Silkie thread! - Page 2066

chick # 9 sex ? Got from Fuzzybird

I don't have any silkies to show off *totally jealous* but rather hoping to have a couple questions answered regarding silkies and other hens.

We've been thinking about chickens for years and have finally found a house in a town that allows backyard birds so I'm running before my feet even hit the ground. lol

We'd hoped to start with a few silkies, something more like a pet for the kids. Silkies have been recommended by many as a first chicken for us although, after reading about breeds here I'm not sure as there are so many sweet breeds. We definitely want to add laying hens so I'm wondering now if it's a good idea to get the silkies first and then add laying hens later. Should we skip the silkies altogether? Get everything at once? I'm hoping to have 2-4 laying hens that are docile, calm, friendly, quiet, something that won't be a bother to our new neighbors.

We like the idea of a tractor, it seems so easy, you don't have to clean out the bottom. Just move them to a new, clean space. I'm not against a stationary coop but would want a tractor to allow the hens to free range at least a little bit, especially when I'm running errands. The chickens could be out in the tractor/s with the dog in the yard to protect them. (see the anatolian to the left;-)

My goals in having chickens are to have pets to love, educate my children, provide eggs for my family, control the feed content, control insect population in my yard, and fertilize my yard and garden.

Advice?
 

I don't have any silkies to show off *totally jealous* but rather hoping to have a couple questions answered regarding silkies and other hens.

We've been thinking about chickens for years and have finally found a house in a town that allows backyard birds so I'm running before my feet even hit the ground. lol

We'd hoped to start with a few silkies, something more like a pet for the kids. Silkies have been recommended by many as a first chicken for us although, after reading about breeds here I'm not sure as there are so many sweet breeds. We definitely want to add laying hens so I'm wondering now if it's a good idea to get the silkies first and then add laying hens later. Should we skip the silkies altogether? Get everything at once? I'm hoping to have 2-4 laying hens that are docile, calm, friendly, quiet, something that won't be a bother to our new neighbors.

We like the idea of a tractor, it seems so easy, you don't have to clean out the bottom. Just move them to a new, clean space. I'm not against a stationary coop but would want a tractor to allow the hens to free range at least a little bit, especially when I'm running errands. The chickens could be out in the tractor/s with the dog in the yard to protect them. (see the anatolian to the left;-)

My goals in having chickens are to have pets to love, educate my children, provide eggs for my family, control the feed content, control insect population in my yard, and fertilize my yard and garden.

Advice?
 

I don't have any silkies to show off *totally jealous* but rather hoping to have a couple questions answered regarding silkies and other hens.

We've been thinking about chickens for years and have finally found a house in a town that allows backyard birds so I'm running before my feet even hit the ground. lol

We'd hoped to start with a few silkies, something more like a pet for the kids. Silkies have been recommended by many as a first chicken for us although, after reading about breeds here I'm not sure as there are so many sweet breeds. We definitely want to add laying hens so I'm wondering now if it's a good idea to get the silkies first and then add laying hens later. Should we skip the silkies altogether? Get everything at once? I'm hoping to have 2-4 laying hens that are docile, calm, friendly, quiet, something that won't be a bother to our new neighbors.

We like the idea of a tractor, it seems so easy, you don't have to clean out the bottom. Just move them to a new, clean space. I'm not against a stationary coop but would want a tractor to allow the hens to free range at least a little bit, especially when I'm running errands. The chickens could be out in the tractor/s with the dog in the yard to protect them. (see the anatolian to the left;-)

My goals in having chickens are to have pets to love, educate my children, provide eggs for my family, control the feed content, control insect population in my yard, and fertilize my yard and garden.

Advice?
 

I don't have any silkies to show off *totally jealous* but rather hoping to have a couple questions answered regarding silkies and other hens.

We've been thinking about chickens for years and have finally found a house in a town that allows backyard birds so I'm running before my feet even hit the ground. lol

We'd hoped to start with a few silkies, something more like a pet for the kids. Silkies have been recommended by many as a first chicken for us although, after reading about breeds here I'm not sure as there are so many sweet breeds. We definitely want to add laying hens so I'm wondering now if it's a good idea to get the silkies first and then add laying hens later. Should we skip the silkies altogether? Get everything at once? I'm hoping to have 2-4 laying hens that are docile, calm, friendly, quiet, something that won't be a bother to our new neighbors.

We like the idea of a tractor, it seems so easy, you don't have to clean out the bottom. Just move them to a new, clean space. I'm not against a stationary coop but would want a tractor to allow the hens to free range at least a little bit, especially when I'm running errands. The chickens could be out in the tractor/s with the dog in the yard to protect them. (see the anatolian to the left;-)

My goals in having chickens are to have pets to love, educate my children, provide eggs for my family, control the feed content, control insect population in my yard, and fertilize my yard and garden.

Advice?
 

Peep-- any ideas on that odd beak I posted on the last page???

oops-- two pages back now!  This post made it to the next page.