[Callys Rainbow]

Hi there!
My 12yr son is chicken mad and has wanted them for years. We've now moved to a suitable place that has plenty of space for them so he's getting his wish!! Silkies are his favourites and they seem to be first on his list........He has read up on them and he's been in touch with an allotment holder to get info about chickens in general. I'd like to know if Silkies are good layers(I'd like some eggs!) and can they be mixed with other breeds/cross breeds? Or do they need their own separate space? Any help I would be really grateful!! Thankyou 

[Roughlee Handled]

I have never had Silkies but I do know that if I wanted a broody I would get a Silky (they are a good mother) as to laying eggs well when they are not laying they will be broody.  As to mixing with other birds they are fine. 

Try these sites for information on pure breeds.
http://www.omlet.co.uk/breeds/breeds.php?breed_type=Chickens
http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/BRKPoultryPage.html#Chickens

You get pure breeds and hybrids in chickens.
Chickens are like women they are born with the amount of eggs that they will ever produce.
Hybrids lay lots of eggs is a small bunched time and then do not lay after there 3 max year.
Pure breeds will lay for up to there 6th year but lay less per week/year.
A chicken can live till they are 9

[themagicaltoad1]

I have 3 bantams, one's a golden silkie, another is a silkie hybrid and I'm not sure what the third one is I had a real problem finding somewhere that sold bantams. The garden centres around here wouldn't sell just hens they insisted on including a cock which I couldn't have because of the neighbours. You would be better getting them all from the same place at the same time, there are always squabbles when introducing new birds for the first few days or weeks and you may have to keep them in separate runs until they've grown accustomed to each other. Bantams, (inc silkies) can be a bit later than other chooks when it comes to laying. Maybe someone on here could direct you to a breeder in your local area that you could go and talk to. Good luck, I'm sure you'll enjoy keeping them, all chickens have great characters.

[joyfull]

Where abouts in the country are you? If you are anywhere near Lincolnshire I can recommend a breeder who has several types of banties.

[oddpaws]

We were given a silkie cross a few months ago as well as 2 black rocks and a rhodie. My silkie has just successfuly hatched 3 chicks and is fabulous with them but is now getting itchy to get back to the other girls, 5 of which are hybrid POL.

[snowflake]

silkies are wonderfull bantums, and great mums, lay well ! if you get 180 eggs a year your lucky but thats what they recon they are broody machines and do a great job.
being more fluf then feather they do need somewhere to shelter from wind and rain, but just for their cheeky nature they love children and adults, cuddles and talk they never stop.
I ran 2 cream legbar hens with the silkies because they were so skitish the silkies realy calmed them down and the top hen in the pack was a silkie.
Joyfull, did the breeder you mention ever sell eggs at MM market?

[joyfull]

Not that I know of, he does sell on ebay and I bought some of him via that way but collected them myself (he is only about 6 miles away from me), but have had some POL hens off him as well. All have proved to be very very healthy birds 

[snowflake]

Oh could you give his ebay name please?

[joyfull]

have sent you a pm.   

[Brambles]

Out of two Silkie Bantams, one of mine layed very occasionally, then my cockerel killed her!!  the other one is barren but is just a lovely little girl... We call her the 'midwife' as she goes into the coop when the other hens lay their eggs.   She never goes broody but certainly seems to enjoy her life.

[Callys Rainbow]

Hi there thanks to all who have replied! Not near Lincolnshire I'm afraid, we live in Hexham area, Northumberland so if anyone does know of any breeders that would be great! I'll definately be looking into hybrids for the eggs then and I think the Silkies will be my sons pets really - if we get extra eggs it'll be a bonus! - He's started already helping his dad with the shelter for a dust bath etc so we're on our way!
I'll try my best to get them from the same place but failing that I wil moniter them carefully....play Mother Hen!! I was also wanting to get some ex batt hens - just to let them have a better life for the rest of their days really - do these have to be kept separate and is there anything in particular I would neeed for their care?? Sorry I'm asking so many questons!!! Thankyou.

[themagicaltoad1]

Better to ask the questions now than not know what you're getting into.
Ex Batts will have had various innoculations as they're commercial chickens. They will generally look in a very poor state when you first get them but blossom after a few weeks of good living after their awful life. I think Dizzy posted some before and after pics of hers on the chat pages. as with introducing any new chickens to an established group they will need to be kept separate for a while where they can see each other and get used to each other before being put together. I've not had ex batts myself but I believe you can buy ex batt pellets, someone with experience of them can tell you more about this. Remember the farmer gets rid of them because they are not as productive as younger ones but most will still lay, just not as many eggs as the farmer wants.

[Callys Rainbow]

Hi TMT! Thankyou for your advice. I'm gonna have a look at dizzys pics if I can find them(I'm not so good with a computer!) Thats the main reason I'd like ex batts though cos they've had such an awful life and they need a break for the rest of it!! But I will lookin to feed and supplemnts for them definately. As to separating I think I'll go with that and see how they get on before letting them run with eachother...I don't want any more upset then neccessary!! I'll hopefully be able to put pics on soon!! Don't know whether I'm more nervous or excited!! xx

[dizzylizzie]

Hi, i like many on this site have ex-batts i love them, and have my name down for 4 more in december.HOWEVER....they come with problems. mine were quite well feathered, (some more than others) but they were very underweight. we have had 2 broken wings, dislocated leg, me and my daughter had chicken lice.....couldnt see any on the girls , but i frontlined them anyway....would want them to catch anything off us! he he he  they have also been wormed. But seeing them change and come out of themselves is fab. Mine stand with their heads up feeling the rain on their faces, they open their wings in the wind to feel it. they look dead when they sunbathe, and love simple pleasur like dustbathing, and eating prize winning pumpkins :blink:. of course this behaviour is not limited to ex-batts, but knowing they have been in cages, with no sunlight, rain, wind etc makes it all the more special watching it (for me anyway). our girls are growing in confidence, putting on weight, getting beautiful new feathers, and still laying eggs. we have had 106 eggs since we had them (1st aug.....and my hubby is keeping count...sad i know) Now not all the girl hae laid. henrietta has just started laying again, after 3 weeks off, dory isstill not laying after breaking her wing, but she has grown loads of new feathers, so maybe thats it...dont know, they are fab, and i wouldnt be without them. we are more than happy with the eggs, but happier cos they are now free

[dizzylizzie]

before...no feathers n their necks, tummies, bottoms, and some parts of the wings. also huge floppy pale combs, pale featherles  faces