Black Silkie Bantam
Black Silkie Bantam Chickens For Sale is a breed of chicken named for its atypically fluffy plumage, which is said to feel like silk and satin. The breed has several other unusual qualities, such as black skin and bones, blue earlobes, and five toes on each foot, whereas most chickens only have four.
What color of eggs do Black Silkies lay?
Bantam silkie chickens, often called just silkies, are striking chickens who make fascinating pets. They come in a variety of colors, including black and white, which are thought to be the strongest variants. In the U.S., silkies are not considered acceptable egg laying chickens, and are usually used as surrogate mothers to other chickens’ eggs. However, silkies do lay between 80 and 120 eggs per year, and can be encouraged to lay frequently.
Make sure your chickens are old enough to lay. Silkies can start to lay at around 7 to 9 months of age, although some will not lay until they are much older. The older a silkie is when she begins to lay, the more eggs she is likely to produce.
Provide a balanced diet. For chickens under the age of 6 months, there are specialist baby chick foods which will set them up for laying. When chicken’s reach laying age they should be fed mixes which are specially prepared for laying chickens, and this should be supplemented with fresh fruit and vegetables, such as tomato, banana and watermelon.
Feed the chicken crushed oyster shell constantly. This will provide calcium, which is needed in large quantities for a chicken to make an egg.
Provide a fresh supply of water at all times. Chickens need a lot of water to lay an egg, and can become dehydrated easily. Make sure the water is changed regularly and is clean and accessible.
Create a nesting box. This should be a secure area, full of hay. The nest box should be sheltered and be close to food and water sources.
Record the silkie’s laying pattern. Silkies are very affected by external conditions, such as stress and the weather. You may find your silkie will not lay in the winter or when temperatures drop. Having a record will help you to know when to expect eggs.
White Egg Layers
The leghorn lays at least 90 percent of the white eggs you see in stores. These prolific birds lay five to six eggs a week, or nearly an egg every day, during their first year of laying. Leghorns tend to be nervous and flighty, so many chicken enthusiasts who want white eggs opt for birds from other breeds such as the Ancona, Campine, Hamburg and Minorca.
Brown Egg Layers
Brown egg layers include hybrid (mixed-breed) birds such as the ISA Browns and Red Stars, but they also include many purebreds such as Rhode Island Reds, Barred Plymouth Rocks, and Buff Orpingtons. Hatcheries produce hybrid birds to increase egg production and develop breeds in which the sex of the bird can be determined according to color (called sex-links). Brown egg layers may or may not lay almost as many eggs as leghorns and other white egg layers.
Blue and Green Egg Layers
If you want unusual eggs, you may be looking for breeds that lay blue or green eggs. Araucanas lay blue eggs, the Ameraucana lays blue and blue-green tinted eggs, and their production or hatchery version, the Easter Egger, which is a mix, lays blue or green eggs. The Araucana is an infrequent layer. Ameraucanas and Easter Eggers lay around three to five eggs a week.
Chocolate Egg Layers
Breeds such as the Welsummer, Marans, Barnevelder and Penedesenca lay dark-brown eggs. Their egg colors range from terra-cotta to dark chocolate brown. They aren’t as prolific as leghorns, Rhode Island Reds ISA Browns, and few hatcheries breed them. If you wish to add chocolate egg layers, find a breeder who specializes in one of these breeds.
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