I thought I would start a new thread to bring this subject to everyone's attention. Is there such a thing as a Silkie in standard size?
Standard Size Silkies
According to all the information I could find, they were not defined as standard, nor bantams. They come under the heading of ornamental fowl. I could not find any info that defined them as standard or bantam, therefore I don't really know how the APA, or ABA defines them. It would be interesting to find out...Hay
I have never had Silkies. Is there a significant variation in size between different breeders' stock?
Well one thing I have found out as I suspected it might be. In England Silkies are not considered Bantams. In the U.S. they are considered bantams even though they have no larger sized counterpart. That is very very interesting. I always thought in order to qualify as a bantam you had to have a larger (standard)counterpart. I guess they then qualify differently in other countries according to the standards set in that country.
They have paint silkies in Europe and are now bringing them over here. I have seen a few in the auctions, but so far I'm not that impressed.
Yes, Porkpal I think so. George Mihalik was known to favor the bigger birds. Some of the others try to keep them smaller.
http://www.silkiesbygeorge.com/ Is that a beautiful bird or what?
WOW!! them are beautiful.....
I raise silkies but mine are pet quality,mine are on the smaller side bantam size and that is what I am breeding for size and temperment.I like that poofy look but some have a hard time seeing.I have no deisire to show so I`ll stick with my PQ silkies.They really are a sweet bird and so cute to look at and make great incubators and mothers.
That just makes me sad for the Silkies spending their life in a box.. I couldn't do that to an animal. Yeah, they are pretty and super clean I'm sure.. but I can't help it.. just depressing to me.
I'm with you Green. I prefer the PQ so they can enjoy free ranging and have a life
Me three, especially after watching our single Silkie run with and hold her own with the big girl's. She loves nothing better than to fluff in the sand box and eat whatever she can get in her little beak.
I've had 4 silkies over my period of owning chickens... the first three were as big as my cochin hens... this last one... she's no bigger than my d'uccles... all 4 were feed store chicks... 3 from ideal poultry & 1 from a local hatchery. I was wanting some more but wanted them to be a bit larger than this last one.. also the older she got the less fluffy she was.. her feathers lay almost flat now unless she's just dried herself out from a rain shower.
I need to take pictures of my hatchery silkies and show the difference.
My smallest white silkie rooster got tuned up from the older rooster today,he is my favorite so friendly,I was out in the coop and went in the house to get some water for them and when I came back out Napoleon(the white one) was covered in blood,Raven the older rooster had tore his comb up and he had blood all over his beautiful white feathers,so I put him in the big coop till I could get the cat carrier set up for him and when I come back up to put him in it I couldn`t find him and he had flown in with the other white silkie roosters(who said silkies can`t fly) so in I go to get him out and the other two white silkie roosters were scared to death of him.So I took him in the house to see if I could get the blood off him and no way would that come off unless I gave him a bath and I didn`t want to do that cause I would have to keep him in the house tonight because its going down below 0 tonight and didn`t want him to get a chill plus he crowed the whole time he was in here.So he is in the carrier untill he heals up.Someone is comming Thrusday to take some of the silkie roosters,I need homes for 4 of them.This is the first time I have had roosters fight,poor little guy.
Their combs bleed like the dickens.. it usually looks 10 times worse than it is.. I am usually horrified at first sight.. then realize it's just the comb.. No worries if that's the only area that is torn.
You are wise not to get him wet on a night like that! Hope he gets all dried up soon.
They can fly, just nothing like the flat feathered ones.. :)
There is a man that has fighting chickens a few blocks from my horse lot. I drive by there once in awhile and always find it amusing to see chickens way up in the trees. Guess that's nature's way of protecting them. Mostly though he has a bunch of roosters tied on their feet and has little teepee type structures for the them. My guess is he fights them somewhere.
I was just sitting here reading about your poor Rooster Green and I checked my email. Well a lady friend I have done a lot of business with sent me an email. She knew I was looking for at least one or maybe two silkies for hatching. She told me she had just acquired a dozen Dutch Silkie eggs and said she was saving half of them for me to pick up. I told her thanks and that I would pick them up Thursday. She then told me they were very rare and that there were only approx five hundred in the U.S.A. I told her I had never heard of them. She seemed terribly excited and because I have helped her out over the last three years, she wanted me to have half. I have no idea of what they are or what they look like...Anyone here know about them or ever seen them. I have looked a little online but so far have found no pic's...Hay
Never heard of them but I will look to, so excited for you thats great,peaple are so good.
I've never heard of them either and can't wait to see pics of them!
Yes, Green, people are so good!
I did a short search and so far I can't tell anything Haystack. Interests me though.
I want a big chicken coop so badly. This man is supposed to help me clean up my horse lot. You just wouldn't believe how terrible it is. :( If he'll help me I will rent some equipment this month, and waste removal dumpster, and get that junk out of there. I'm so happy.
I was looking at the metal type buildings, and they are quite expensive. At the very least I'll have to put up wire to keep the donkey in. Then I'll go from there I guess.
I have been looking and went on byc and asked the silkie peaple and noone seems to know.But I did find a site that sells dutch but still not sure what that is,so I eamiled him and asked him to explain what a dutch silkie is.One person on byc said it was a silkie with tulips and clogs,LOL.Going to post some pictures of Napolian and his bloody head,put him back in there today and he tried to pick a fight with the little black rooster in there,he is never going to learn,be glad when Thursday comes,hope that guy will take all the roosters that I am trying to find homes for.
I hate keeping him in a crate so I will keep a close eye on him and if he continues to pick fights I will have to confine him,hes such a brat,I put him on the porch while I was cleaning and all he did was crow.
him
Him again after the girls,there is a broody under there they all pile on top of her.
Good luck my dear with rehoming those roosters.
I was so excited with the good news about the White Serama, that I forgot to look this morning for the Dutch Silkies. So far all I found were in the U.K...Hay
I was able to find a Dutch Silky Fowl Club in the U.K. but could find no pictures to compare with what we have here. This Club is listed on Feathersite...Hay
Here is Raven and one of my white girls in behind him,Now I`m not sure if it was him or the other little black rooster that took at Napolian.Raven needs to find a new home to because he is the father and grandfather of some of the girls,I don`t want babies with four legs or two heads LOL Raven is a good rooster he was my first rooster,he is so gentle with the girls and such a good dadddy,I just don`t have enough room to keep evrybody,wish I did.
He's a handsome guy.