Are Silkie Roosters Loud? (How Loud and How Often)

Silkie roosters are less loud compared to the regular rooster. Its pitch is bit lower than that of other roosters making its crows less unsettling. As always there are exceptions depending on the particular temperament of that Silkie rooster. We have seen silkie roosters that are no less noisy than infamously loud breeds like Sebright roosters and the Jersey Giants.

A lot of factors come together to determine whether your Silkie rooster would be loud or relatively quiet. Is it the dominant? Will it be accommodating to other roosters in its acclaimed territory? How aggressively does it compete with other roosters for a mate?

How Loud are Silkie Roosters Compared to Other Breeds?

The Silkie Crow: Soft and Sweet

The Silkie rooster’s crow is famous for its gentle warble. “Silkie roosters’ calls are much softer and higher-pitched than those of many standard roosters. If you had to assign a decibel level, their crowing registers at about 60-65 dB on average.

That’s equivalent to normal human conversation in volume. Some people find the Silkie’s crow similar to a dove’s coo, as both sounds are pleasing and melodic.

Louder Breeds Can Crow Up To 90 dB

While the Silkie crow is subdued, other rooster breeds can crank up the volume. Several breeds, including the Rhode Island Red, Ameraucana, and Cornish Cross, are known to crow at levels around 85-90 dB.

To put that in perspective, 90 dB is the same volume level as a lawn mower engine. Compared to these louder breeds, the Silkie’s crow is significantly quieter.

How Loud is Too Loud?

Roosters that crow in the 80-90 dB range generate frequent noise complaints. The Silkie’s quieter, irregular crowing is less likely to ruffle feathers.

Silkies: Ideal for Urban and Suburban Flocks

Thanks to their polite vocalizations, Silkies are ideal for suburban or urban flocks, especially where loud roosters are not allowed. Like all roosters, Silkies do crow, but their volume stays within more acceptable levels.

What Does A Silkie Rooster’s Crow Sound Like?

Soft & Subdued

The Silkie’s crow is best described as soft and low-volume. While some roosters have piercing, shrill crows that carry over long distances, the Silkie’s is muted and mellow. “The volume of the Silkie’s crow rarely exceeds 65 decibels, which is about as loud as a normal human conversation. You may hear their polite crow from across the yard, but it won’t disrupt the whole neighborhood.

High-Pitched & Warbly

In terms of tone, the Silkie’s crow is distinctly high-pitched and warbly. It lacks the deep, resonant tones of many standard roosters. The timbre is light and smooth. Silkie roosters’ crows have a musical, flute-like quality, warbling up and down the scale.

Sparse & Sporadic

Unlike some breeds, Silkie roosters don’t crow consistently at daybreak. Rather, Silkies crow sparsely and sporadically throughout the day. You may hear a quick few crows at irregular intervals – but constant cock-a-doodle-dooing is rare.

Sounds Like A Dove’s Cooing

Many listeners say that the crow of a Silkie rooster is similar to the cooing of a mourning dove. The timbre and soft volume are similar to a dove’s mellow calls. The Silkie’s crow creates a tender, inviting mood, contrasting with the brash authority found in some other roosters’ crows.

How Often Do Silkie Roosters Crow?

Irregular Crowing

The Silkie rooster does not crow first thing every morning like clockwork as some breeds do. Rather, Silkies crow sporadically and irregularly throughout the day.

You may hear a few crows at random intervals, but constant crowing at daybreak is uncommon. Their crowing does not follow a predictable pattern.

Brief Crowing Sessions

Silkie roosters often crow in short bursts, usually only 2 or 3 crows at a time. Some roosters crow for many long minutes without stopping, but Silkies keep it brief.

Only 2-5 Times Per Day

A Silkie rooster typically crows between 2 to 5 times per day on average. The sessions are irregular and separated by long silent periods.

Affected by Weather & Seasons

Weather and seasons can cause fluctuations in a Silkie’s crowing frequency. More crowing may occur in warmer months or on sunny days. Rainy, cold weather may further decrease crowing.

Quiet in the Evening

Silkies rarely crow late in the day or into the evening. Their sporadic crowing is primarily a daytime occurrence.

Crow When Excited or Alarmed

Silkies may sometimes crow unexpectedly when they are excited, alarmed, or separated from their flock. But this reactive crowing is still infrequent.

What Age Does a Silkie Rooster Crow?

Every rooster is an eager crower. While some breeds start crowing as late as eight months, you can expect your Silkie rooster to start crowing around four to five months.

We have seen incredible cases where Silkie roosters started crowing as early as eight weeks of age. We have also been privy to incidences when a Silkie rooster starts crowing as late as 12 months of age.

The timing of a Silkie rooster’s first crow is commonly environmentally motivated. Being docile, a young Silkie rooster may not be keen on crowing if it has matured roosters living with it in its coop.

