Interesting that you mentioned the "freak show" aspect. Literally, the first Silkies I ever saw was at a small traveling carnival show, back when I was in the third grade(a LONG time ago, lol), and they were, in fact, in a "freak show" tent, where they were billed as "half chicken, half rabbit", just as you stated! I have since begun breeding Silkies myself, and find them to be among the best pets ever.
Wonderful video. One of my favorite chicken breeds, although I've only ever kept silkie-ameraucana crosses (with only a few in the second generation being silked, but their temperament and friendliness has made them one of my favorite breeds).
As someone who Raises/Breeds true LF Chinese Silkies, they are nothing like ones bred for show. Chinese Silkies are abit more Landrace like, with varying body type, fluff amount, & comb types. Birds size can be 4+ lbs. Largest I've had was over 5lbs. Personality varies greatly, as well as friendliness. I've had a Silkie rooster many years ago that wanted to attack everyone, & every person. He ended as soup.
I loved your video. I have 5 silkies, and they are spoiled. However, my silkies don’t like to be held. They do make great pets. They don’t fly but they are very high jumpers!
Thank you i needed this. My husband was accidently given 2 of these while asking for easter eggers and we had no idea what to do when it was clear they had pants
I acquired 2 from a local breeder because one of them only have 4 toes lol, I'm not breeding her so it worked out for us. I love the both of them, they're so funny
It’s wild that the larger variety isn’t recognized in the United States, as I have had two large Silkies, a hen (who we still have) and a rooster (who we could not keep). Sara is my Silkie hen, and she is huge for a Silkie. We got a Silkie Bantam years later as well, but she suffered from brain damage from her previous home due to her vaulted skull leaving the top of her brain exposed to constant pecks from those other chickens. She actually lived in the house with us for 8 months, and she was the sweetest little thing I could have ever hoped to own! Also, I think the broodiness that Silkies are known for is more so a Bantam-exclusive thing, as our large Silkie has no maternal instincts at all😅, and she actually laid very well in her prime; even at 4 years old, she outlays our 4 year old Buff Orpington every year! She’s our oldest chicken, and number 2 in the pecking order, so she kinda defies a lot of stereotypes people have about this breed😂🥰!
@@yzettasmith4194 great question! You can go about it multiple ways. As you mentioned, some people use the diapers for indoor chickens, and they work well; however, they require constant cleaning, as chickens poop A LOT😅! It’s also especially difficult with breeds like Silkies since their elaborate feathers can get very messy with the poop from the diapers if you’re not careful. Sofia, my Splash Silkie Bantam, suffered from severe brain damage, so she could not walk or really move when I first brought her in. Once she got lord of special food I made for her, vitamins, and other supplements, she began to attempt walking. She never fully walked again, but she learned how to hop😂! She’d great us whenever we came home like any other beloved pet, and she loved watching tv with me, cuddling on the couch, and she even got to help pass out candy during Halloween (she was a hit with the kids as you could imagine). In regards to her using the bathroom, we didn’t use diapers because she sat down often, so her rear would’ve been a huge mess to manage. Especially with those cloaca poops, I wouldn’t want to clean that diaper😅😖! Sofia actually did a great job pooping on her designated floor towels we set around the living room for her to spend the day on, as she began hopping out of her pen when she started improving (the sides were low, so it wasn’t like she hurdled a massive barrier). Honestly, if you have room in your home, you can put a coop with a breed such as a Silkie Bantam in your home and they’d be fine, as long as they were properly cared for! Sofia loved corn, bologna, various bugs from Rural King, and her wet feed (a great “treat” that chickens love is if you let their dried food soak in water for a little bit, and then feed it to them; they LOVE it, and it actually makes the food tastier, and more nutritious because they digest it easier). I knew people who had indoor Silkie Bantams, and they were well-trained and super friendly! Even their rooster was a gentleman, but he still crowed every now and again which annoyed his owners😅. Sofia lived 8 months in our house before she began having seizures one night and passed away😢. I miss her terribly, but I’m grateful for the time I had with her. She was truly the sweetest little chicken I could’ve ever hoped to know, and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat!
@@KyleKaiser7 It's touching the care you gave a being that probably most people would have thrown away. Thank you for explaining how her situation worked. I grew up with chickens as a kid so I know about the very frequent poops; our front porch was a disaster! LOL. That's what had me a little puzzled that people would keep them in the house...
@@yzettasmith4194 I get it. I actually just brought my Silver Laced Wyandotte hen, Diamond, inside because she was bullied by the other girls to the point she hid under a bag of shavings that was pinning her down. I believe it made her legs and back weak, and probably fall asleep, so I brought her in for some TLC for the next few days. She’s walking a little better, but still not very well. She gets bullied because she’s blind in her right eye, so I’ve worked with her a ton. All of our chickens are friendly with humans and come when they’re called by their names, but Diamond is just a little extra “special” I guess. She’s like a puppy dog, following me everywhere I go😅🥰! I set her up in an enclosure so she can move around, but also be comfortable and relax while she recovers. Chickens are the closest living relatives to the T-Rex, so it’s no wonder they have such a vicious streak☹️…
Interesting that you mentioned the "freak show" aspect. Literally, the first Silkies I ever saw was at a small traveling carnival show, back when I was in the third grade(a LONG time ago, lol), and they were, in fact, in a "freak show" tent, where they were billed as "half chicken, half rabbit", just as you stated! I have since begun breeding Silkies myself, and find them to be among the best pets ever.
