How do silkies see

You can treat as needed or schedule regular treatments, the choice is yours. Supplementing their feed with fresh greens and the occasional treat will keep them happy, active and healthy. They are unusual in that they really do not care to roost at night. They much prefer to pile up together on the floor to sleep.

To help ensure that rodents or insects do not bother them at night, you might consider building a raised platform a few inches off the floor for them to sleep on.

You will need to bear in mind that Silkies cannot fly so the nesting boxes need to be accessible. Placing the nests on the ground is an option for them, as is raising them a few inches and having a small platform for them to access the box. Outside the coop Silkies do enjoy free ranging, but they are an easy target for predators since they cannot fly.

A good arrangement would be to have an outside area cordoned off and protected. You would also need to provide some overhead protection from hawks or owls. Standard sized birds will each require a minimum of 8 square feet in the run bantams slightly less.

If you have space to provide more room, do! More is better. They likely originated in China around BC during the Han dynasty. However they were mentioned by adventurers such as Marco Polo s and Ulisse Aldrovandi s. Silkies finally made their way to Europe sometime during the s. People were fascinated by this unusual bird — no one had ever seen anything like her! It was sold by some as a hybrid between a rabbit and a chicken and was a frequent exhibit in circus sideshows as a curiosity.

What color eggs do they lay? How many eggs do they lay? They are considered poor layers, giving only eggs per week.

What colors do they come in? There are eight recognized colors: black, blue, buff, gray, partridge, self-blue, splash and white. Are they related to Showgirl chickens? Yes — a showgirl is the result of crossing a Silkie with a Naked Neck.

However, they do have several other traits that have made them a firm favorite of poultry keepers worldwide. They love human company and enjoy being fussed over — all of which makes them the perfect family pet.

She also makes a fantastic broody hen and will sit on just about anything. They make great mothers too, so if you are looking to hatch some chicks then get yourself one. The Serama chicken may be small but they have a big personality.

Although they have only recently been accepted into the American Poultry Association, they have quickly gathered a firm and loyal following. One playful bite can chicken in an instant. Don't loose a bird or get mad at your beloved dog. Supervise play time and everyone will be safe. Remember, it's your job to protect them. Various chicks free-ranging. The little ones in the picture had all been raised together and were the best of friends. Silkies, with their mild personalities, passive attitudes, and impeded vision, are extremely vulnerable to bullying by other chickens.

That being said, mixing chicken breeds depends on a lot of variables. How aggressive the other breeds are, the birds' individual personalities, and how much room the birds will have all influence whether or not it will be a good situation.

Most breeds do fine with silkies if given enough room to avoid each other. I have never had any problems with silkies and other breeds getting along, and have had a great many breeds with them. But if you're worried, the best way, in my experience, is to introduce chicks of other breeds to your adult or half-grown silkies. You may have to protect the chicks for a while until they're accepted as part of the flock.

Silkies are generally as easy to raise as other breeds of chickens, but there are a couple differences. The most important difference is dealing with the poofy feathers. The feathers can get in the way of a hen and a roo, so it's best to trim back any feathers to make sure the rooster can make contact and leave his deposit. Another difference is that it's okay, and even preferable, to have a few more roos per hen.

One rooster per hens is a good ratio. Often silkie roosters get along with each other fairly well, so it's not too much of a hardship, and their slightly lower fertility rates are offset with an extra rooster or two.

The roosters often make good daddies anyway, and the extra rooster can help watch the chicks too. Silkies are very popular and there are numerous groups devoted solely to them, as well as some that are about bantam chickens or all chickens. For more about raising, breeding, or showing, check out the groups below. Joining a group allows you to read advice from other silkie owners, lets you know exactly what to expect, and gives you a place to talk about these wonderful little birds.

Some groups are solely online, others are by mail, and a few are groups that regularly meet. It is not meant to substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, or formal and individualized advice from a veterinary medical professional.