But when it even starts crowing, silkie roosters are not the most frequent crowers. They commonly crow early in the morning and in the evening. And when situated in a coop where the social order or hierarchy is well defined, a Silkie rooster may prefer to leave the crowing to the dominant male.

Are Silkie Roosters Aggressive?

Three in five Silkie roosters are docile and accommodating. The roosters of this breed rarely get aggressive unless for peculiar rooster personalities.

On the other hand, the relatively subtle personalities of Silkie roosters make them prone to bullying by other roosters. This is typical of roosters who don’t see very well and are docile.

That said, a Silkie rooster can get really aggressive if it notices its personal space is being invaded. The Silkier rooster is a bit territorial chicken and while it would prefer to generally avoid other birds, it would not always shy away from a fight if it senses its territory being encroached on.

How Big Do Silkie Roosters Get?

Silkie roosters rank among the smallest birds. While the enormous likes of the Jersey Giant can get as heavy as 15lbs and 26 inches tall, a fully developed Silkie rooster rarely weighs more than 3lbs and about 8-14 inches tall.

You may get fooled into mistaking the Silkie rooster for a big bird given its abundant fluffiness. But under those pretty fluffy feathers is almost nothing. There are even smaller versions of the Silkie rooster – the bantam – which weighs as little as 2lbs.

Are Silkie Roosters Bigger than Hens?

Compared to hens, silkie roosters come out a big larger. Such size deficit (in favor of the Silkie rooster) can be attributed to the rooster’s significantly enlarged combs and rounder wattles.

Will Silkie Roosters Kill Each Other?

Fundamentally, Silkie roosters are not mean or aggressive as other violent breeds like Asil roosters. But as when it comes to chicken temperament, there is always no hard and fast rule. An otherwise docile and friendly Silkie can in some conditions get murderously aggressive.

Therefore, when keeping Silkie Roosters together, there are two fundamental rules you must observe for peaceful coexistence between your roosters. This will drastically reduce fatalities from violent skirmishes between your Silkies.

Make sure your Silkie roosters have enough space for

Squeezing multiple Silkie Roosters in a relatively confined coop would inevitably create violent fights that can get even fatal. Remember, silkies despite being docile are territorial.

This means that if you must keep several roosters together, they should have sufficient space within the coop for them to run around without significantly disrupting each other’s routine.

They will always be dominant pairs in a coop. These guys must have their own space or territory within the coop. This is why your coop should have sufficient space.

Have a fair rooster-hen ratio

There are fewer ways to replicate a violent “World War” in your coop than by matching too many roosters to fewer hens. In a coop, the number of hens must be fairly distributed across your Silkie roosters.

Silkie roosters can fight to death for mates. This is why you need a fair hen-rooster ratio for peaceful coexistence in a silkie flock. Ideally, for each silkie rooster in your coop, you need at least 3 hens.

This will significantly shrink the competition between roosters for mating partners. Ultimately, this reduces the incidences of violent clashes between roosters.

How Many Hens Does a Silkie Rooster Need?

As said, to have a relatively less competitive atmosphere in your coop, one Silkie rooster will need anywhere between 3-4 hens. This way, a rooster has a sizable clutch of female spouses to assuage its reproductive urges.

This will also prevent excessive mating of the hen. Such can result in the feathers on the back of the over-mated hen becoming scantier (especially in the upper section), and further injuries to her skin.

Will Silkie Roosters Sit on Eggs?

Yes, silkie roosters brood too. They would sit on eggs to warm them up. But a silkie rooster cannot independently hatch the eggs it sits on.

Will Silkie Roosters Mate with Other Chickens?

Silkie roosters are open to mating hens outside their breed. Other chickens don’t mind being mated by Silkie roosters despite the striking distinction in the Silkie’s plumage.

Now as a breeder, when mating a Silkie rooster with a hen from another breed, you must be mindful of the size differences between them. The hen shouldn’t be excessively bigger than the Silkie rooster.

Mating a Silkie rooster with another breed (whose size is not too far off) like the Light Sussex or other Barnevelder like the Barnevelder works.

Do Silkie Roosters Have Wattles?

A Silkie’s pronounced waffle is one core component of its signature look. The Silkie rooster’s wattles are rounder. On closer inspection, you see that this breed’s roosters have wattles that look swept back.

The rooster’s wattles develop much quicker than the Silkie hen’s. They are longer than the female and even rounder. However, the wattle size varies among male Silkies.

How Much Does a Silkie Rooster Cost?

There isn’t a definitive price at which SIlkies are sold. Expectedly, the cost of each rooster depends on the breeder, the rooster’s age, quality and health, and the location.

Commonly, silkie roosters are sold around $10-$15 for a chick rooster. A much more affordable way to get Silkie roosters is to procure fertile eggs and do the incubation on your own.

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