Indigo Egg! by Sal & Bobbi Porto Silkie bantam chickens & eggs

About Us

We raise both Silkies & Naked Neck Silkies!

I raise Accepted colors and Non-Standard Variety (NSV) colors of Silkie Chickens to meet the American Poultry Association Standard of Perfection:

White, Blue, Black, Splash, Buff, Partridge, Porcelain, Cuckoo, Lemon Cuckoo, Crele, Red & Red Cuckoo.

I also have Naked Neck Silkies in most colors and eggs available most all the time.

Our Flock

updated as of 6/9/23

WHITE:

Stormy with 5 White, 1 White Naked Neck

Yeti with 3 White & 2 White Naked Necks

Blue/Black/Splash:

Ziggy (Blue) w/1 Black, 1 Splash

Buster (Blue) with 1 Splash, 2 Blue, 1 Blue NN and 1 Black

Stirling (Black) with 2 Blue

Gaspari (Black) with 4 Black girls

Zoro (Black) with 4 Black

Huckleberry (Blue) with 3 Blue girls

CUCKOO:

Skaliwag (Cuckoo) with 1 Cuckoo, 2 Cuckoo NN, 1 Black

Chip (DB Cuckoo) with 4 Black, 1 Black NN

CRELE:

Peppi (Crele) w/1 Crele NN, 2 Partridge NN and 1 Crele

Dusty (Crele) w/ 2 Crele

REDS!... :)

Fireball (Red) with 4 Red

Roary (Red NN) with 4 Red, 1 Red Pyle

Phoenix (Red NN) with 2 Red, 1 Red Cuckoo

Saroo (Red) with 5 Red Cuckoo

Tigger (Red Cuckoo) w/2 Red Cuckoo, 2 Red NN, 2 Red Pyle Cuckoo NN

BUFF:

Scotty (Buff) with 3 Buff girls, 2 Buff Naked Necks

Cheese (Buff) with 1 Buff, 2 Lemon Cuckoo, 3 Red NN

(hatching for me)

Lucky (Buff) with 2 Buff x Porcelain girls

LEMON CUCKOO etc...

Hobgoblin (Lemon Cuckoo) w/1 Red Cuckoo NN, 2 Lemon Cuckoo, 1 Buff

BLUE CREAM fka Porcelain

GOON with 5 girls

GISEPI w/1 Lavender, 3 Biue Cream & 1 Blue Cream Cuckoo

DOBBY with 4 + 1 NN girl

NOOGY with 2 girls

More juvies growing up

Prices: Eggs & Chicks ...

CHICKS on up in age....

1 day to 2 weeks... $20.00 pick up only

2 weeks to 1 month... $25.00

(I don't ship younger than 4 weeks old)

over 1 month... $30

2 mo ... $35-40

3 mo ... $45-55

4 mo ... $60-65

5 mo ... $70-75

6 mo ...$80-85

7 mo + $100

Show winners may be as much as 200 each

Pet quality is less

Pet chicks are free with a nice one

All chicks before 4 mo of age sold straight run (unsexed)

When I can tell the sex they are sold in boy/girl pairs until all the extra boys have good homes.

Pullets are twice the price when available.

I try to be as fair as possible with pricing. I do this as a beloved hobby, but I think everyone should have a Silkie or 3 or more!!! :) All of my breeder birds are show quality.
All chicks will not be, but I make sure they have no DQs before I ship unless you want pets.

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10 ONE MONTH OLDS or 4-5 TWO MO OLDS or a PAIR will fit in one box.... send me your full address so I can put it in my endicia shipping program and give you the shipping cost. cell 813-230-4499 It is usually 65 to 85

They normally arrive in 12 to 36 hours and are shipped with a full can of drained whole kernel corn.

Weather where you are and Memphis and here at 7pm... highs below 85 and lows above freezing.

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........................EGGS..................................

THERE MAY BE A LONG WAIT ON SOME COLORS OR IF MY HENS ARE TAKING A BREAK LAYING.

