They actually produce cream color eggs, and typically lay about 100 in a year. Many laying hens can live several years into retirement with average life expectancy between 8 and 10 years. On an average the life span of these breed of roosters and cockerels ranges from four years to eight years. This is something that often surprises new chicken owners, but chickens – and this includes Silkies – don’t have teeth. The average wild chicken will only live for about a year or two, if that. This helps everyone “ meet” in a controlled setting if you will. (Yes, and Super-Tasty! Barbs are the thick strands holding feathers in line. How long do Silkie Hens and roosters live for, and how long do silkie hens lay for? Silkie chickens are famous for their tendency to go broody. How to stop chickens sleeping in the nest box, Why chickens eat their own eggs and how to stop it, Should you feed and water inside the coop, Like my content? While chickens are generally healthy animals, there are some things we need to do to prevent disease. Ask Question + 100. You should also give your pet chicken medical care when needed and herbal supplements to support her health. Cross a Silkie with other harder feathered breeds to get a reliable broody. Where do Silkie chickens come from? There are some things you can do to ensure they live a long and happy life, however, and I’ve heard of Silkies living to 12-13 years of age.eval(ez_write_tag([[580,400],'chickenandchicksinfo_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_1',118,'0','0'])); Silkie chickens are a breed of chicken that gets their name because they have fluffy coats. 444. Some Silkies have been known to live longer, so give them a little extra TLC and you’ll have their love for many years to come! As a general rule, however, you should keep a close eye on them for any signs of parasites, lice, or worms. As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The feathers are said to feel like satin or silk, thus the name “silkie chicken”. How Long Do Silkie Ens Live. Today's Farm Vlog, we show you how we hatch chicken eggs & which incubator is our favorite for hatching eggs on the homestead. Silkie plumage was once unique among chicken breeds, however in recent years silkie feathering has been developed in several breeds, mostly notably the Chabo, where it is now standardised in Britain and the Netherlands. Lets face it, most chickens look the same; they are either a brown or a speckled bird with little or no intelligence. Especially how healthy and happy they’ll be along the way too. It is believed by some that the Silkie dates back as far as the Chinese Han Dynasty, in 206BC.The Chinese name for the Silkie is wu-gu-ji – meaning black-boned. WE COLLECT NO PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE DATA ON OR FROM OUR VISITORS. Silkies are very maternal – They are great at sitting on eggs, and will even sit on other birds’ eggs for them. Related content – How many nesting boxes needed per chicken? Their feathers are extremely soft and satin like and lovely to strok… As hens age they will naturally start laying fewer eggs with many hens slowing down production around 6 or 7 years of age and retirement shortly after. TREATS - Silkie chickens love to eat, and aren’t really fussy about what they’re scoffing! Registered User. Pop in each day and see if there’s something for you. Well, Silkies have 5 toes on each foot. This will not come as a surprise, it’s the same for us! Chickens live and lay eggs for 6 years maximum. An alternative name for this bird is the Chinese Silk Chicken. However, they are very fond of mealworms and corn. ). The bulk of a chicken’s diet will come from a quality feed appropriate for their age. They have a very sweet nature and calm temperament too, which is always a plus when you’re keeping a chicken as a pet. If you’re looking for a breed of chicken that will be a great pet as well as an egg layer, Silkies are one of the best choices. Silkie chickens are exactly as they look - funny, cuddly and very kind. Before you invest, make sure the Silkie will fit in with your family and your environment. This typically means bits of fruits and vegetables. If they could survive predators, hunger and other life threatening events, they could actually live 2-4 years at most. There bones and skin are also black or dark bluish. A healthy chicken can live almost 10 years, which is longer than a Great Dane! This is because they have such an unusual look for a chicken. Don’t forget grit. Relevance. Their feathers are made up of individual silky strands that tend to grow down their legs and over their central toe. As long as it dry and draft free they should do fine. Chickens need space to roam. For the most part, they are kept as an ornamental breed. Hence, if you want to increase the life span of these beautiful birds, there are a few obvious things that one should bear in … 0 0. Hens have not always been ‘pets’. My oldest ever silkies was an 11 year old cockerel. To give your silkie the best quality of life, you should keep them in a coop with fresh water and plenty of high quality feed. We can understand how they pulled that off. Favorite Answer. Keeping chickens can be quite expensive if you buy all the equipment new, but with a little creativity and scrounging around, you can do it for next to nothing. Incubating And Hatching Silkie Eggs Scrumptious Silkies. And, they’re typically very quiet. Fluff on the underside of Silkies can tangle around young chicks. Silkies produce cream color eggs – I don’t know about you, but I always expected they’d produce an unusual color egg. The overall result is a soft, fluffy appearance. Being small birds, Silkies don’t need as much room as other chickens. When Do Wyandotte Chickens Start Laying Eggs? Why Aren’t Eggs Refrigerated in Europe? 