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Raising Silkies

By Alan Stanford, Ph.D.
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  1. First and most importantly, keep your flock healthy. (See our General Directions for a Healthy Bird).
  2. Handle your birds often. This makes them tame for the show and also you learn when they are sick or losing weight.
  3. Keep the coop very clean. Feather legged birds require perfect foot feathers. Some use wire; others prefer wood shavings. Don't use redwood.
  4. Keep the birds clean. Once stained, the feathers will not come clean. This means you'll be spot washing birds every week.
  5. Keep the foot feathers clean. Do not pick manure off the foot feathers. The feathers will break. Just stand the bird for 15 to 20 minutes in a tub of water about 1/4 to 1/2" deep.
  6. If your Silkies are white, keep them out of direct sun. The sun will turn them yellow (unless your Silkies have the "silver" gene).
  7. If you see broken feathers pluck them being sure to get the quill that is inside the skin. If you leave a stub, the new feather won't grow until the bird molts.
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