They are $65 per dozen plus $25 shipping, Total $90

or $125 for two dozen plus $30 shipping, Total $155
USA and territories only
PLEASE READ MY SITE INFORMATION AT THE BOTTOM
ABOUT SHIPPING AND POLICIES BEFORE YOU PURCHASE

I cannot ship Silkies if the weather does not permit it, but I will check weather every Monday until I can :) The low temps must be above freezing, high temps below 85, where you are, Memphis (the hub) and here at 7pm. They stay inside mostly, but just in case!

I do have a good transporter withing a day.

My Email is BlueEggChick@aol.com - can be VERY SLOW
My cell is 813-230-4499 - text fastest
Please leave a message as we may be
outside with all the critters :)

PAYMENT INFORMATION HERE...... Put your name, address, phone # and what you want (eggs, chicks, colors, ages) WITH your payment. Thanks!

Our address is

Sal & Bobbi Porto,

1542 Piermaj Ln

Lutz, FL 33549-5744

to mail a check or money order.

I have PayPal at BlueEggChick@aol.com please add the 4% fee and what you are ordering in the notes....

I also have Venmo ... @Bobbi-Porto

Sal's PayPal friends & family no fee, wookie879@aol.com

813-230-4499 text fastest, send address and what you want by text at time of payment

SILKIES AVAILABLE - updated 6/19/2023

SILKIES BY HATCH DATE

I hatch about every 2 weeks, so this changes fairly quickly...

I will be busy until July, but I have several hatches

June 1s, June 7th and June 17th, next being June 28th ... I'll tally colors soon.

All have correct Silkie features unless they say pet. Ask if you don't see what you want. I may have too many :) and I will look ... There are usually a few pet chicks as I hatch every 2 weeks whatever eggs I don't sell. Pets are free with a show potential.

I may can still ship if my evening temps are not too hot..... I also know a great transporter within a day.

If you see a boy you want... and want a pair, ask what girls I can let go with a boy

****Still going over all the younger ones I'm hoarding... just ask...

I will try to get videos soon! Vidoes can be viewed by searching Bobbi Porto on You Tube or my Bobbi Porto Facebook page.... It's been crazy busy :)

I hatch for orders, eggs not sold and my projects :) ... ALL YEAR about every 2 weeks. I band all chicks by the rooster of the coop... I have my flock listed above.

I am bad at hoarding. If you want a certain color, ask. You just never know :)

I have a hard time listing them all. Especially the 2mo olds!! They are all mine until I run out of room and decide to sell them 0:). Summer is a good time to come by and get a special on them... It's SO HOT!

SHIPPING INFORMATION

10 one month olds or

4-5 two mo olds or

1 pair will fit in one shipping box.

Text me your full address so I can put it in my endicia program and find out the shipping cost.

My cell is 813-230-4499 much faster than email, which I rarely check... I'm trying to be better :)

The high temperatures there, Memphis and here at 7pm need to be below 85 and low temps above freezing on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, the days I ship. OR... my friend who transports may can deliver within a day from us.

I take them to the post office at 6pm and ship in a USPS approved box Express mail with a whole can of drained whole kernel corn. They arrive in 12 to 36 hours normally. I send you the tracking # as soon as I make the label.

Site Content

Additional Information

Chicks are hatched mostly to fill orders and for me! so order early if you would like a certain age.

I am a MASTER EXHIBITOR with limited showing, but, I don't show much anymore.... My thing is hatching for myself... and for others to show!!!! and send me pictures LOL I've been hatching for 21 years and it NEVER gets boring!! I have created new colors :) with great enthusiasm!!!

I got my start with Alan Stanford, George Mihalik, and Shorty Polston. When they visited, or I visited them, we talked for hours and hours and never seemed tired until we were done! Alan and Alice visited at least once a year and we would go over every bird... George flew here with pneumonia!! and didn't tell me until we had gone over 300 birds!! Shorty and Alan and I went over 500 for 6 hours and when we were done, Shorty said, "I will never criticize another judge!" LoL I gave many to a low income 4H group after that. 500 is way too many!!

