people with house chickens

[calichicken]

Thanks for your condolences. I'm trying not to be angry. We raised pedigreed cats for ten years and never once had an accident with kittens, many housed in bathrooms. (I no longer have a note above the toilet reminding users to keep the lid closed. BIG MISTAKE.)

I was really attached to Benita. She was so tiny, a "micro" Serama. I just bought her a hamster harness and leash.

I wish I could just let Jodie choose her own buddy, but I don't have any other chickens so I suppose I'll be taking a chance by bringing another critter home. Jody was a bit older than Benita. Benita was days old and huddled next to Jodie. I could get another chick that may cuddle her. If that doesn't work, I suppose separating them with wire might help.

have done that with a chick and it has worked, so maybe you can give it a try?

 

[Sylvester017]

my splash sizsle's best friend is an LF cochin. They are quite the pair in their fancy pants!

Chickens are so interesting in their little world.

It seems Cochins - bantam or LF - are sweet birds. I was offered a Cochin-Silkie cross but if I accepted every chicken offered me I'd have no room left LOL. I was thinking Cochins are probably not quite as good layers as Silkies anyway - my Silkies lay big eggs for little birds (1.25-1.5 oz). I had to pass up on a pair of Coronation Sussex because the breeder was thinning the flock and wanted the breeding project continued. I can't have roos so there went my chance to have a rare breed! I'm determined not to let chicken math get the best of me and I'm getting pretty practiced at saying "No" - LOL.

Over 3 years I've gone through 9 chickens sadly losing a couple to death, giving a couple as gifts, and re-homing a cockerel and some aggressive flockmates so we're down to 3 chickens now. The two Silkies are great layers when not broody so we only have one reliable LF layer. Next Spring I hope to add a couple gentle Breda for egg-layers. We'll see. If I can't find someone who ships juvie Breda I'll just bite-the-bullet and go to my favourite feed store and pick up a Dom and an EE as I know they are smaller gentler egg-layer birds. The feed store generally orders chicks from Privett Hatchery in NM. They order sometimes from other hatcheries but prefer using Privett (probably cheaper hatchery prices since brokers like MyPetChicken, CaliforniaHatchery or eFowl charge more for their chick orders).

My oldest Silkie was attached to our alpha White Leg LF who was a gentle bird for almost 3 years and then went ballistic on her flockmates. We gave the Leg a chance to settle down but when her aggression turned toward the Silkies I HAD to regretfully rehome her. I LOVE Legs for so many reasons but mixing assertive Mediterranean breeds with gentle or smaller breeds is eventually asking for trouble. All my assertive and heavier dual-purpose LF have been weeded out. The older Silkie avoids the younger Silkie and has attached herself to the LF Ameraucana who is gentle and non-combative (my avatar). After all the breeds we've gone through in 3 years the APA Amer has been the only one to peacefully exist with the Silkies. In fact she allows the oldest Silkie to be the alpha matriarch and submits to her. My chicken friend says her 1 Amer and 3 EEs are also just as sweet and non-combative.

 

[PBGGG]

Not a house chicken, but one of our Tetra Tints laid an egg today! So proud of them.

 

[flufssilkies]

Does any one have two baby chick diapers?

 

[subhanalah]

Not a house chicken, but one of our Tetra Tints laid an egg today! So proud of them.

did someone peck it?

 

[PBGGG]

did someone peck it?

I don't know. I just saw it like that in the nest box with a Tetra Tint hovering over it.

 

[Sylvester017]

Does any one have two baby chick diapers?

There is a BYCer that has them availabe (use the BYC Search) or you can Google a search on the internet or you can go on youtube.com and see a bunch of videos on how to make them - which is what I did since I don't like velcro fasteners around Silkie feathers.

 

[SunnyAlberta]

If you search here on byc, someone has a pattern for a diaper using a sock. Try a baby sock? There is another sock pattern on Pinterest. I'll post links tomorrow if you can't find them. I have them on my laptop.

 

[SunnyAlberta]

Are Silkies and Cochins the mellowest pet breeds? I know Seramas are bred to be pets,but they are very uncommon where I live.

 

[Ponyfeather]

My orpington is very sweet and mellow. I have heard good things about Cochins and Silkies. I know quiet a few have silkies here as house pets.