How to Care For Silkie Chickens

Steps

Part 1

Preparing the Housing

1. 1

   Provide suitable housing before you bring your silkies home.

   Because silkies are quite small and are considered bantams, they don't need a large amount of space like a standard chicken but it's always great to give them plenty of room to roam!

   • Silkies can be housed in a garage, shed or in a simple chicken coop. Just make sure the housing is spacious enough so that you can clean it, collect the eggs, catch the chickens when necessary and so that the chickens have room to roost, lay, nest and wander around.

2. 2

   Decide whether your silkies will stay inside the coop permanently or be let outside during the day.

   If you are going to raise your silkies inside the coop then it does have to be bigger than usual due to the fact that the silkies will be living there for the rest of their lives. You could also purchase a coop with a run if you wanted to.

   • The benefits of letting your silkies outside during the day are that they will be happier and healthier, they'll eat your bugs and provide fertilizer for your plants, most of their diet is made up from the stuff inside the ground and grass and you won't need to spend lots of money on a larger coop or chicken run.
   • The disadvantages of letting your silkies outside during the day are that there is a possible chance of them getting attacked by predators, they could escape and get lost, you would have to keep an eye on them constantly and they can get very dirty, especially during winter and autumn.

3. 3

   Add bedding to the coop.

   There are many bedding available for silkies but the most recommended and common choice is to add wood shavings as the bedding. Wood shavings If you'd prefer something else, try sawdust, newspaper shredding, straw, hay, sand or pine needles.

   • Be aware that some beddings are better than others, e.g. wood shavings are very absorbent whilst hay isn't and sand is easy to clean but isn't a common choice as chicken owners have had many problems with using sand as their bedding.

4. 4

   Add a few other items to the coop. This includes a water container, a feeder, some perches and some nesting boxes (one per each chicken). If you have silkie chicks you should purchase a water feeder rather than filling a container up with water as there is a possible chance the chicks will fall in and drown.

5. 5

   Make sure the coop is predator proof.

   Silkies cannot defend themselves and all the fluff around their heads can cause them to not see well which is why you have to make sure the coop is predator proof or at least invest in a predator proof coop.

   • Silkies also need ample shelter to protect them from the harsh weather such as rain, hail, snow, wind and they also need a shady and cool spot to protect them from the sun during summer. If it gets really cold during winter consider adding a heat lamp in their coop so that they can stay warm.

Part 2

Feeding Silkies

1. 1

   Provide some feed in your silkies feeder.

   The amount of feed depends on the size of the flock and the type of feed depends on what you are keeping your silkies for such as eggs, meat or breeding. Here are some different types of feed:

   • Layer pellets. When your silkies begin laying they can be fed layer pellets to help them lay hard eggs. You can also supply them with crushed oyster shells or crushed egg shells if their eggs turn soft.
   • Finisher diet. This is for meat chickens and should be fed for six weeks until slaughter. Chicks should be fed a broiler starter instead of a chick starter if you want to keep them for meat.
   • Silkies kept as simple pets can be fed layer pellets or a normal chicken feed which gives them a balanced diet. You could also consider giving them grit which helps them digest their food. However, grit is not needed if your chickens are free-range (live on grass).

2. 2

   Feed your silkies a limited amount of treats. Silkies love table scraps, fruits, vegetables, bugs and seeds. Silkies can be fed just about anything like pasta, rice, watermelon, cooked potato, broccoli, fish, cucumber, cooked egg, bread and they go crazy for meal worms!

3. 3

   Provide water for your silkies at all time. The water containers must be filled with fresh water daily and they should be cleaned at least once a week. It's also good to have more than one water container if you have a large flock.

Part 3

Providing for Other Needs

1. 1

   Collect your silkies eggs. Eggs should be collected every day with a soft basket or something alike. Be careful when collecting the eggs as they are fragile and one drop means a small mess!

2. 2

   Keep your silkies away from aggressive hens. A hard peck to the head can cause a severe injury. Silkies heads are vulnerable as they have a soft tissue which is why you should keep an eye on them if you think they are housed with any aggressive hens or roosters.

Community Q&A

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• How do I take care of silkie chicks until 6 weeks old?

  wikiHow Contributor

  Silkie chicks are just like any other chicks. Provide them with housing, food and care as you would ordinary chicks. They need a high-quality chick feed, space, a heat source and clean water to drink.

  100% of people said this answer helped them. Did it help you? Thanks!

• How can I care for the chickens' feet?

  wikiHow Contributor

  Since the feet are feathery, they will collect dirt, poo, and possibly bugs like bird lice or mites. It is important to check the feet thoroughly every day and clean them if they get stuff caked in the feathers. Silkies are so docile that they will tolerate bathing well, especially if you start washing the feet when they are chicks. (When chicks, do just the feet, not the whole body, as you don't want them to be chilled!)

  100% of people said this answer helped them. Did it help you? Thanks!

• I have eight silky chicks. When can I tell their sex and when do I separate roosters?

  wikiHow Contributor

  Some breeders say that silkies are harder to sex, but that there as still plenty of ways to sex them. You sex silkies just as you would do to your ordinary hen. The roosters can be told apart when they mature ,which is at 6 to 8 weeks. The most common way to tell whether you have a rooster is when you hear them crow. Roosters should be separated when they mature (6 to 8 weeks) but with a large plot of land, it's possible that they can live together in peace.

  88% of people said this answer helped them. Did it help you? Thanks!

• How old do silkies need to be shown at a show?

  wikiHow Contributor

  When they mature is the best age at when to show them in poultry shows. Chickens mature at 20 to 24 weeks.

  100% of people said this answer helped them. Did it help you? Thanks!

• Every now and then (one to two months), a cat comes around and attacks our silkies. I don't know who it belongs to though? It's gotten to the stage that I'm even thinking of poisoning it. I've tried to catch it etc. but it's too cheeky for that. Any ideas?

  wikiHow Contributor

  It seems like your best (and possible only) choice is to call the ranger. Try buying some cat traps and setting them up which may be more effective in catching the cat. Also make sure that you secure the coop, especially at night.

  50% of people said this answer helped them. Did it help you? Thanks!

• What is most suitable food for silkie chicks?

  wikiHow Contributor

  Just like other breed of chickens, silkie chicks should be kept on a chick starter. This gives them all the right nutrients they need. You can purchase chick starter from ranch stores, pet shops, or feed stores.

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• How do I breed silkies? I have two pairs.

  wikiHow Contributor

  You need more than two pairs. You should keep at least three hens to every rooster. Silkies cannot be forced to breed; it takes patience. But if you're breeding silkies, you're in luck because they are very broody birds. You can wait until they turn broody and sneak some eggs under them, or incubate the fertile eggs.

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• At what age do Silkies start laying?

  wikiHow Contributor

  It varies with each hen. Silkies are estimated to begin laying at 7 months but people get different responses out of their chickens.

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• Can female and male silkies be kept together?

  wikiHow Contributor

  Yes, it's perfectly normal to have female and male silkies together; however, you may encounter some problems. You must keep your male silkie with at least three hens, or the male will over-breed the one hen, causing stress on her. You also must keep only one male per coop; otherwise. fighting may occur. Males also have a louder crow, but do a great job at protecting the flock and keeping a pecking order installed.

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• Where can I buy feed for the silkies?

  wikiHow Contributor

  You might want to take a search online or ask around. Chicken feed can be found at ranch stores, pet shops and stock feed stores.

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• Do the male silkies have a loud crow?

  wikiHow Contributor

  Male silkies are said to have a fairly loud crow, like many breeds of chickens. But they don't crow as loud as heavier/standard breeds. It may vary bird to bird.

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