Wonderful video. One of my favorite chicken breeds, although I've only ever kept silkie-ameraucana crosses (with only a few in the second generation being silked, but their temperament and friendliness has made them one of my favorite breeds).
As someone who Raises/Breeds true LF Chinese Silkies, they are nothing like ones bred for show.
Chinese Silkies are abit more Landrace like, with varying body type, fluff amount, & comb types. Birds size can be 4+ lbs. Largest I've had was over 5lbs.
Personality varies greatly, as well as friendliness. I've had a Silkie rooster many years ago that wanted to attack everyone, & every person. He ended as soup.
I loved your video. I have 5 silkies, and they are spoiled. However, my silkies don’t like to be held. They do make great pets. They don’t fly but they are very high jumpers!
Thank you i needed this. My husband was accidently given 2 of these while asking for easter eggers and we had no idea what to do when it was clear they had pants
Love my silkies ❤
I acquired 2 from a local breeder because one of them only have 4 toes lol, I'm not breeding her so it worked out for us. I love the both of them, they're so funny
It’s wild that the larger variety isn’t recognized in the United States, as I have had two large Silkies, a hen (who we still have) and a rooster (who we could not keep). Sara is my Silkie hen, and she is huge for a Silkie. We got a Silkie Bantam years later as well, but she suffered from brain damage from her previous home due to her vaulted skull leaving the top of her brain exposed to constant pecks from those other chickens. She actually lived in the house with us for 8 months, and she was the sweetest little thing I could have ever hoped to own! Also, I think the broodiness that Silkies are known for is more so a Bantam-exclusive thing, as our large Silkie has no maternal instincts at all😅, and she actually laid very well in her prime; even at 4 years old, she outlays our 4 year old Buff Orpington every year! She’s our oldest chicken, and number 2 in the pecking order, so she kinda defies a lot of stereotypes people have about this breed😂🥰!
Hi. I have a question about keeping a chicken in the house. Was she diapered? Litter trained? How did that work? Thanks.
@@yzettasmith4194 great question! You can go about it multiple ways. As you mentioned, some people use the diapers for indoor chickens, and they work well; however, they require constant cleaning, as chickens poop A LOT😅! It’s also especially difficult with breeds like Silkies since their elaborate feathers can get very messy with the poop from the diapers if you’re not careful. Sofia, my Splash Silkie Bantam, suffered from severe brain damage, so she could not walk or really move when I first brought her in. Once she got lord of special food I made for her, vitamins, and other supplements, she began to attempt walking. She never fully walked again, but she learned how to hop😂! She’d great us whenever we came home like any other beloved pet, and she loved watching tv with me, cuddling on the couch, and she even got to help pass out candy during Halloween (she was a hit with the kids as you could imagine). In regards to her using the bathroom, we didn’t use diapers because she sat down often, so her rear would’ve been a huge mess to manage. Especially with those cloaca poops, I wouldn’t want to clean that diaper😅😖! Sofia actually did a great job pooping on her designated floor towels we set around the living room for her to spend the day on, as she began hopping out of her pen when she started improving (the sides were low, so it wasn’t like she hurdled a massive barrier). Honestly, if you have room in your home, you can put a coop with a breed such as a Silkie Bantam in your home and they’d be fine, as long as they were properly cared for! Sofia loved corn, bologna, various bugs from Rural King, and her wet feed (a great “treat” that chickens love is if you let their dried food soak in water for a little bit, and then feed it to them; they LOVE it, and it actually makes the food tastier, and more nutritious because they digest it easier). I knew people who had indoor Silkie Bantams, and they were well-trained and super friendly! Even their rooster was a gentleman, but he still crowed every now and again which annoyed his owners😅. Sofia lived 8 months in our house before she began having seizures one night and passed away😢. I miss her terribly, but I’m grateful for the time I had with her. She was truly the sweetest little chicken I could’ve ever hoped to know, and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat!
@@KyleKaiser7 It's touching the care you gave a being that probably most people would have thrown away. Thank you for explaining how her situation worked. I grew up with chickens as a kid so I know about the very frequent poops; our front porch was a disaster! LOL. That's what had me a little puzzled that people would keep them in the house...
@@yzettasmith4194 I get it. I actually just brought my Silver Laced Wyandotte hen, Diamond, inside because she was bullied by the other girls to the point she hid under a bag of shavings that was pinning her down. I believe it made her legs and back weak, and probably fall asleep, so I brought her in for some TLC for the next few days. She’s walking a little better, but still not very well. She gets bullied because she’s blind in her right eye, so I’ve worked with her a ton. All of our chickens are friendly with humans and come when they’re called by their names, but Diamond is just a little extra “special” I guess. She’s like a puppy dog, following me everywhere I go😅🥰! I set her up in an enclosure so she can move around, but also be comfortable and relax while she recovers. Chickens are the closest living relatives to the T-Rex, so it’s no wonder they have such a vicious streak☹️…
FINALLY ❤
My mom has a baby silkie chick and it just ate a bayer aspirin she dropped can anyone tell me if its gnna be ok cuz my moms freakin out please help!
My silkie rooster comes up to me acts like he’s nice and then pecks my toe but other than that somehow the hens are more abusive than him
why is my silkies have no beard?they are 2 girls