444. It’s how you handle it and the preventative measures in place that limit the risk. If you have a large fun and are able to put a smaller coop and run inside that would be idea! Silkies are distinctly different from any other chicken breed. Sharisr32. OK, so perhaps for those of us who do actually have an interest in chickens this is not the case, but for your average city family this is about the limit of their knowledge of different breeds. They’ll be much happier and healthier if they can roam around pecking for grubs and insects, eating grass, and socializing. Sue’s estimate always sounded sensible to … You’ll need at least one box per 4-5 Silkies, and some nice soft bedding in it for the eggs to sit on. Well, Silkies do have feathers, but they don’t have the barbicels that hold most feathers together. When Do Rhode Island Red Chickens Start Laying Eggs? Without those, it gives them that fluffy look. How long does a silkie chicken live for? Such as bananas, radish, tomatoes, and so on. Related content – where are chicken’s ears located? How long do Silkie chickens live for? Not just chickens, but they’ve been known to look at turkey and duck eggs too! If you’re new to keeping chickens, they’re one of the easiest to get started with. Silkies have 5 toes – Chickens have 4 toes, right? They lay eggs and you eat them on a Sunday. You should provide at least 8” of the coop for every chick in your flock. There are some rare instances where they have lived beyond ten years. Silkies’ feathers don’t have barbs – The reason they’re so fluffy is that their feathers don’t have barbs. It is said that the Silkie was brought to Europe about 200 years ago, where Dutch breeders apparently told prospective buyers that they were a crossbreed of rabbits and chickens. Join Yahoo Answers and get … I’ve read that chickens have a theoretical lifespan of 13 years, but of course, so many die young of mishap or disease. This basically means providing a stress-free environment. Copyright © 2020 | ChickenAndChicksInfo.com | As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. My 'at-a-glance' guide describes this loveable breed, and what you need to provide if you're going to live together in harmony. Provide a quality chicken feed once a day, and add some fresh fruit and veg or table scraps to their diet as you learn more about what they like and don’t like. First of all you need space for them to live. ), but they have some unique characteristics. Therefore, it’s uncommon for them to live long out in the wild. I have never seen a hen lay eggs after 7 years of age.You will likely get 3 to 5 eggs a week from healthy young bantams in their first two years but this will taper off over time.Eggs tend to get larger over the years and a bantam that is 5 or 6 years old may only lay 20 to 30 eggs in spring. WE HAVE CHOSEN TO USE ANONYMISED DATA FROM EU COUNTRIES IN OUR ANALYTICS AND ADVERTISING. For competitive showing, however, the colors of Silkies that are recognized by the show boards are: Perfect show standards also call for all Silkies to have turquoise earlobes, dark wattles, and a small walnut-shaped comb. 1 Answer. Factors That Impact Life Expectancy of Silkies, Some Interesting Facts About Silkie Chickens, How to deal with roaches in your chicken’s coop, How many nesting boxes needed per chicken. They are very social, so if you want to spend time with them, they’ll be happy to spend time with you, too. they live around 6 yrs they lay for most of their lives but it decreases around 2-3 yrs . Just look at one of the pictures, what’s not to love about these little fluff balls? Still have questions? You should speak with your vet about care specific to the breed and age of your chooks. Unlike other chickens, silkie feathers aren’t held together by barbs. I have kept over 100 roosters over the years and the oldest one I had was the Colonel, a silkie that lived to 13. Invest in the best feeder and water drinkers you can. Their feathers lack functioning barbicels, and are thus similar to down on other birds. Silkies come in a wide variety of colors. There are some things you can do to ensure they live a long and happy life, however, and I’ve heard of Silkies living to 12-13 years of age. For raising silkie chickens, you must have to keep them safe from predators. Apr 22, 2020 - Want to know how long do chickens live? It’s easy to give chickens a well-balanced diet nowadays, so this shouldn’t be an issue. It feels like you’re running your hand across silk when you stroke them – it’s worth going out of your way to experience it. ABOUT AND CONTACT US - webmaster@clucking.net. Obviously, it is better to recycle anyway. How long do bantam roosters live? Do this for a about 10 days or so! They eat grit, which is small rocks or similar, to help them break down their food.eval(ez_write_tag([[336,280],'chickenandchicksinfo_com-leader-2','ezslot_13',108,'0','0'])); They will self-moderate how much grit they need. Silkies have electric blue ear lobes – Some people say they’re turquoise, some bright blue, but there’s no denying their earlobes are a striking shade of blue. In 2003, a group of Japanese researchers mapped the mitochondrial DNA of a Silkie to determine the breed’s genetic position in … Answer Save. That’s life. 10 years ago. Lv 5. Good luck. Lifespan A standard silkie chicken will generally live between 7-9 years, however this does all depend on the care given to them. The better the living conditions your chickens have, the better their long-term health will be and the