How Much Do Silkie Chickens Cost? (Cheapest Places Online) - Chicken & Chicks Info (2024)

FAQs

What is the price of a Silkie chicken? ›

To raise Silkies for meat, it would cost way more in feed and time to produce a smaller, tougher bird.” Silkie have a rich history of Chinese tradition, folklore, and culture. Their dark meat, skin, and bones are believed to have medicinal qualities.

If you're looking for eggs on eggs on eggs, the Silkie probably isn't the best breed to welcome into your flock, but if you're looking for a chicken to make a great pet, you're in luck. They're docile, friendly and love to cuddle, so are especially great if you have children too!

Silkies are relatively long lived for chickens with an average life expectancy of around eight or nine years and they remain productive long after other breeds have stopped laying eggs.

Yes, you can eat Silkie eggs. They taste pretty good as Silkies love to free range and find all sorts of greenery and insects, all of which improve the eggs and especially the bright yellow yolks. Because Silkies are so small, their eggs are also a little smaller but that makes them ideal for a kid's breakfast.

Chickens, including Silkies, do better in a flock than when kept on their own and you should get at least 4 – 5 Silkies to start with.

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.

Silkies. Aside from their adorable looks, this breed is known to be among the friendliest! Don't let their small size fool you, silkies can stand their ground in a mixed flock too. They're fun and love to get to know other chickens in their flock, which makes them some of the best chickens to incorporate into a flock.

The percentage of clinically sick birds in a flock depends on the strain of virus (some virus strains are more virulent than others) and the breed of bird. Leghorns and light egg-type breeds tend to be more vulnerable to disease than meat type breeds. Silkies in particular, are highly susceptible to Marek's Disease.

What happens if Silkies get wet? ›

Silkies feathers make them susceptible to getting too cold if wet. If your Silkies get significantly wet, towel or blow drying may be necessary. They seem to love the blow dryer though...a little spa day for your chicken!

For young Silkie chicks in most backyard flocks, a high-quality starter/grower feed, like 20% Flock Maker®, is an excellent option from hatch until laying age. Once your Silkies are old enough to switch to layer feed, look for a high-quality layer feed that has a great balance of nutrients.

Silkies are known for their docile personalities, good mothering abilities, and unique looks. They're the teddy bear cuddlers of the chicken world. Silkies are one of the most unique chicken breeds in the world. Short, squatty, with fuzzy, fur-like feathers, the birds stand out amongst their fowl friends.

Male Silkies are less aggressive than roosters of most other breeds. Male chickens in general are known to be more aggressive than the hens of their breed, but some breeds are more bolshy than others.

The fact that silkie chickens are unable to fly due to their fluffy plumage makes them the easiest of all chickens to keep as pets because they are that much easier to contain. Silkies are also known for their calm, friendly temperament, which makes them exceptionally great pets for homes that have children.

A Silkie hen usually starts laying eggs around 7-9 months of age. This is later than most chicken breeds since Silkies are slower to mature. You can expect them to lay about 100-120 small cream eggs per year or 2-3 per week. Since they tend to go broody often, their egg laying is often interrupted and inconsistent.

Silkies have 5 toes as opposed to standard breeds who only have 4 toes. They are super sweet and make great family pets. They're not known for their egg laying abilities as they only lay an average of 120 small eggs per year. Most people keep Silkies for show birds, family pets, or to brood and hatch eggs.

Thanks to their fluffy feathers and docile behavior, silkies are a great starter bird for anyone looking to begin their own backyard flock. 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.

Silkies lay a fair number of eggs, ranging from white to cream or light tan, but production is often interrupted due to their extreme tendency to go broody. A silkie hen can produce 100 eggs in an ideal year.