Well, you've got a good bet for a nice roo with a Silkie, they're sweeties. :) Plus Silkies tend to be a wee bit quieter when they crow...best of luck with him!

Velvet ~:>

Quiet is good! I really like him so I hope it works out well. I did re-think his name-it was Snowball, but since he is a boy and has a crazy crest, Vanilla Ice seems to fit better, so his nickname is Ice Man :)

Hi Terry, one of my silkies crowed this week as well! no shocker there, I knew he was a roo. So far the crow is very quiet, I expect it to get louder but maybe not as loud as the LF birds. I have three more of varying breeds that are too young to crow but I think the fall should get interesting around here. I want to keep at least one roo for the flock..... we'll see.

Silkies can be very tricky to sex! how are the other birds doing?

-Sheila

I purchased 27 birds this Spring, many females, but some straight run as well. In the end I lost three chicks, and have six roos and 18 hens. My Marans roo was the first to crow, very funny to listen to as he developed his skills; now all six are crowing and I am in the process of parting with four of them.

I have a black silkie rooster, James Dean. He is a very sweet bird. He has never tried to attack me and doesn't crow very often or loudly. We have one other silkie hen he is attached to, but tries his best with our bigger hens. It is pretty comical to watch, but he struts around and is definitely boss in our chicken yard.

Bonnie

My little guy has some work to do to develop a decent crow-I heard him this morning and it sounded like a choking gargle. It was pretty funny to hear. Not too loud either, so far.
Sheila, all other birds doing well-so far not other crows or roo-ish appearance. I figured that I couldn't get away with no roos, since the silkies were straight run, but I was under the impression that silkies developed late compared to other birds, so I was somewhat surprised to hear a crow so early. Didn't you tell me that some of your blue orps were roos?

Bonnie-that is a cute name for a black silkie-I get the hair connection :)

I hope that one roo is all I get-I like them all and don't want to have to part with any. I guess I'll just have to wait and see.
Cheers,
Terry

Hi Terry,
yes I also have one blue orp. roo, I think I may have lucked out w/the black orp, I thought it was a roo but it might be a pullet since it's comb is not too large. but she is twice the size as the blue so maybe it's a late bloomer?

If you post picts. of your other silkies we may be able to help you out w/the sexing, I have a friend who is a breeder I could also consult if you are interested.

As far as the pen goes, sand is a good choice from what I understand. Sod will not last long at all. If you'd like to give them greens just throw some weeds in the pen or take a shovel and dig up a clump of grass for them, they will spend hours attacking and destroying it! glad to hear things are going well :)

-Sheila

I will try to get some decent pics this weekend. I suspect that my black silkie (Blackberry)with the worsening overlapping beak my be a roo as well-he/she is growing wattles that the others are not (even the white roo doesn't have them yet) so who knows. No crows from Blackberry yet though.

Yes, the sod idea is probably a bad one. I do give them a few clumps of the crabgrass that is invading this year-they love it and have fun scratching the soil off the roots. I will prabably add some sand though to pad the surface of the run.

I certainly am enjoying them. I have a milk crate that I bring in the run so I have a clean place to sit and visit with them. Several like to jump up on my lap. The funny part is the the "Georges" (2 EE's that I can't tell apart easily are both named George) will jump up on whoever is on my lap to try to knock them off!