged away!) and have been begging me for silkies ever since! I have a spare eglu and have been considering their pleas...but I would like to find out as much as I can about them first, I can't seem to find out much on the internet so could anyone tell me anymore about them? Thanks in advance Sara x Endora Sally Henny Penny Esme Evelyn Sybil Enid Queenie Agatha Mildred Delilah Jemimah Lola Empty at the moment! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom123 Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 They are lovely! My friend breeds white bantams and they have such a lovely character. Here is some info on them from the internet as I don't know much about them... Silkies do tend towards broodiness and make wonderful mothers despite being rather poor layers. They are calm, friendly, trusting and rather lively birds which are unable to fly so can be kept with very low fencing and they also do very little damage to the garden. They begin laying around Christmas when the hen will happily sit on a clutch of eggs and will still go broody even if her eggs are removed! Silkies are frequently used as foster mothers for other hen\'s eggs. They stop laying altogether during the summer months. They don\'t have waterproof feathers so they need to be kept in dry conditions but require little room so can be kept in smaller runs. They are rather susceptible to scaly leg but are robust little chickens and can withstand the cold very well. The black skinned and black boned silkie is considered a delicacy in China where they believe that the ground up bones have special healing properties. They have a lifespan of around 9 years and can be tamed and considered a real pet which makes them especially suitable for children. Go on! Good Luck Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mags Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 hi I have lovely wee Silkie called Princess Layia Just had her a week and she is the friendly week thing. she has been a bit poorly but is now perking up she is quite happy to sit on my lap she enjoyed her bath and blow dry the other night very quiet at moment -not sure how long that will last from what I have read they can be prone to scaley feet mags Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara-W Posted July 24, 2009 Author Share Posted July 24, 2009 Thank you for your replies I don't think it would have taken much to persuade me They seem to have more good points than bad and are suitable for children My other chickens are very friendly and great with the children but are not keen on being held for more than 5 minutes! far too busy foraging/dust bathing/exploring for all that cuddling nonsense Sara x Endora Sally Henny Penny Esme Evelyn Sybil Enid Agatha Queenie Mildred Delilah Jemimah Lola Empty at the moment! (hopefully not for long!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 One point to bear in mind is that silkies keep you guessing for weeks and weeks on their boy/girl status so if you buy them young bear this in mind Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigmommasally Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 My Silkie is very cute to look at and chatters away non stop all day, however she doesn't like to be held and frequently goes through broody spells. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 I started with 3 - Apricot turned out to be a lovely boy, and has been rehomed; fox got Crumpet, and we are left with Muffin. lovely birds, but great tendency to go broody. however when in lay they produce the most gorgeous little eggs with big yolks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teri Posted July 25, 2009 Share Posted July 25, 2009 this is my silkie, beauty with her chicks. she is a brilliant mum and has a great personality. she is the kids favorite as she willingly sits on their laps without the need for them to chase after her first! i completley recommend them as a bread they are fantastic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara-W Posted July 25, 2009 Author Share Posted July 25, 2009 Thank you everyone I will probably go for POL to be sure I have all girls. Thank you teri for posting such a lovely picture of your silkie, she certainly lives up to her name and her chicks are so cute! My sons love the picture too and are now begging for black silkies like yours!! Sara x Endora Sally Henny Penny Esme Evelyn Sybil Enid Queenie Mildred Agatha Delilah Jemimah Lola Empty -Hopefully not for long!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted July 25, 2009 Share Posted July 25, 2009 My 2 are 8 weeks old on Tuesday. I'm guessing I have a boy & a girl hopefully. They are the sweetest little things ever - so fluffy, nosey & friendly. They love being picked up. I love the bright blue ears & the hairdos best! Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaPoule Posted July 25, 2009 Share Posted July 25, 2009 In case you need any more convincing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted July 25, 2009 Share Posted July 25, 2009 Basehunter my white one - is just like yours, so I'm presuming girl. The golden one I'm sure will eventually crow. Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xScrunchee Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 this is my silkie, beauty with her chicks. she is a brilliant mum and has a great personality. she is the kids favorite as she willingly sits on their laps without the need for them to chase after her first! i completley recommend them as a bread they are fantastic What a gorgeous picture Is your hen a slikie or a silkie cross as it looks quite feathery rather than fluffy and I thought that silkies had no quills in the feathers giving them a furry appearance but the hen and chicks look feathery to me Please forgive me ignorance-I like to know these things Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mags Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 The silkie cross looks like my girl Darth - aka Darth clucker (the boys named her ! ) lovely pictures on this thread Mags Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
