Amber Waves Silkies

ABOUT SILKIES

A

mber Waves is proud to offer exquisite bearded bantam silkie chickens for sale. Committed to continuing its long-

standing tradition of breeding beautiful, conformationally correct chickens, these silkies are perfect as pets and for show. Whether you are interested in raising silkies to enjoy their fresh eggs, welcoming silkies into your life as pets, showing silkies, or perhaps a combination of the above, Amber Waves can provide you with top quality birds to get

and cuckoo. Silkies are one of the most broody breeds of

you started .Once you decide to purchase silkie chickens your

chicken and are frequently used to raise other varieties of

relationship with Amber Waves is only beginning because

small birds. They make wonderful mothers and adapt well

your birds come with Lifetime Support. Amber Waves

to both cold and hot environments.

provides silkie chicken enthusiasts with the information they need to successfully raise their birds. In addition to having access to the plethora of articles hosted on their site, silkie chicken support can always be obtained by contacting Amber Waves directly.

Silkie Chickens Silkies are a very old breed, thought to have originated in Southeast Asia sometime before 1200 AD. The Silkie (sometimes spelled Silky) is a breed of chicken named for its unique, fluffy plumage, which is said to feel like silk.

In addition to their distinctive physical characteristics, Silkies are well known for their calm, friendly temperament.

Among the most docile of poultry, Silkies are considered an ideal pet. Silkies are quite affectionate towards their owner, and realize that we will not harm them. They will talk to you with their little, chicken clucks, and can be made so tame, that they will fly up into your lap if given the chance.

Silkies are great layers of fairly large sized bantam eggs, and will lay well in winter, when other breeds of chickens have quit. In fact, winters don’t bother Silkies, because their

Since Silkies don’t have usual feathers, they cannot fly, so

fluffy down “coats,” keep them warm.

they are easily contained, and won’t venture very far if

Silkies can anticipate a life span of about nine years and

kept in the yard.

they tend to maintain their beautiful appearance throughout

They come in bearded and non-beaded varieties. The

their maturity.

American Bantam Association accepts six standard colors

Bantams were formerly known strictly as a fancier’s delight,

for Silkies. They are black, blue, buff, white, partridge, splash and gray. There are also some other non-standard, but, popular colors. They include red, lavender, porcelain

for pleasure and pets, but they are now proving their commercial value and are adaptable as a backyard flock.

Introducing New Birds to a Flock

Chickens in The City

An established flock considers their present housing to be

Join the “urban chicken movement” and raise your own

THEIR home. They will fight to maintain dominance over

backyard flock. Chickens are both fun and useful to keep.

the “intruders”. Existing flocks have an agreed “pecking

Don’t expect to keep a breeding flock with noisy roosters,

order.” The chicken “society” has been established and

but your hens will earn their keep and provide enjoyment by

each bird “knows” where they fit in this pecking order. The

laying eggs for you. Chickens can provide you with healthy,

dominant hen gets the first food, the best grass, the best

home grown eggs and meat, quality nitrogen-rich fertilizer,

spot on the roost, her favorite nest box, etc. The lowest

pest control and companionship. Perhaps surprisingly, a

hen on the pecking order usually gets picked on by all the

reasonable number of chickens can adapt very well to the constraints of an urban environment. It is even possible to

others. This sound mean, but it’s the way chicken society functions. Roosters consider the hens in the flock to be “his”

keep chickens indoors through the use of diapers.

and he will protect them from new roosters. To minimize

Check local laws and regulations. Some municipalities

conflict when introducing new birds:

enforce restrictions on the type and/or number of birds that

1. Put them ALL in a new enclosure,

can be housed within their boarders. Some cities limit the

2. Partition an existing enclosure,

number of chickens you can have on specified acreage.

3. Use a temporary cage within the main enclosure,

Since roosters are perceived as noisy, they are usually

4. Maintain the age and physical size of birds in a flock as

subject to your city’s noise/nuisance ordinances. While

close as possible,

hens are normally very quiet, they may still be subject to

5. Avoid combining cockerels/roosters,

nuisance ordinances. In areas that were recently rural

6. Keep them busy or distract them,

or have a strong farming culture, no law or license may be

7. Do it in the dark

required to keep chickens. All is not lost if chickens are illegal in your area. Many towns such as such as Madison, WI and Ann Arbor MI have managed to pass pro-chicken ordinances.