You get my knowledge with my chicks. I will help you with anything you need to know or try to find out for you if I don't know. I made a chicken care summary page below. We love our chickens and want them to have the best life possible. Give us a call, but I must warn you... I love to talk chicken!! I am also on Facebook and Messenger and do quite a few uploads of pictures and videos there under Bobbi Porto mostly, but I do have an Indigo Egg page too. I rarely check it, but I'll try to do better and post pictures when something is available and I have time!

Return/Refund policy: All sales are final. I do not take back birds for bio-security reasons. Replacements are sent by mutual agreement. I try to be as fair as possible. I cannot refund postage. Raising Silkies and Orpingtons is a labor of love. I would rather not sell to anyone that does not love them. Eggs have no guarantee. If you want a sure thing, you need to order chicks. I cannot control how they are handled in shipment and I have no control over how many will hatch. I can tell you that most times there will be chicks. I make sure all my coops have fertile eggs coming from them before I sell eggs. I keep them all happy and healthy and I hatch many during the year :). Live chicks are
your best bet. They almost always get there overnight or within 36 hours at the latest. The PO does not insure chicks because they hand them off to FedEx, but they do guarantee a postage refund if they don't make it in time.

I have had chicks hatch in Ireland, France, Holland, Israel, Italy, Spain, Germany, The Netherlands, Finland, Russia, The Bahamas, Kuwait and all 50 states and Puerto Rico, but I do not ship eggs overseas anymore.

Please TEXT for more information. 813-230-4499 I have a friend who transports chickens. We have also been known to meet people if we are traveling in their direction. We attend dog shows and chicken shows occasionally, when time permits.
Thanks for viewing our site!!!

See my Chicken care summary page below

CHICKEN CARE SUMMARY PAGE

("\(v)/") CARRING FOR CHICKENS ("\(v)/")

"I think true happiness can only be found in the wanton indulgence of
animals" - Hobbes

A clean coop with white builder's sand and pine shavings & an enclosed outdoor run of dirt & grass if possible. We also build platforms with 1" x 1" wire for those who don't roost on the 2" dowels about 4 to 6 inches off of the ground. A portable coop can be put around the yard if you have hawks.
We've made them from PVC (90 side out for corners) and 1/2" X 1/2" hardware cloth (wire) (or plastic fencing, light weight) Coops should be 5 square feet for each bird for bantams and 10 square feet each for large birds. A nest box, they will share. Silkies will use a dish pan.

A complete feed, Game Bird Layena 20% or Manna Pro egg maker 18% If you are planning to raise stronger chicks you may need the extra protein. Even if you aren’t it’s ok to raise the protein to 20% (no higher!). Chicks need 18% at least for the first 2 weeks and up to 24% after that. Adult Silkies need 16% - 20% protein. They also have a 30% MannaPro Gamebird showbird feed that you can mix with
the feed to adults for a boost. Gamebird 30% starter to mix for chicks over 2 weeks. Purina Naturals non-medicated chick starter is what I use. Medicated feed is NOT recommended for baby Silkies.
Southern States has 21% Super Breeder and other good feed.

Organic grain recipe for organic eggs for healthier chickens and people! (optional) You can’t do this with many chickens!! too much $$ unless you get it by the truckload or are near an organic mill.
www.countrysidenatural.com or health food store in bulk
Corn, 2 parts whole or cracked
Wheat, 3 or 4 parts
Oats, 1 part
Sunflower seeds, 1 part hulled, 2 parts shelled
Green Lentils, 1 part
Split Peas, 1 part
Barley, 1 part
Millet, 1 part
Flax, 1 part
Seaweed or Kelp Meal, ½ part,
Supplements: (optional)
Powdered Organic Garlic, health and parasites
Diatomaceous Earth, food grade, for parasites/minerals
Chick starter supplement (McMurray)
Vita-Pro-B from www.firststatevetsupply.com

Oyster shell, tough shell or calcium chips - Offer layers free choice
Granite gravel and grit - Offer chicks and adults for digestion
WATER… FRESH everyday with (opt): Apple Cider Vinegar (probiotic) (occasionally)
One sliced clove of garlic per gallon if no powdered available
Greens or grass or alfalfa hay or kelp meal
Some sunlight (good for coop to get sunlight part of the day) Sun cleans
Yogurt treat...can mix with oats or lentils & peas to soften them.
Or www.firststatevetsupply.com has probiotics for sale and a most complete vitamin mineral supplement Vita-Pro-B... and emulsified Oil of Oregano (origanum), also Amprol if needed for coccidiosis. I have not used that in 6 years since I started using oil of oregano in the waterers

0.6ml starting at 10 days to 10 weeks, then continue outside or you can use the occasional Apple Cider Vinegar.

