Silkie Bantam Chicken: An Ultimate Grow & Care Guide

Have you raised Silkie Bantam as a fluffy teddy bear rather than a barnyard bird?

These small show birds are beginner-friendly and easy to handle under low maintenance costs. I love them for their fluffy, soft feathers make them stand out.

Whether you’re a homesteader or chicken enthusiast, Silkies must be in your coop for entertainment.

What is a Silkie Bantam?

The origin of Silkie bantam is believed to be somewhere in Asia, either China, Japan, or India. They are a heritage breed.

These chickens were mentioned for the first time in Marco Polo’s account. He described them as “furry chickens” in the 13th century.

Later, the Crystal Palace Show classified these birds as a chicken breed in 1872.

Unlike other bantams, Silkies have hair-like feathers or fluffy feathers that resemble fur or silk, hence the name.

This is due to a lack of barbs or hooklets on the feathers that prevents them from knitting together.

They have a melanotic gene to have black skin.

The birds also boast black eyes, blue earlobes, and small walnut or cushion combs hidden under soft and downy plumage, except for blueish-black beaks.

Their plumage also includes crests, beards, and muffs.

Besides, ashen-blue legs, small wattles, and five toes are some highlights of Silkies.

You can expect your Silkies to have a compact body size. While roosters weigh 36 oz, hens get 32 oz in the US standard.

They come in various colors, including white, black, blue, buff, partridge, gray, splash, etc.

How to Set Up a Coop for Silkie Bantams

Silkies are small birds, so they won’t need more space. But the coop should have at least room for 2 square feet per chicken. If you take them to run, it should not be less than 8-10 square feet per bird.

I often place a roofed run if it is summer. Their run should be shady and cool.

You can use soft bedding, such as pine shavings or straw, against the hard surface. This helps keep chickens comfortable and warm in winter.

It is recommended to provide 1 nesting box per 3-4 hens in the coop.

The small chickens also don’t roost too high, so you can use low perches. 6 -12 inches above the ground is enough.

Like always, you need to care for chickens in the winter, so you must prepare for cold protection. You need to ensure good airflow when preventing the drafts.

These chickens are hardy birds, so you need not exert extra effort to provide warmth in low temperatures.

But it’s your duty to ensure they are warm enough and have no frostbite on the comb, wattles, and feet.

Also, don’t hesitate to bring a heater and warmer if needed in the extremely cold environment.

However, Silkies are tiny birds that cannot defend themselves against predators, so you need to make a safe coop and runner. You can secure the coop using a hardware cloth.

Feeding and Nutrition for Silkie Bantams

Silkie bantams require only a small portion of food, ranging from 2 oz to 4 oz per bird daily, depending on the season and foraging.

Starter Feed (0-6 weeks) – High-protein chick starter (20-22%)
Grower Feed (6-16 weeks) – 16-18% protein feed
Layer Feed (16+ weeks) – 16% calcium-rich feed for egg production

You should provide high-quality feed with a balanced mix of protein, vitamins, and minerals.

Grit is recommended for digestion.

To supply Calcium, you can give the birds crushed oyster shells or eggshells. This helps them get strong bones and strong eggshells.

Along with the balanced diet, you can offer a small portion of treats such as oats, barley, and corn. Silkies also enjoy fruits and veggies, including carrots, peas, apples, and mealworms.

But you need to avoid feeding them foods like avocado, chocolate, and raw beans.

Bantam often feel dehydrated, so they should also have access to clean enough fresh water.

Health Issues and Common Problems

I’m not going to name diseases and technical issues of Silkie bantam, which I am not expert of. Rather, I will mention some identifiable issues, which I have observed and I know how to avoid and treat.

Silkies are susceptible to external parasites such as mites and lice.

These pesky parasites are often hidden in bantams’ crests, beards and around the vent. You can prevent the infestation by allowing birds to have dustbath.

Besides, you can inspect the culprits regularly and remove them by handpicking.

Though Silkies are cold-hardy, they are still prone to frostbite on their toes.

Their combs and wattles are small and protected under fluffy plumage so cold doesn’t touch them. The main concern is with the toe with feathers.

These feathers load the moisture that turns into snow only to frostbite the birds.

The problems doesn’t end there. Silkies also develop a vaulted skull. It is also called cerebral hernia, which is a genetically condition.

This is a bugle on the top skull, which makes the skull softer and makes it prone to pecking injury.

If you can care for Silkies, they can live for 4 – 7 years with ease.

Silkie Bantam Egg-Laying Guide

Silkie hens are a moderate layers that produce small, cream-colored eggs. Their eggs are around 1.5oz but can be enough to make an omelet.

You can expect them to lay 100-120 small eggs per year with an average of 2-4 eggs per week.

The ladies start laying eggs when they are 28 – 36 weeks (7 to 9 months).

They are good brooders and hatch their eggs, which can interrupt their laying eggs. Besides, their laying ability decrease by 10-15% per year.

However, you can extend egg laying by aligning some parameters in diet and care requirements.

Anyway, Silkie hens make good mothers.

Also, rooters seem affectionate to chicks and are less aggressive to flockmates.

Grooming and Feather Care

As Sikies are kept for show purposes, they need to be tidy and clean in the homestead or farm.

The birds can be dirty easily because of their fluffy feathers so keepers need to use mild soap and warm water to clean them.
After cleaning, dry them completely to prevent chills.
Their fluffy feathers allow birds to make several different shapes without harming their comfort.
First, you need to trim feathers around their eyes to help the birds see clearly. Then, consider pruning feet feathers to prevent dirt buildup.
You can also make the desired shapes for their crests.
When it’s time to groom, chickens need to have a dust bath area to self clean themselves. You can provide them with dry dirt, sand, and wood ash.

How to Breed Silkie Bantams Successfully

For the desired offsprings, you can breed between available different varieties. For this, you need to have a pair of mature and healthy Silkie bantams.

There are several breeding techniques such as single mating, line mating, multiple sire mating, or distinct line breeding.

You should allow five hens per rooster for breeding. And the best time is spring and late winter.

Once the mating is done, keep the record and track the inheritance of chickens after hatching. After hatching, you can cull in or out the birds based on your preference.

Though hens are self-sufficient to incubate and hatch the eggs, using incubators is risk-free hatching.

The incubation period extends to 21 days.

You need to select eggs that have normal shapes and colors. Incubating eggs should also be clean and have a strong shell.

Don’t mistake cleaning the eggs, as this can wash out the outer bloom and prevent bacterial invasion.

While running the incubator, you need to maintain 99.5°F and 50-60% humidity. Also, remember to turn the eggs regularly.

After hatching, place the chicks in the brooder at 95°F temperature for the first week and reduce by 5°F weekly. Besides, you can also assign other mothers chicks to raise, if possible, for the first six weeks.

They need supplemental heat for at least 4-5 weeks.

Handling and Training Silkies for Friendly Behavior

Silkie bantams are known for being docile, friendly, and nonaggressive. While hens are quiet, roosters can be vocal and noisy sometimes.

These chickens are very curious and affectionate breed.

They will happily sit in your lap if you give them treats. Also, they enjoy being held and cuddle. So their friendly temperament makes Silkies best choice for families with small children.

They would love to be around the children and yard.

As Silkies are small birds with tiny wings, they cannot fly so you need not worry about scaping the territory.

They can do well in both free range system and confinement. The little ones are great foragers by the way.

Keepers need to hold these birds gently from young age. You can offer treat to build the trust and give food reward to encourage the desired behaviors.

When holding birds, support their body filly and avoid sudden and abrupt movement as chickens feel fear.