Spring chicks and Feathers

Silkie Bantams are a fantastic breed for individuals who enjoy birds that are docile, good with children and are cold hardy.  They enjoy being broody and make excellent mothers.

Silkies have feathers unique to their breed.  They retain a plumage similar to young chicks.  Silkies are also different from most chickens as they have black skin, black bones, blue earlobes and five toes as opposed to most chickens that have four. Silkies are believed to have come from Asia and were described in the 13th century by Marco Polo.

We currently have four Silkie pullets, one rooster and a new batch of Silkie chicks.  Silkies are the sweetest nicest chickens.  They are smaller than standard breeds.  I would say that the hens are about 1/3- 1/2 the size of a standard breed.  The rooster seems to be the size of a standard hen.  The hens lay tiny eggs.  Two of their eggs are equivalent to one standard size egg.

Feathers is the sweetest little girl that we have.  She is a very friendly and curious little hen.  She is the first to come running when I call “girls” for treats.  She is very smart too.  Often, she is the one who sneaks into tight areas to find the tastiest of treats that the other girls cannot reach.

Chocolate is our rooster and he is, well, a rooster at that.  He is chivalrous and generous with his ladies.  However, he is going to be rehomed.  I have zero tolerance for aggressive roosters.  He is not friendly to my children or my husband.  He is doing his job; however, he fails to realize that his human family is not the enemy.  He will be rehomed this Spring to a nearby farm.  He is beautiful and will help my friend breed Silkie bantams.  His life will be saved and I can visit him. The hardest part is that he loves me to pieces.  He loves snuggling, talking, and going for walks. Despite that, I must do what I know is right.

Dolly, Meesha and Autumn were added to our flock last Fall because Chocolate was terrorizing the other girls.  Four girls proved not enough for Chocolate,  as he needed more ladies to keep him company.  When I purchased the chickens, they were not accustomed to being held and were not raised as pets.  They have now been with us for about 6 months.

Dolly is just that, a doll.  She is so sweet and friendly.  She is content and loves to be tucked underneath of my arm and relax.  She just hatched chicks about 3 weeks ago.  While broody, she has never pecked at me.  We worked together and she learned how to be a fantastic first time Mom.  She is protective with her chicks, as she should be.  She is an excellent mother. 

Meesha and Autumn are a bit different.  They have never warmed up to us humans.  They are skittish and shy.  They are also impossible to catch.  Currently they are broody.  They love to peck at me, especially Meesha.  They are not the nicest of chickens.  At this point, these two are not necessarily considered pets like the rest of the flock.  Instead, we see them as friends for Chocolate.

We love Silkie Bantams.  In total, we have 12 Silkies right now.  Our flock will need some rearranging this Spring, as we cannot keep them all.  Tilly’s Nest can only hold 7-8 chickens.  We are going to have to make some tough decisions in the days ahead.  Chickens are addictive!  Once you get them, especially the Silkies, you are going to want more and more!