CARE OF SILKIES

First 60 Days:

Provide your silkie chickens with grit in their coop if they are

A Young Chick Brooder - Can be as simple as a sturdy

rarely free-range. Clean your silkie’s coop at least once

cardboard box or a small animal cage such as one you’d

a month, using fresh pine shavings on the floor. Sprinkle

use for rabbits. A flooring of pine shavings works best and

diatomaceous earth everywhere, except around food and

a temperature of 90 to 100 degrees is ideal for the first

water, to control fleas, lice and mites.

week. After the first week, decrease the temperature by five degrees per week. A 100 watt bulb in one corner (not the whole brooder) works well. Provide starter chick crumbles and a chick waterer.

Play with your chicks when young to get them accustomed to being around people. Section off an area in your yard where the chicks can explore and scratch. Make sure you can catch them when it’s time to come in.

After First 60 Days: Care for the silkie chicken is similar to that of other chickens, although their diminutive size and inability to fly require special attention to feeding and sheltering.

Check your silkie chickens every week for mites and lice.

If you notice pests on your chickens, use an avian pestcontrol spray on the chickens. Spray again in a week. The best prevention for mites is to keep your birds in a clean environment and check them frequently.

Silkie chickens need no special diet. They eat seeds and grains, bugs and vegetation just like any other hen. Feed silkies the same food as all breeds of hen and give them a layer complete food when they are of egg laying age to ensure they get all the nutrients they need for good egg production.

If you are purchasing a commercial feed I recommend a 24% grower that you often use for starting chicks compared

Once feathered out you’ll want to move your chickens into

to 16%. Besides commercial feed and access to green grass

a chicken coop! Include a roosting house with roosts no

and insects that crawl and fly during good weather I also

higher than three feet from the ground. The rule of thumb is

supplement their diet.

about two to three square feet per chicken inside the coop and four to five square feet per chicken in an outside run.

Feed your silkie chickens layer crumbles. Often the pellets are too large for silkies to eat. You can also feed them a mash

made of bran, grated apple and carrot mixed with meat meal

Sexing Silkies

and a little vegetable oil once or twice a week. Toss out table

Silkie chickens take longer to mature than many other

scraps such as vegetables and bread for your chickens.

chicken breeds, often as much as eight to nine months.

Provide fresh water for your silkie chickens, and scrub out the water pan every week. Keeping their water supply fresh and readily available is one of the most important aspects of chicken care,

Unlike sex-link chicken breeds and chickens bred to be feather-sexed, silkie chickens show little difference before they reach maturity. According to the American Silkie

because chickens can easily become dehydrated.

Bantam Club, experienced silkie owners develop ways to

Silkies and Mites

but can be wrong as much as 50 percent of the time.

Mites are just a fact of silkie-keeping and you need to

identify the sex of their chicks by about eight to 12 weeks,

be diligent in checking your birds for these nasty critters.

Amber Waves Offers Buyers a Warranty

A really bad mite infestation can kill a bird, or at least

We you purchase a Silkie from Amber Waves you have the

weaken it so that it is susceptible to any illness or infection.

option to purchase a Hen Warranty. This ensure that you

Silkies should be checked at least twice a month for mites,

have the one-time right to exchange your bird within six

and it is automatic to check for mites every time you handle

months should it turn out to be a rooster. The buyer’s only

your birds. Mites look like tiny specks of dirt or pepper, and their droppings are dark as well. They are easy to see on a white bird but much harder on dark birds.

Their mouth parts pierce the skin and they live on blood.

After the crest, the vent is the most popular place for mites to congregate. They will attack chicks as well as adult silkies.

If you find one bird with mites, check and treat every bird in your flock. The best prevention for mites is to keep your birds in a clean environment and check them frequently.

cost is for applicable shipping expenses.

What is the National Poultry Improvement Plan?

The National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) is a national program in collaboration with state and federal departments of agriculture and industry representatives.

