What treats can I give to my Silkies?
| Treat | Benefit | How often to feed |
| Milled corn | High in energy | Every 3-4 days |
| Grated carrots | High in beta carotene – will help to pro ... | Daily |
| Mealworms | High in Protein | Every 3-4 days. Can be given more often ... |
| Scramble eggs/chopped hard-boiled eggs | High in protein. If you add pieces of eg ... | Every 3-4 days. Can be given more often ... |
What do Silkies like to eat?
GRAINS - Lots of stores sell complete chicken feeds, and your silkies will be quite happy on these. In general, chickens like wholegrains - oats, wheat, barley, maize and so on are all excellent for them.
How do you feed silkie chickens in winter?
Feeding all chickens is a little different as winter approaches, Protein levels are upped a little during the moult as they change their feathers and your Silkies will need more calories in the cold weather. Also there is little if no insect life to be had while free ranging and greens can be in shoort supply or covered by snow.
What kind of chickens can you keep with Silkies?
Keep silkies and chickens with similar temperaments together. Silkies tend to be docile chickens, which means that other breeds can sometimes bully them. If you’re going to keep silkies with other chickens, go for Polish chickens or bantams.
What eats silkie chickens?
Hawks, owls, dogs, cats, raccoons, and coyotes may all target silkies. To keep your chickens safe, make sure that their coop is predator-proof.
How do I keep my silkies healthy?
However it is important to check them over regularly for lice, mites and other parasites- with extra feathers comes extra responsibility! Silkies require no special diet; to keep them fighting fit be sure to feed them a balanced diet rich in protein and a healthy mix of seeds, grains and vegetation.
What vegetables can silkies eat?
A few flock favorites include: Vegetables: Lettuce, beets, broccoli, carrots, kale, swiss chard, squash, pumpkins and cucumbers.
Do silkies need special care?
Silkies generally require smaller coops than other chickens. They still need plenty of food and water, however. Other than that, these birds have relatively few requirements. As long as you keep them clean and healthy, they will live for up 7 years.
What do you feed a 6 week old Silkie?
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Can silkie chickens eat rice?
Many shops will sell starter chick feeds, but if you don't have access to this then you can feed them ground up wholegrain cereals, like oatmeal, wheat, or rice.
Can silkies eat mealworms?
Chickens can and will eat Mealworms. In fact they love them. All the chickens I know will eat as many insects as they can and Mealworms are no exception.
Do Silkie chickens like to be held?
Silkies are gentle, kind birds who love company and adore being held and fussed over.
Do Silkies need nesting boxes?
Do Silkie Chickens Need Nesting Boxes? Silkie chickens are just like any other breed of chicken and should to be provided with a nesting box to lay eggs in. If you don't provide her with a nesting box, she will seek out secluded areas to lay her eggs and you may find yourself going on an egg hunt to find her eggs.
How do you tell male and female Silkies apart?
Streamers - silkie cockerels tend to get thin, long feathers coming from their crown. Whereas hens have nice, short, rounded feathers, you'll find that young males have a messy looking crown a top their head with the so called 'streamers' sticking out the back.
What do baby Silkies eat?
Silkie chicks should eat Starter feed from day one to the age of 6 weeks after which they move on to Grower Feed which they will eat until week 20 of their little lives.
What age are Silkies fully feathered?
6 weeksIn general, most chicks are fully-feathered by 6 weeks of age. That means that their chick down is gone and they have grown real feathers, which allow them to regulate their body temperatures.
What Age Can chickens eat apples?
If you are going to serve young chicks apples, it is best to wait until they are at least 1 week old. Dice the apple flesh into little pieces to make it easier to consume. Always offer regular chicken feed first and then treats after. Make sure treats are not more than 10% of a chickens daily diet.
What do Silkie Chickens Eat?
Silkie chickens are omnivores and eat a variety of things, including insects, seeds, fruits, and vegetables. They typically enjoy eating bugs the most, as they are high in protein and beneficial nutrients. Silkies also like to consume grit to help them digest their food properly.
What do Baby Silkie Chickens Eat?
Baby chicks should be fed a starter feed until they are around 22 days old. After this, a grower’s ration should be fed to the Silkie Chickens for the next 16 weeks.
Do Silkie Chickens need Higher Protein?
No. According to the American Poultry Association, Silkie Chickens have a high need for starch and low protein in their diets. This means that they will do well on a diet of corn or rice rather than chicken feed which is higher in protein.
Do Silkie Chickens Need High-Quality Feed?
No. As mentioned above, feeding your chickens too much protein can cause serious health problems. While these birds are perfect for people who want to raise them on a small scale or in their backyard, you should not try to feed them as if they were larger egg-laying hens such as Rhode Island Reds.
When to switch Silkies to Layer feed?
On silkie chickens, the best time to switch their feed to Layer is when they are about six months old. You don’t want to wait too long or they may not start laying eggs. If you have a rooster, he will start crowing around this time and let you know when it’s time to switch the feed.
