# Silkies



## mbrock (Sep 17, 2014)

Can silkies be kept with other chickens.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Yes, just don't put them with an aggressive or overbearing breed. Mine have lived with LF egg layers, d'Uccles, Hamburgs. 

We might need to have a talk about your plans though. If you are thinking hatchery Silkies, they will not come sexed. You could end up with all males. I had 15 of 16 eggs hatch. 13 were male. Beat the averages like nobody's business with that one.


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## mbrock (Sep 17, 2014)

My wife has fallen in love with them with out know much. We have orrpingtons


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## mbrock (Sep 17, 2014)

We are tring to find local breeders


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

They should be fine with Orps. 

If they look like the one in my avatar free ranging is off the table. The birds like that one do not free range well because they can't see anything coming at them. If I failed to keep the face well trimmed a girl could wander off and not find her way back.


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## nj2wv (Aug 27, 2013)

My entire flock is in the coop together and they free range during the day. The silkies stay close and don't wander too far. My current flock is bantam and large fowl and CX.


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## mbrock (Sep 17, 2014)

We have a screened area that she could stay in. With a small coop. She will be more of a pet for my wife, but is there an smaller breed that she could room with like a Belgian d'uccle, sebright, or some other showy small bird. They would have there own coop



Mbrock/Sw Fla


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

You don't want her living alone. She needs a pal. So, it looks like you might have to have two Silkies. 

If they don't have a lot of fluff around their faces then they can free range with the others. Non beardeds usually are a safer bet for that.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Yes def you need two... Mine live with tetras, RSL and Easter eggers and they all get along. Mine fee range as they aren't bearded. And yes very hard to sex i bought two females and they turned out to be males.








These are my two females. They rarely lay eggs so dont depend on them for eggs lol. Mine are slightly neurotic . I got them at 6 months old in sept and i still cant handle them.

Maryellen
Rufus CGC ATTS Therapy Dog
Sadie ATTS


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## mpgo4th (Apr 19, 2013)

robin416 said:


> You don't want her living alone. She needs a pal. So, it looks like you might have to have two Silkies.
> 
> If they don't have a lot of fluff around their faces then they can free range with the others. Non beardeds usually are a safer bet for that.


Sorry, A little of topic. Robin I wanted to tell you that out of my 4 silkie hens and one rooster, I just hatched 7 chicks. 6 without beards and one was bearded! None of mine have beards. Weird huh?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

The bearded gene is being carried by someone. I'd have to look it up to see if there needs to be two copies for it to show but chances are its just one needs to be carrying it. Its not all that uncommon to have non beardeds to show up in a bearded flock. I know I had it happen for a while.


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