Silkies - They’re simply SPECTACULAR!

Trying to get a head-count on silkie lovers...

  • ME! - I like silkies!

    Votes: 796 96.0%

  • ^

    Votes: 96 11.6%
  • Total voters
    829
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MysteryChicken said:
Most likely.
Silkies actually make wonderful mothers, same with Brahmas.
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If this were true, which it is not, how come there are silkie breeders advocating keeping crossbred birds for raising chicks? The chicks get stuck in the down when hatching. People think fluffy chickens are good for hatching, but actually the opposite is true. Fluffy chickens carry bacteria, poop and in some climates mud. The fluff insulates. This can work against you, the eggs need to be the temperature of the hen, not the bedding. All these things cause horrible hatch rates. This is why you never see anybody with silkies raising 15 chicks, it's always 2 or 3. Beyond hatching, they can't effectively defend their chicks from minor predators and other chickens in a mixed flock. I guess it boils down to the definition of "wonderful mother". If the only mother you ever experienced was terrible, then I suppose she would seem wonderful.
 
varidgerunner said:
If this were true, which it is not, how come there are silkie breeders advocating keeping crossbred birds for raising chicks? The chicks get stuck in the down when hatching. People think fluffy chickens are good for hatching, but actually the opposite is true. Fluffy chickens carry bacteria, poop and in some climates mud. The fluff insulates. This can work against you, the eggs need to be the temperature of the hen, not the bedding. All these things cause horrible hatch rates. This is why you never see anybody with silkies raising 15 chicks, it's always 2 or 3. Beyond hatching, they can't effectively defend their chicks from minor predators and other chickens in a mixed flock. I guess it boils down to the definition of "wonderful mother". If the only mother you ever experienced was terrible, then I suppose she would seem wonderful.
Click to expand...
wow, someone really hates silkies
 
varidgerunner said:
If this were true, which it is not, how come there are silkie breeders advocating keeping crossbred birds for raising chicks? The chicks get stuck in the down when hatching. People think fluffy chickens are good for hatching, but actually the opposite is true. Fluffy chickens carry bacteria, poop and in some climates mud. The fluff insulates. This can work against you, the eggs need to be the temperature of the hen, not the bedding. All these things cause horrible hatch rates. This is why you never see anybody with silkies raising 15 chicks, it's always 2 or 3. Beyond hatching, they can't effectively defend their chicks from minor predators and other chickens in a mixed flock. I guess it boils down to the definition of "wonderful mother". If the only mother you ever experienced was terrible, then I suppose she would seem wonderful.
Click to expand...
Have you ever had any before?
 
varidgerunner said:
If this were true, which it is not, how come there are silkie breeders advocating keeping crossbred birds for raising chicks? The chicks get stuck in the down when hatching. People think fluffy chickens are good for hatching, but actually the opposite is true. Fluffy chickens carry bacteria, poop and in some climates mud. The fluff insulates. This can work against you, the eggs need to be the temperature of the hen, not the bedding. All these things cause horrible hatch rates. This is why you never see anybody with silkies raising 15 chicks, it's always 2 or 3. Beyond hatching, they can't effectively defend their chicks from minor predators and other chickens in a mixed flock. I guess it boils down to the definition of "wonderful mother". If the only mother you ever experienced was terrible, then I suppose she would seem wonderful.
Click to expand...
I haven't any of those problems. Any chicken can be dirty, & there are some breeds that make horrible mothers.
Give your whole flocks of chickens baths if you don't want dity birds;).
 

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