BYC members in Massachusetts?

[AlphaRooster]

Hope you enjoy your chickens as much as you enjoy the cape!

 

[ShrekDawg]

Good luck and have fun!! We just got our first chickens in October and they are a blast! We have 8 too! What breeds are you getting? As for the pup, I would say if you can try to keep him away. Or what I'm going to start aoon with my dog is working with him where he can look at the chickens as long as he looks back at me immediately and then he gets rewarded. We had to train the game,LAT (Look At That), first and started inside with them outside but it's pretty easy, I started with a favorite toy or piece of paper, something they wanna look at. We didn't start teaching him from the beginning though, he wasn't allowed near them. So they were already 7 weeks old when they moved outside. But I still don't think that I would trust him with loose chickens even once we work with him a ton (hes half black lab half great pyrenees) so you may just decide what I have, that keeping him away is best. Twoce my dog broke loose and ran laps around their rum utterly terrifying them.

Anyway, hope you enjoy them!

 

[Berkshirechick]

Aww, your hen Princess is a cutie. My hens used to get over loved by the rooster occasionally, but their combs would heal up in a few days.

 

[mooncon]

Hello! I am looking to start a mini flock (max 6) here in Burlington, MA in the next year. I have become obsessed! Its nice to find the group that's local.

I have two little ones (4 and 6) who really want silkies, but I'm worried they aren't cold hardy (or smart) enough for my lack of experience. They will mainly be pets. I've heard when you start out with chickens its best to get full size. Which there are just too many options

I've thought of ordering bantams from MPC but worried that the whole sexing of bantams is harmful to the chicks.

And, the biggest hang up for DH is what to do if we go away for a weekend or week?

Any advice is gladly warranted, especially for chicken sitting!

 

[KrisCVT]

I do not know much about Silkies, but other members have remarked that they are more cold-hardy than you would think. As far as the bantams- my sister has them (pets/eggs for her toddler son). She ordered the bantam assortment from Chickens for Backyards. She got a beautiful assortment of different hens. They did great (other than hawk attacks because she abuts conservation land). I also ordered from CFB (standard size) because I liked that you could place a small order. I LOVE my hens. I know that my sister sort of wishes she got full-size chickens, but the bantams are super cute. I do not think they are as cold hardy- so she moves them into her garage during bitter-cold weather. My hens are great with my nieces and nephews- I would recommend Barred Rock (my favorite girls) and Buff Orpingtons. I love the buff Brahmas too - hoping to get a couple in the future.
As far as vacationing- My sister has her babysitter come check on hers every other day. You can setup waterers/feeders to last a little bit (lots of threads on how to DIY- I made a feeder out of 4" PVC). I could not do that because of my 2 ducks that make a mess out of everything, so I had relatives check in daily when I was away for a week this past winter. Ensure that your enclosure is Fort Knox to keep out predators while you are away since no one would be around to monitor.

And because you are in MA- check out coopsforacause.net for a coop/run- they custom make them...seems pricey but when you price out supplies/time- it is well worth it. You have to go pick it up so make a day trip out of it to NH. I have pics on my profile page.

 

[Berkshirechick]

Mooncon, I got two silkies last spring, and they made it through the winter all right. We built a little insulated winter pen that adjoins the main coop, then found out that the way to keep them warm is to have a well ventilated, dry coop. Well, there went the insulated coop as my Dad (he loves projects, and I was busy with my first college semester) went ahead and cut ventilation holes in it

It had to be done, but at least the insulation kept the wind chill out of the pen. The silkies are just fine so far, though they are nonbearded and I don't know if that means they are more cold hardy. They can have trouble with regular perches I've been told, but mine figured out how to perch on regular perches. I made a flat perch for them to keep their little fluffy feet up close to their body, but they insisted on joining the others on the top perch.

As to size, my hen is large bantam sized but the roo is much bigger than any bantam I have ever owned. They are only classified as bantams because they often are light build I believe.

Have you tried taking your kids to a local farm with friendly chickens? They might change their mind about silkies if they get to hold some cute hens (my sister had a supper friendly sexlink hen, really cute chicken that saved my sister from going through "Henrietta crowed!" again. You can also get several week old chicks, more money but you know what your banties are.

Not sure if this picture worked, but it gives you and idea of my Roos size

 

[Berkshirechick]

I do not know much about Silkies, but other members have remarked that they are more cold-hardy than you would think. As far as the bantams- my sister has them (pets/eggs for her toddler son). She ordered the bantam assortment from Chickens for Backyards. She got a beautiful assortment of different hens. They did great (other than hawk attacks because she abuts conservation land). I also ordered from CFB (standard size) because I liked that you could place a small order. I LOVE my hens. I know that my sister sort of wishes she got full-size chickens, but the bantams are super cute. I do not think they are as cold hardy- so she moves them into her garage during bitter-cold weather. My hens are great with my nieces and nephews- I would recommend Barred Rock (my favorite girls) and Buff Orpingtons. I love the buff Brahmas too - hoping to get a couple in the future. 
As far as vacationing- My sister has her babysitter come check on hers every other day. You can setup waterers/feeders to last a little bit (lots of threads on how to DIY- I made a feeder out of 4" PVC). I could not do that because of my 2 ducks that make a mess out of everything, so I had relatives check in daily when I was away for a week this past winter. Ensure that your enclosure is Fort Knox to keep out predators while you are away since no one would be around to monitor. 

And because you are in MA- check out coopsforacause.net for a coop/run- they custom make them...seems pricey but when you price out supplies/time- it is well worth it. You have to go pick it up so make a day trip out of it to NH. I have pics on my profile page.

I agree with you KrisCVT, bantams are very cute, and some of my favorite hens where Buff Orps.. They were huge but fluffy, and one would ignore food just to come and be held, a big deal for a chicken. I was devastated when a weasel got her.

 

[keesmom]

I've had silkies for several years in an unheated and uninsulated coop and they have done just fine.

Here is one picture of them from a while ago, along with a half naked buff laced Polish. These are hatchery birds. They are smaller than silkies from a breeder, of which we have 2. Unfortunately during this picture they were in the coop brooding. The hatchery silkies are a little spazzier too.



These are the kids' bantam pets. Other favorites they have are large Cochins, Buttercups, and a Minorca that tolerate being handled. Friendly but non-huggable ones are Easter Eggers, speckled Sussex, brown Leghorn, and a couple of Egyptian Fayoumis.

I also have Faverolles. Those are my favorites.

 

[feetofclay1678]

Hello all! Another crazy chicken lady here in Mass! We are a family of 6 urban homestead wannabes, raising feathered friends for eggs, and free range children

 

[AlphaRooster]

Welcome aboard.