longer, happier life you can expect them to live. What you need to start keeping chickens. Categories : Chickens 101, Kids' Corner Tags : a and animals backyard-poultry benefits best cheese chicken chicken-coop chicken-poop chicken-roost clicker-training coop cut does dogs eggs essential-oils experience for free house-chicken how in indoor-pet-chicken kitchen long make most outside owning-chickens perfect pet-chicken poop pots poultry raising roosting-bar that the to what whole Silkie En All You Need To Know. These chickens caught the eye of the early explorer. Silkie chickens live between 7-9 years on average. Silkie chickens and roosters live for 4 to 8 years and the sexes have a broadly similar life expectancy. WE ARE A PARTICIPANT IN THE AMAZON SERVICES LLC ASSOCIATES PROGRAM, AN AFFILIATE ADVERTISING PROGRAM DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A MEANS FOR US TO EARN FEES BY LINKING TO AMAZON AND AFFILIATED SITES.PRIVACY POLICY - THIS WEBSITES MAKES USE OF ANALYTICS, ADVERTISING AND AFFILIATE PROGRAMS WHICH USE COOKIES. They also have black skin, bones and dark meat. They share a unique combination of genetic and behavioral features. He was blind in one eye and his crow was like a croak. Always check the food you’re going to share with them is safe, however. Because the silkies can’t defend themselves and all the fluff around their heads can cause them to not see well which is why you have to ensure the coop is predator proof or at least in a predator proof coop. Silkie chickens are one of the more interesting breeds. After all, they will be more likely to fall victim to predators and the elements than if they were being raised in captivity. That was a bantam but as a rule they have the same lifespan as a a large fowl cockerel. eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'chickenandchicksinfo_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_2',105,'0','0']));They are popular as backyard chicken pets because they’re common, easy to look after and have a unique and cuddly appearance. غرائب حول العالم on silkie ens silkies ens tractor supply co silkies ens tractor supply co غرائب حول العالم on silkie ens silkie a comprehensive guide to the silkie a comprehensive guide to the. In fact, although many breeders have selectively bred this broodiness out of other chicken breeds in order to maximize egg production, Silkies have been raised exclusively for this characteristic. READ THE FULL DISCLAIMER.GDPR - THIS SITE DOES NOT COLLECT OR STORE ANY INFORMATION. Make sure they have fresh drinking water available at all times. Their extra digit doesn’t look like it belongs on their foot, but it’s there. Maybe I’m biased because I’m a big fan of Silkies. To supplement their diet and make sure they’re getting some variation and other vitamins and minerals you can share table scraps with them. Silkie chickens are a bantam (smaller) breed of chicken that are known for their fluffy, adorable feathers. Post Apr 01, 2008 #3 2008-04-01T18:34. Mine do fine and it got 5 below here. A common breed, the silkie is a true bantam meaning that they are only available in bantam (miniature) size. Some illnesses will affect your little chooks and there will be nothing you could have done to prevent it. This will make sure they’re meeting most, if not all of their nutritional requirements. It is only recently there has been an explosion of folks that have started out keeping hens for eggs, only to find those bundles of feathers work their way into your heart and become family. Sometimes spelled “silky”, the silkie chicken is quite a unique looking chicken! Silkies really are one of the best chickens to keep as a pet. The ancestors of our hens were wild birds and as such life expectancy was short. Silkie chickens live between 7-9 years on average. In the mid to late 1800… Silkie.org is supported by its readers. Get your answers by asking now. As I mentioned above, diet is one of the most important factors that affect how long and how healthy life your chickens will have. Bantams as a rule lay fewer eggs per week than traditional laying hens but are productive for 5 or so years. Another interesting characteristic about them is that their meat is a grayish-black. They are fluffy and cute, and there is quite a competitive show circuit for this reason. But they're not suitable for every kind of climate. You need to whatch if it snow because their feathers around their feet can get packed with snow, as all feather footed chicken can get. Not only are they the cutest chickens (in my opinion, but look at those images! So, plenty of space to roam, other hens to socialize with, clean and airy coop, and so on. Those of you who landed here that don’t already have Silkies, I bet you now know you want to keep this wonderful breed of chicken, right? Silkies are really easy to care for (source). Silkies will lay around 100 eggs a year if they have everything they need. WE DO NOT ACCEPT ANY LIABILITY ARISING FORM SUCH ERRORS, OMISSIONS, LOST OF DATA, INTERRUPTIONS OR DELAYS OR ANY ONGOING OBLIGATION OR RESPONSIBILITY TO OPERATE THIS WEBSITE OR IN THE PROVISION OF ITS SERVICES. They're often kept in backyards, where there isn't such an imperative to … Of roosters and cockerels ranges from four years to eight years available at all times barbicels, and is... Functioning barbicels, and socializing a run or enclosing a space in your yard setting up a or... My 'at-a-glance ' guide describes this loveable breed, probably of Chinese origin the name “ silkie chicken is a. 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The Chinese silk chicken a common breed, the silkie will fit in with your vet about care to...