Silkie thread!

[Half Moon Ranch]

We finished the coop and run today, a day later than I had planned, but done never the less with the exception of a few loose ends.
I'm working on a gravity fed PVC feeding system and watering system with poultry nipples, so that will come later.
The weather forecast decided to take a turn for the worst, so after I got the run finished, we brought the silkies out to hang out in it for a couple hours to get acclimated.
The kids did not know how to act at first and just stood there, since this was their first adventure outside the brooder.
They eventually started scratching and moving around the run.
Since it's supposed to rain tonight and all day tomorrow, and be in the 40's, we decided to bring them back inside until that passes.

As for me, I'm tickled and exhausted, so I'll post more later after some much needed rest.
Two days of 12 hours a day, but it was worth every minute to see them in their new home.





And a good time was had by all.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Would if you know for a fact they are not fertile because you have no roosters? Are you suppose to Let them keep some of their eggs anyway and let them pretend or should you keep taking them? Also how long are eggs good for out in the coop if they are not collected right away? I mean the kinds you plan to collect and eat. 

All of our eggs are fertile. There is nothing wrong with eating fertile eggs. So long as you collect the eggs every day. Once a hen sits on an egg and brings it up to temp for 24-48 hours it is no good for eating, fertile or not. We feed those ones to the dog. Eggs keep best at room temp of 16 degrees Celsius or lower.
Best not to wash your eggs until you are ready to eat them as you will remove the ' bloom ' and that helps protect the egg from outside elements.

 

[I<3MyChickens-Jewel&Flash]

Will a head rooster... The so called alpha let another rooster in same pen mate with hens in same pen?

my newest rooster hasn't mated yet that I saw. My alpha roo I see a lot. I'm hoping he will fertilize some eggs as I've had him since last fall. But my hen wasn't laying much. Now she is laying like crazy. And she didn't except him at first.

I have no idea of his age I think he's older. Newest roo is 8 mo.

of not I can switch alpha roo out so he can do the deed lol

 

[Iluvmysilkies]

All of our eggs are fertile. There is nothing wrong with eating fertile eggs. So long as you collect the eggs every day. Once a hen sits on an egg and brings it up to temp for 24-48 hours it is no good for eating, fertile or not. We feed those ones to the dog. Eggs keep best at room temp of 16 degrees Celsius or lower.
Best not to wash your eggs until you are ready to eat them as you will remove the ' bloom ' and that helps protect the egg from outside elements.

Oh ok, so it is important to collect the eggs everyday then? If I went out of town and didnt have anyone to collect the eggs then i'd just toss them when I got back?

 

[RockerHen]

Will a head rooster... The so called alpha let another rooster in same pen mate with hens in same pen?

my newest rooster hasn't mated yet that I saw. My alpha roo I see a lot. I'm hoping he will fertilize some eggs as I've had him since last fall. But my hen wasn't laying much. Now she is laying like crazy. And she didn't except him at first.

I have no idea of his age I think he's older. Newest roo is 8 mo.

of not I can switch alpha roo out so he can do the deed lol

For the most part, if a rooster acts dominant, he will not let the subordinate rooster breed hens, often kicking him right off the back of a hen. If the roosters seem okay with each others presence, never putting each other 'in their place,' they both will mate. I have 2 roosters in my layer pen, and the dominant one does most if not all of the mating, and keeps the submissive one in place, not allowing him to breed in his sight. In my silkie pen, however, I have two roosters who seem to be at an understanding-neither is dominant, but both share the hens equally and never seem to be irritated with each other.

 

[subhanalah]

Oh ok, so it is important to collect the eggs everyday then? If I went out of town and didnt have anyone to collect the eggs then i'd just toss them when I got back? 

you can cook them up and feed them back to the chickens or to your other animals.

 

[Sirracha]

She is a beauty!!!
They look so cute together!!!

I only have chicks too

If any of the littelens gets lethargic, try some honey water. It perks them up in no time flat. Use sparingly as it will cause diarrhea and dehydration also. I used this when my little black silkie was lethargic too.

 

[Sylvester017]

Is this normal behavior for all silkie hens? Does getting broody stress them out if they dont have eggs to incubate? Does it ever become a problem for them? Will they still get out, and mingle with everyone and eat/drink fine? I havent had a bunch of silkie hens yet so this will be new to me when mine grow up and I want to know what to expect. I dont really plan on breeding them, but have considered it if I end up with a really pretty rooster I like.

My Partridge girl was my first Silkie (with a brother who went back to the breeder). The Partridge started laying at 6 months and layed 5-6 eggs per week for almost a year without a moult or broody session. When the Partridge was 18 months old we added a Black Silkie pullet who at 8 months started going broody every 3-4 months. We stopped trying to break the broodies and let them set it out on their imaginary eggs. In about 3-4 weeks they tire of the session and go back to normal. Sometimes when the Partridge went broody, the Black decided to share custody to brood the same nest. It's contagious with Silkies.

We just make sure they get additional vitamins, take them out of the nestbox to go dust-bathe, eat, and drink and then they promptly return to nesting. We take them out of the nestboxes about 3X a day so they don't get ill or dehydrated. In about 3-4 weeks they get tired of setting and return to "normal" with the rest of the flock. I have no idea what sets Silkies off into broody mode as there never seems to be rhyme or reason. Some say spring or warm weather gets them started but my Partridge went broody during frost so dunno!

 

[Sylvester017]

We finished the coop and run today, a day later than I had planned, but done never the less with the exception of a few loose ends.
I'm working on a gravity fed PVC feeding system and watering system with poultry nipples, so that will come later.
The weather forecast decided to take a turn for the worst, so after I got the run finished, we brought the silkies out to hang out in it for a couple hours to get acclimated.
The kids did not know how to act at first and just stood there, since this was their first adventure outside the brooder.
They eventually started scratching and moving around the run.
Since it's supposed to rain tonight and all day tomorrow, and be in the 40's, we decided to bring them back inside until that passes.

As for me, I'm tickled and exhausted, so I'll post more later after some much needed rest.

Two days of 12 hours a day, but it was worth every minute to see them in their new home.





And a good time was had by all.

You have GOT to post this on the BYC coops thread! It is wonderful that the Silkies have all that room! Just a heads up on the coop thread - most everybody on there doesn't like 1" chicken poultry wire and always suggest hard-wire against predators so be prepared for those comments. Otherwise I know it will be one of the nicer coops to be posted lately.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Oh ok, so it is important to collect the eggs everyday then? If I went out of town and didnt have anyone to collect the eggs then i'd just toss them when I got back? 

Only if you think someone is sitting on them. They'll be fine for a couple of days even a week as long as it's not in the middle of summer. I don't leave eggs laying around cause if it doesn't trigger a brooder it is inviting egg eating, and once that starts it can be contagious.