CHICKS
Incubate eggs at 99 ½ to 100 degrees, judge temp by length of hatch.(21 days to hatch) Hatch in a clean incubator Humidity 50% or more and then 65% or more at hatch time. Chicks should be in a clean box or plastic tub with paper towels (when just hatched) some use pine shavings.. I do not.
I am making wire brooders the size of my tubs. I keep a 100 watt Red floodlight (not LED) about a foot over one end of the brooder. I grind up feed if tiny bantams (coffee grinder) Organic dry oatmeal can be used if you run out of feed or need to entice them to eat. Fresh water with a rock for so they can push out of the water if they fall in.
Keep chicks at 90-95 degrees the first week of life
85 the second week
80 the 3rd
75 the 4th
Make sure they can get away from the heat if it’s too hot. Use an oblong plastic tub or cage, careful that their feet won't go through the bottom wire and get stuck 1/2" X 1/2" or cover solid.

I dip their beaks in the water gently as soon as they hatch and dry... They will usually peep and taste the water and drink it. Always make sure your newly hatched babies know where the water is! Dehydration is a killer. Be careful not to drown them. It’s easy at this age. The first few days of life I grind up the chick starter if I’m feeding bantams... much less waste as the throw around the chunks that are too big. Some will not eat right away, but usually start eating by the end of the first 24 hours of life. They say chicks can go without food for a couple days, but if you aren’t shipping them there is no need to put them under that stress. I don't ship day old Silkies.

On the 5th week they can go outside (with heat lamps if it’s cold) and clean shavings if the weather is ok. 8 to 10 weeks old is MUCH better. Have granite gravel and grit for them at all times. They need it to digest their food. Fresh water daily. At 8 weeks they are usually fully feathered and can go outside without a lamp if the weather is OK.
Feed them Grower at 20 to 24% until they are about 6 to 7 months. When they start laying you should switch them to Layer at about 18 % at least.

30% protein can kill boys fist because they don't lay eggs... and is hard on the kidneys. Not good for the girls either. I would not feed over 20 % protein. Or you can feed them other protein to boost
the percentage, such as cooked egg or meal worms... You can't beat the science that goes
into chicken feed. There are more chickens than people! Scratch is not good for them... It's like sugar and it's only purpose is to make them scratch up and turn the coop bedding.
Always offer oyster shell and grit free choice to laying hens.
Lots of good information can be found in the articles on Alan Stanford’s site www.browneggblueegg.com such as Wheat treats...Silkie skull, Helping Silkies see,etc...

I make treats with oatmeal instead of wheat.

In hot hot weather, a fan & vitamins would be nice… Cold weather is when mites might become a problem. Dust lightly with garden dust with Permethrins and again in 10 days to break the cycle making sure not to get it in their eyes. Dust the coop sand. A once a month preventative
dust might be a good idea. arbicco.com organics has fly predators... the work!!
Also Countryside Natural has a DE w/pyrethrins dust. You don’t want to put so much on that the chickens are inhaling it. You can also get DE with Neem from Dr Mercola's site or Poultry Protector from firststatevetsupply.com
Follow worming and vaccination recommendations for your area.

Peter Brown, Chicken Doctor, 1-410-546-6137 anytime
www.firststatevetsupply.com or www.askthechickendoctor.com

He may be on BlogTalkRadio.com "The Chicken Whisperer" He has a degree in Poultry Science and over 40 years of doctoring and studying chickens, keeping our pets and show chickens well. Quite a bit of dedication!
Florida Dept of Agriculture, National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) They test your birds yearly for free in my area.