The main objective of this program is to use new diagnostic technology to effectively improve poultry and poultry products throughout the United States. Through this work, NPIP provides certification that poultry and poultry products destined for interstate and international shipments are disease free. In order to be a NPIP flock, requirements include annual P-T testing, AI testing, annual premises inspection and annual records audit.

Committee members also help USDA evaluate comments received from interested persons concerning proposed amendments to the NPIP provisions. The Committee recommends to the Secretary of Agriculture any changes in the provisions of the Plan necessitated by unforeseen

In all, 48 U.S. States have Official State Agencies working

conditions when postponement until the next NPIP

with USDA–APHIS to manage the Plan. The NPIP Technical

Conference would seriously impair the operation of the

Committee is made up of Industry, State, and Federal

program. Finally, the General Conference Committee

members and meets biennially to provide oversight.

serves as a forum for the study of problems relating to

The NPIP has certified 130 authorized laboratories nationwide to perform the various tests necessary to make sure that Plan flocks and premises are properly maintained.

poultry health and makes specific recommendations to the Secretary concerning ways in which USDA may assist the industry in solving these problems.

Participation in the NPIP is open to all producers who can

The NPIP’s General Conference Committee assists USDA

make their poultry, game-bird, ratite, or waterfowl facilities

in planning, organizing, and conducting the biennial

meet Plan requirements. The first step is to demonstrate, to

NPIP Conference. The Committee recommends whether

the satisfaction of the applicant’s Official State Agency, that

new proposals should be considered by delegates to

his or her facilities, personnel, and practices are adequate

the Conference and— during the interim between Plan

for carrying out the applicable provisions of the NPIP. Once

Conferences— represents the cooperating States in

accepted into the Plan, participants have to maintain in

advising USDA with respect to administrative procedures

the Plan all of their poultry hatching-egg supply flocks and

and interpretations of the NPIP provisions in the CFR.

hatchery operations in a given State.

Silkie Chickens Available for Purchase A leader in the bearded bantam silkie chicken breeding industry, Amber Waves is proud to offer exotic, conformationally correct silkie chicks for sale. Ornately colored and covered in fluffy, silk-like feathers, silkie chickens are among the most beautiful of the chicken breeds and provide companionship, top-quality eggs, and the opportunity to exhibit them at poultry shows. Known for their docile, friendly nature, silkie chickens are an excellent choice for poultry novices and experts alike, silkies make an excellent present for that special someone on your list.

To purchased Bearded Bantam Silkie Chickens from Amber Waves and for more information on the breed in general, visit:

Amber Waves sells white, blue, black, buff, splash and partridge,

http://showsilkies.com

colored silkie chicks year round. All our birds exemplify the highest quality and health.

⌦http://silkiesforsale.com or call:

You will never be alone while raising your silkie chickens;

⌦(951) 736-1076 Home

each silkie chicken purchased from Amber Waves comes

⌦(951) 233-4231 Jim’s Cell ⌦E-mail: info@showsilkies.com

with Lifetime Support, meaning you have a knowledgeable resource at your disposal should you ever have any questions.

Established in 1982 in Norco, California, Amber Waves has produced award winning bearded bantam silkie chickens that are highly sought after for breeding, showing, and as family pets. Recently featured on The Tori and Dean Show on the

You can also book an appointment on line at: ⌦http://amber-waves.genbook.com ⌦ ⌦Jim and Debbie Hosley Norco, California, United States of America

Oxygen Network, the silkie chickens of Amber Waves made

In addition to selling Bearded Bantam Silkie chickens,

quite an impression during their television debut.

Amber Waves also breeds African Pygmy goats and

Amber Waves ships silkie chickens that are at least one

Blue Slate Turkeys which are for sale.

month of age nationwide. Visitors are welcome at Amber Waves by appointment, and customers may pick up chicks younger than one month during their visit.

Amber Waves 1320 Mountain Avenue Norco, CA 92860

Splash Bearded Silkie

White Bearded Silkie

Black Bearded Silkie

Blue Bearded Silkie

Buff Bearded Silkie

Partridge Bearded Silkie