Animals exhibiting signs and symptoms of distress should be seen by a veterinarian immediately. Question: I have a grey silkie about three years old, I've noticed she has a large growth or lump on the top of her head, what could this be? Answer: Silkies have skulls that are different than most other chickens. It is called a vaulted skull and makes their topknot feathers fluffier. It leaves them with a skull that is a bit open on top and so it is easier to damage through other birds pecking on them or even just being born with a cerebral hernia.

Always make sure other chickens are not picking on silkies as they are easier to injure due to this trait. Question: When do Silkies start laying eggs? Answer: Silkies usually start laying around 6 months, but all egg laying is influenced by the seasons. Nature makes chickens lay more in the spring and less in the heat of summer or the cold of winter.

This can be a problem for us if we get new chicks in the spring and then autumn comes and makes them not lay just when they were about to start. You can make your chickens think it is spring all year long and encourage egg-laying by providing supplemental light to increase the "daylight" to 12 hours a day.

Also, make sure there is always plenty of food as shortages can also impact egg-laying. Other stressors, such as nearby predators will as well. Another possible cause for not finding eggs is that chickens are excellent at hiding eggs, so it's not uncommon to think they aren't laying, but really there's just a pile of them somewhere unexpected.

Answer: Chickens respond well to training when they get food treats after they do their tricks. Clicker-training, like the kind used on dogs, is also effective. Start small by asking the Silkie to do something it would want to do anyway, then when it does it swiftly click your clicker and give it a small treat. Keep doing that until it associates the clicking sound with getting a treat. After that, the sky is the limit. Most chickens will do anything to get a treat, and if that means jumping when you say so or even doing weave poles, the Silkie will soon learn to do it.

Because Silkies have such puffy faces though make sure they can see well before you begin since if they can't see what you want them to do, they can't do it. There are some really good training videos on YouTube with people training chickens. Definitely check them out before you get started. Question: I brought home a new silkie rooster and two silkie chickens and put them in my coop.

I already had one silkie chicken. This morning my rooster did not crow. Why is he not crowing? Answer: Some Silkie roosters don't crow much. It just depends on their personality. Also, because it's a new space, he may be reluctant to claim it as his own yet.

Eventually he should start crowing at least a little. But he may not. Answer: Silkies have a unique skull structure. It is called a vaulted skull. Their skull projects upward instead of being as rounded as most animals' skulls. This gives them a more beautiful crest, but can also be a source of danger. Chickens peck each other, and as we all know, pecks can hurt and draw blood. When a Silkie is pecked at the right spot on its head, it can cause brain damage, leaving the Silkie unsteady, off-balance, walking in circles, or with its head cocked to the side.

Sometimes it even kills the Silkie. It is not uncommon for Silkies to have this happen, but luckily chickens have great recuperating powers, and if helped to eat and drink, eventually they will usually recover.

Answer: Silkies, like other chickens, tend to lay more during spring and summer. During these times they'll likely lay about 20 eggs a month depending on the hen, her genetics, and whether she is happy or stressed by heat. Question: What would cause a 9-month-old silkie chicken to suddenly not be able to walk or stand?

It eats and drinks and doesn't have diarrhea. Answer: There are numerous reasons your chicken might be unable to stand or walk. With their vaulted skulls, Silkies have exceptionally delicate heads. This means that if they get pecked in the head it can cause them to have enough damage that they lose their balance or can't stand. There's also something called Marek's Disease that causes balance loss and paralysis.

It is most often evident when the chicken has a twisted neck and a low-hanging head. If you can, get your chicken to the vet. But if you are unable to do so ensure she keeps eating and drinking well since not being able to get to their food and water is usually what ends up killing them and more water may help flush potentially-paralyzing bacteria from their systems.

Many times chickens are able to start moving over time as their bodies do a good job at recovering. Answer: Most silkie chickens live years, but they sometimes live longer with extra care. Question: At what age can you start to determine the sex of a chick? What characteristics do you look for? Answer: It depends on the breed. Some breeds of chickens are sex-link, which means the males and females look different from birth. Some people can look at the wing feathers in newborn chicks and use those to determine male and female.