Tips for keeping new older chicken arrivals healthy and happy:
Start them out on fresh clean bedding, free from bacteria of the new area. Gradually introduce dirty bedding from other areas so they may build up a resistance to the new bacteria. Supplement feed with vitamins and probiotics for a little help to get through this stressful time. This tip is from Doris, the APA Youth Coordinator... thanks Doris!
When I get a new one, I wash them to make sure they don't have bugs and quarantine them for at least 2 weeks in a cage so I can check their pooh for anything unusual.... But for many years I have just traded eggs if I need a new line. Such fun to hatch!! Everyone that owns chickens should read an article on coccidiosis. Peter Brown has oil of oregano... proven to keep them healthy. Much better than antibiotics.

One more thing to consider: When building a coop for your new chickens… don’t forget that just about every varmint loves chicken…. Hawks, Owl, snakes, opossum, fox, mink, weasels, raccoon,
marmot, dogs, cats, coyotes, bobcat… maybe even armadillo and bears!. You need to make a coop that is completely enclosed for them to sleep in… and if they are bantams, their run also needs to be. I bury the 1/2" x 1/2" wire on the outside down into the ground about a foot or so and then back out
towards you another couple feet. This way if something tries to dig into the coop it will hit wire and give up. Poultry wire is useless!!! Raccoon and Fox will scare the chickens to the side of the coop and snatch them right through chicken wire… or at least part of them…. If chickens are raised off of the ground over wire, their toes can be snatched. Sad. I hear it all too often. Be careful. Protect them.

The following comments are copied from someone's web chats:
A while back I took my Frizzle Rooster to my Avian vet for a pedicure, because his spurs were sooooo HUGE, I was afraid to cut them...Filing would have been futile. (You can twist them off with pliers)
She said he had mites. I said IMPOSSIBLE! She scraped his scaly feet and under the microscope, showed me the creepy crawly gross, crab like yucky's. At the time, I didn't think scaly feet had anything to do with mites. And because they can’t be seen with the naked eye....who'd have thunk it? Momma Frizzle had scaly feet, too. Anyway, her prescription:
4 CC/ML Ivermectin (1% INJECTABLE) in ONE gallon of water, 3 days, repeat in 14 days. No other source of water should be provided. Their feet, looked like new born baby feet after about a week. The scale just disappeared. Vet also said that if they have any mites of their body's they would
bite and die from the Ivermectin. Same treatment for Coccidia, by the way. I've NEVER had a mite, lice or any creepy crawly problem. Hope this helps.
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I use it everyday!!!! It's a temp./ Humidity prob made by Cooper-Atkins Corp. located in Middlefield, CT. The unit is called a Temp/Humidity Digital Instrument model #SRH77A. It's the most accurate one you can buy. You can use it on any incubator because it's portable. all you need is a small hole to stick the probe into. You press a button and it will jump between the temp and humidity readings. You can plug it in. You won't be sorry if you get one! I've used every kind of temp/humidity device you can find, and it's by far one of the best investments I've made, along with the "Buddy" portable heart monitor for eggs.
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I've read on Dr. Mercola's website about a study that said using regular 3% H2O2 followed by spraying with vinegar did a better job of disinfecting kitchen counter tops than bleach did. This is what I now use for coops and water fonts. I have been using the following steps to disinfect since 2001:
1. houses / coops are rested at least 21 days after disinfecting
2. I start the process by using a burner and burn off all the dander, etc.
3. Then the house is washed down using soft soap and water
4. Then I spray with vinegar followed by H2O2 and leave to biodegrade without rinsing.
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One of the best first books can be obtained from the library or used online called, "Chickens In Your Backyard". It is a short and fun read and so worth the time. You will avoid lots of problems the more you know.

More great informative sites
www.thepoultrysite.com
www.feathersite.com
www.backyardchickens.com
www.browneggblueegg.com

Check them out! and have a blessed day! I am also on Facebook as Bobbi Porto and Indigo Egg
And you can search Bobbi Porto videos on YouTube :)

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If anyone would like me to add more to this page or correct any information, please contact me! :)

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Indigo Egg

Indigo Egg! by Sal & Bobbi Porto Silkie bantam chickens & eggs

Indigo Egg! by Sal & Bobbi Porto Silkie bantam chickens & eggs