Need advice/suggestions on what to do with Silkies...

MysteryChicken

Chicken Crazy
Premium Feather Member
May 31, 2018
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Tawas City, Michigan
I have included an image of each. I've had them for a week or so. Two of them will crow like crazy, the other one I have never heard more than a cackle from. I assumed it was a hen. The first image of the "red" one was attacked by the other two before we got them. Since we have increased their area a lot, they don't bully it, anymore and the damaged part on the back of its head is healing quickly. The white one with the larger comb also crows. The last image with the flatter comb, I think, is a hen. They are all beautiful birds.
All 3 are cockerels, or roosters.
 

MysteryChicken

Chicken Crazy
Premium Feather Member
May 31, 2018
34,272
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Tawas City, Michigan
I told my wife what you said, and we both busted out laughing. The guy who gave them to our relatives to give to us said he was giving us two hens and one rooster. Maybe he knew what he was doing!? LOL
It's common for people to give away males, & lie, or they just didn't know.
 

Aunt Angus

Crossing the Road
Jul 16, 2018
8,767
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Nevada County, CA
Yup. All 3 roosters.

That said, Silkues do GREAT in my LF flock. They are not bullied at all. They lay a ton of eggs, and I use them to adopt chicks all the time. My Silkie girls, even though they are tiny, can cover a dozen eggs.

But I don't see you needing any for your purposes. And 3 roosters won't help you AT ALL. Your donator probably knew exactly what he had. I'd rehome them, if I were you, or despatch them.
 

WindRunner

In the Brooder
May 12, 2022
14
48
41
Yup. All 3 roosters.

That said, Silkues do GREAT in my LF flock. They are not bullied at all. They lay a ton of eggs, and I use them to adopt chicks all the time. My Silkie girls, even though they are tiny, can cover a dozen eggs.

But I don't see you needing any for your purposes. And 3 roosters won't help you AT ALL. Your donator probably knew exactly what he had. I'd rehome them, if I were you, or despatch them.
When I was a teenager, I would shoot and eat every type of bird in the area. I haven't tasted a Silkie, yet, so I think I will let them fill out a bit more and see if I like them. They are probably just about at that point, now. Actually, "Red" is kinda puny, but, hey, bigger than a redwing blackbird.
 

MysteryChicken

Chicken Crazy
Premium Feather Member
May 31, 2018
34,272
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Tawas City, Michigan
When I was a teenager, I would shoot and eat every type of bird in the area. I haven't tasted a Silkie, yet, so I think I will let them fill out a bit more and see if I like them. They are probably just about at that point, now. Actually, "Red" is kinda puny, but, hey, bigger than a redwing blackbird.
What type of feed are you feeding them?
 

Chicken poppy

BYC addict
May 9, 2021
4,543
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Connecticut
Untrue. My PBR was the BEST mother hen I ever had.
View attachment 3105122

I don't care for Silkies. They can be "bullied" in a flock of normal feathered LF birds, they don't produce many eggs, they constantly go broody and don't have normal feathers so keeping warm in cold climates can be an issue. I would re-home them.
Silkies are hard to manage. Get beat up, so many diseases and genetic issues, harder to take care of, very dodo, has to be good temp.

Some silkies aren’t as great moms, some rocks are. Kinda depends on the bird.
 

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