Neither of those work for Silkies. In other breeds the sexual characteristics are more muted and hard to notice. Silkies are one of those breeds. Male and female Silkies tend to look very much alike far longer than other breeds of chickens. You might not notice much difference for several months. Males tend to get a comb earlier and be a little more aggressive, but since even adult Silkies don't exhibit those traits as much as other chicken breeds, it can be hard to notice.

Just remember, usually chicken genders are about , so if you have four chickens, probably two are pullets and two are cockerels. Answer: It is best to hand the chicken to the children, as picking them up can startle them and is a better job for adults who can know where to grab and when to let go.

Only do this with tame chickens at first to get used to it. Stand beside the chicken and place one palm on each side of the chicken's body. Good information to know before raising Silkie chickens! Their primary characteristic is their Silkie feathers, which look more like fur than like the smooth feathers of other birds. This feature is caused by the inability of the feather barbs to lock, making the feathers structurally similar to the fluff part of a normally webbed feather.

While silkie feathering is a unique feature of the Silkie breed of chicken, silkie plumage occasionally appears in other breeds. For instance, in the Hedemora — an ancient landrace breed originating in the northern part of Sweden — silkie-feathered chickens occasionally occur, although in Sweden they are called wool feathered.

Silkiness also has been introduced into other breeds as a variety, such as in Japanese Chabo bantam chickens of Britain and Europe. Another interesting feature of the Silkie is the crest, consisting of a spherical puff of feathers on top of the head. Some Silkies have a vaulted skull, meaning the skull arches upward, giving it more surface area and thus making the crest more prominent.

Other breeds of chicken that have crests include Crevecoeur, Houdan, Sultan, and Polish. In fact, to increase the crest size, exhibition Silkies are sometimes crossed with Polish. Most birds have four toes. They are in fact true feathers, and function just as "normal" feathers do on any other breed. Are Silkies extra insulated, and tolerate colder temperatures better?

As explained above, Silkie feathers function just like normal feathers and do not provide any extra insulation. Provide warmth in extremely cold temperatures just like you would any other breed. How do you sex day old Silkies? The answer is simply, "you dont. Do not be fooled by hatcheries who claim to be able to sex day old Silkie chicks. Are Silkies good for kids? In fact, Silkies are usually one of the most recommended breeds for kids, and beginners.

Silkies tend to be less "flighty" than other breeds, and develop a close relationship with their owners through regular care and handling. They've been called the 'puppy dogs' of the chicken world, as they will often follow their owners just as a puppy would.

Can you eat Silkies? Silkies can be eaten for meat just as any other breed, however they do tend to be a 'scrawny' bird with not much weight. Silkies are commonly found in Asian cuisine, and the black skin and black bones are thought to have healing properties for ailments such as arthritis etc. Do Silkies make good layers? This depends on what your definition of 'good layers' is. Silkies are a bantam breed and lay a small sized egg.

During peak production months, Silkies will usually lay an egg a day, however they are rarely kept for their laying abilities. Don't rely on Silkies to provide eggs for sustenance year round. Are Silkies good mothers? Silkies are one of the best broody birds in the chicken world. In fact, many game bird breeders will commonly use Silkies to naturally incubate eggs from birds such as quails and pheasants.

It's been said that Silkies will try to incubate a tennis ball if given the chance. Some have even seen it happen! Can Silkies see? Silkies do have eyes and they can see very well, when their vision is not obstructed by their top knots.

The large crests on top of some Silkies heads will reduce their vision somewhat, but can be trimmed as necessary. What colors do Silkies come in? They are white, black, blue, buff, splash, gray, and partridge. Other colors such as Lavender, and Cuckoo are developmental varieties which are not yet accepted as 'standard. There are also many other 'varieties' created from cross breeding standard colors, but these birds will not ever reproduce offspring with the same markings.