Can Silkie Chickens Eat Pellets?
Silkies can eat pellets, but they may not like them as much as other chicken breeds. Try a different type of pellet if your Silkie isn’t eating the one you are giving him or her.
How Big are Silkie Chicken Eggs?
The silkie egg is generally the same size and color as regular eggs going to a cream color. If you want a chicken that lays lots of eggs, the Silkie is not your bird. They are usually considered poor layers averaging 2-3 small eggs each week – around 100-120 eggs per year. However, they excel in the broodiness department and are great mothers.
How to get silkie heart?
by Helen Chambers for Amber Waves. Like all chickens, the best way to a silkie’s heart is through its stomach. When you approach with food, they’ll come running excitedly, and watching them enjoy their meals is always a delight!
What organ do chickens eat?
Instead, they swallow it down into an organ called the ‘gizzard’, where it is ground up by grit and small stones. Free-range chickens will eat grit they find lying naturally on the ground, but it may be an idea to supply them with some grit or ground up oyster shell as well.
Do you put pellets in chicken feeders?
Many people put layer pellets in the feeders, perhaps along with some grit to help digestion (you may not need this if your chickens are spending most of their time free-range outside), and scatter a grain-based feed in their enclosure during the day.
Do chickens need protein?
While your chickens are moulting, they may need extra protein. You can supply this by scattering cat kibble. GREENS - Chickens need plentiful greens. If they’re free range, they’ll nibble at weeds (also at your prized veg, so keep them away from your cabbage patch!) to get their greens.
What and how to feed your back yard Silkies
There are few things to keep in mind that makes feeding Silkies slightly different from feeding other chicken breeds. For one, silkies will have some difficulty picking up and swallowing the large layer pellets and if you decide to go the commercial mix route, it will be worth spending roughly 2% extra on the short cut layer pellets.
Feeding according to life stage
Hatchlings can survive for 2 days after hatching on the nutrients derived from the egg yolk alone, but you can offer them chick starter crumbs from day one. They have higher protein (18-20%) and energy requirements than adult chickens and it will be best to stick to a good quality chick starter such as MannaPro Non-medicated starter crumble feed.
Winter feeding
Silkies need higher calorie feed in winter as well as higher protein to support their pre-winter molt. You can add high protein treats such as eggs or mealworms to their diet more regularly during winter. Shelled or husked sunflower seeds, cooked wheat, still warm in the mornings, and sprouted seeds are excellent winter treats.
What treats can I give to my Silkies?
Giving treats is a lovely way to bond with your silkies and it is also very useful to tame more timid birds. Treats should make up no more than 10 % of their diet.
What are Silkies not allowed to eat?
Although silkies chickens may seem to like to peck at nearly anything and everything, there are a few things that should best be avoided. Below is a list of common household foods that your silkies won’t thank you for.
What supplements do Silkies need?
Apart from the already mentioned special requirements, you may wonder whether adding a vitamin and mineral supplement will be worth it.
How much feed do silkies need and can you feed a silkie too much?
Silkies rarely overeat and I have never heard of an obese silkie. An overweight silkie is extremely uncommon! What we should rather be concerned about, is giving too many treats which will lead to under-eating of their balanced ratio that may lead to some nutrient deficiencies and subsequent health problems.
How to keep silkie chickens clean?
A gentle trim can help your silkie see through their long hair and keep them clean around their backend. Hold the chicken still with one arm. With a small pair of nail scissors, gently clip the ends of their longer feathers. Don’t cut too close to their skin or you may hurt them.
Why do silkies have Marek's disease?
Vaccinate chicks to prevent Marek’s disease. Marek’s Disease is caused by the herpes virus. It is very common in silkies. Ask a vet to vaccinate your chicks while they are still young to prevent an outbreak in your flock.
How to keep hens from freezing?
Provide fresh water every day. Refill the hen’s water drinker up to the top with fresh water. If the drinker runs out of water during the day, fill it back up again. Don't leave a drinker empty during the day, especially in hot weather. In the winter time, bring in the drinker at night to prevent freezing.
How to keep a chicken safe from predators?
Hawks, owls, dogs, cats, raccoons, and coyotes may all target silkies. To keep your chickens safe, make sure that their coop is predator-proof. Use wire with holes that are no larger than .5 inches (13 mm) wide so that other animals can't climb in.
How old should chickens be to feed?
If the chickens are less than 20 weeks old, use a starter or developer blend of chicken feed. If the chickens are older than 20 weeks, give them a layer blend of feed. These usually contain oyster shells to supplement their calcium intake. A finisher blend is for meat chickens. Give it to them 6 weeks before slaughter.
Can silkies be bullied?
Keep silkies and chickens with similar temperaments together. Silkies tend to be docile chickens, which means that other breeds can sometimes bully them. If you’re going to keep silkies with other chickens, go for Polish chickens or bantams.
