New for 2026 are a sweet line of birds: Romeo and Juliet
Completely unique to our farm, this cross of breeds is born out of true love here at Alchemist Farm.
It all started when one of our Welsummer hens decided to fall in love with one of our Silkie roosters from all the way across our property! Here is the story of how this offering came about now these chicks which once were only part of our surprise boxes will now be their own stand alone breed offering for 2026. We always work with nature and not against it, it is the foundation and ethos of our farm so out of respect for the two chicken lovers we kept them together and they will stay together for as long as nature lets them.
We were not sure what kind of interesting bird this cross would create, what we discovered was that the Romeo and Juliet Chicks grew up to be SO SWEET. They look incredibly unique and have a laid back SUPER soulful personality. Check out one of the girls all grown up here.
If you would like to have some of this energy of pure love from our farm brought into your backyard, this is a lovely type of chick to add to your order.
They will lay lovely light brown eggs sometimes with speckling and they are excellent foragers, their feather coloring helps them blend into their surrounding landscapes.
They are only offered straight run so each chick has a 50/50 chance of being male or female.
Romeo and Juliet Chick $15 each
Romeo & Juliet Chicks
Born from a love story across our property — Welsummer × Silkie
This breed has the unlikeliest origin story on our farm. A Welsummer hen and a Silkie rooster lived on opposite sides of our property — different breeding groups, different pastures. One quietly fell in love with the other. When we noticed, we did what any farm run by humans rather than by spreadsheets would do: we kept the pair together out of respect for whatever was happening between them. The chicks that resulted were beautiful, soulful, and unlike anything we’d seen before.
For years we only offered Romeo & Juliet Chicks in our surprise boxes. Demand has grown enough that for 2026 we’re offering them as a standalone breed for the first time. They are completely exclusive to our farm.
Quick Breed Stats
| Trait | What to expect |
| Egg color | Light brown, sometimes lightly speckled |
| Egg size | Standard |
| Egg texture | Smooth |
| Eggs per week (peak) | 3-4 |
| Time to point of lay | 22-24 weeks |
| Adult hen weight | 4-5 lbs |
| Cold tolerance | Good with draft-free shelter |
| Heat tolerance | Very good with shade |
| Disposition | Sweet, soulful, calm — true companion temperament |
| Free-range ability | Very high — excellent foragers, blend into landscape |
| Broodiness | Moderate to high (Silkie heritage) |
| Plumage | Mix of Silkie soft and Welsummer earth tones — landscape-blending |
| Sexing | Straight run only |
What Makes Our Romeo & Juliet Chicks Different
- Completely exclusive to Alchemist Farm — not available anywhere else in the United States.
- Born from a real love story between a Welsummer hen and a Silkie rooster on our farm.
- Previously only offered in surprise boxes; new as a standalone breed for 2026.
- Feathers blend beautifully into landscape — natural camouflage for free-ranging.
- Calm, soulful temperament makes them one of the most companionable breeds we keep.
- Carry the Silkie’s tendency to go broody, making them potential foster mothers for other breeds.
Care Basics
- Carry some Silkie genetics, so coop should stay reasonably dry.
- 2-3 sq ft of coop per hen, 6-8 sq ft of run.
- Excellent foragers — they’re at their best with free-range time.
- Standard 20% chick starter, then high-quality layer feed.
Pricing
| Product | Price | Notes |
| Romeo & Juliet straight-run chick | $15 | 50/50 male/female |
Shipping is a flat $70 for up to 25 chicks via overnight USPS Express. Seasonal minimums: 10 chicks March-May and October, 6 chicks June-September. Local farm pickup is free with no minimum (we recommend at least two chicks so none is brooded alone).
Pair Your Romeo & Juliet Chicks With
- Heritage Welsummers — the Welsummer parent line
- Bantam Silkie — the Silkie parent line
- Homesteaders Chicks — a great working-flock companion to Romeo & Juliet
- Moss Eggers — for earth-tone egg variety alongside
Common Questions
Are Romeo & Juliet chicks Welsummer or Silkie?
Both. They’re a first-generation Welsummer × Silkie cross. The exact balance of traits varies from chick to chick — some carry more Welsummer body type, others lean toward the Silkie’s fluffier feathering.
Will the chicks have silkie feathers?
It varies. Most Romeo & Juliet chicks have a mix of standard and partially-silked feathering. Truly silked feathers are less common but possible.
Are they good free-rangers?
Yes — surprisingly so. Their landscape-blending feather coloration gives them natural camouflage, and they’re confident foragers despite the Silkie heritage.
Why are they called Romeo & Juliet?
Because of the unlikely cross-property romance that produced the original pair. We kept the original Welsummer hen and Silkie rooster together as a breeding pair out of respect for whatever they had going. The name stuck.
| Ready to bring Romeo & Juliet Chicks home? |