Silkie/Satin chick

Description

Silkies/Satins are sold straight run meaning we cannot guarantee the gender of your chick upon hatch.

Each chick has a 70% chance of being a silkie and 30% chance of being a satin (this is a silkie/cochin cross)

Each chick has a 50/50 chance of being male or female.

Quick Breed Stats

Egg Color: cream 

Egg Bloom: sometimes the eggs can have a pink tint

Egg Size: slightly larger than a bantam egg 

Egg Texture: smooth 

Egg Production During Spring and Summer: moderate – low 2-4 eggs when not being broody

Meat Production:not suited for meat or high egg production. This breed is best kept as companions and pets.

Heat Tolerance: very good if shade is provided

Cold Tolerance: not very high, would need ample protection from snow. Does will with rain. 

 Disposition: extremely patient, sweet, smart and curious. Will come running for treats.

Weeks to Maturity: 22

Free Range Ability: not very predator wise, best to keep an eye on them when free ranging or have them in a mixed breed flock for protection.

Likelihood They Will Want To Hatch Eggs: extremely high

Curious, quietly communicative and just plain entertaining, these are the birds that children and adults alike are drawn towards most. When we have family friends out to the farm the comments are always “what on earth is that?!” followed by, “can I pet one?”. They are the epitome of pet chickens and have an amazing ability to keep themselves clean if given the chance to free range or if they have access to a dust bathing box.

Loyal little egg layers, you can expect 4 cream eggs from them a week in spring that are 75% the size of a regular chicken egg. EXCELLENT mothers, these girls can go broody and will easily hatch out a clutch of fertile eggs. Once the chicks are hatched the mother hen tends to them with exceptional sweetness. Franchesca often jokes that if the apocalypse were to happen she would grab a handful of hatching eggs and a silkie because silkies can hatch out any chick out and raise it as their own – no electricity needed!

Silkie chicks never have the awkward chick phase of new feather growth that pretty much every other breed experiences. These fluffy creatures are cute from the first day of hatch well into old age. Worried about them in the rain? No need to be! When we experienced downpours the silkies are always out running around in the rain more than any other breed on the farm. The outer coat of fluff will get wet while their inner layers of downy goodness keeps them nice and toasty. They do well in climates that are chilly but would not like to be in the snow – they along with the serama are our least cold hearty breeds, every other breed we work with would do well in the snow.