Silkie thread!

[LittleRedCoop53]

I have one cockerel with six hens/ pullets.
Only three of my girls are laying at the moment. He seems to only have eyes for one hen. I'm wanting Fertile eggs and he's not doing his job. How do I get him to service all the girls? At least the ones that are laying. ??? Thanks

 

[TalkBahk2Me]

I have one cockerel with six hens/ pullets.
Only three of my girls are laying at the moment. He seems to only have eyes for one hen. I'm wanting Fertile eggs and he's not doing his job. How do I get him to service all the girls? At least the ones that are laying. ??? Thanks

I would separate him from the non layers and his favorite hen (Out of sight, out of mind technique) for a at least a few weeks, just to make sure those eggs get fertilized. This way he will have to focus only on the other girls.
Less distractions= More Results!

 

[Goosegrrl]

I would separate him from the non layers and his favorite hen (Out of sight, out of mind technique) for a at least a few weeks, just to make sure those eggs get fertilized. This way he will have to focus only on the other girls.
Less distractions= More Results!

I'd give him a day a week with his favorite hen and the non layers in that group, just to keep her eggs in the good, and maybe he'll come around on some of those other pullets as they mature as well.
The boy needs to learn that his job includes variety!

 

[LittleWhiteDove]

Is the bearded gene in Silkie's dominate over the un-bearded gene?

 

[Fancychooklady]

I have one cockerel with six hens/ pullets.
Only three of my girls are laying at the moment. He seems to only have eyes for one hen. I'm wanting Fertile eggs and he's not doing his job. How do I get him to service all the girls? At least the ones that are laying. ??? Thanks

You can afford to take his fav out for awhile, her eggs will be fertile for anywhere up to 4 weeks.

 

[kajira]

I have one cockerel with six hens/ pullets.
Only three of my girls are laying at the moment. He seems to only have eyes for one hen. I'm wanting Fertile eggs and he's not doing his job. How do I get him to service all the girls? At least the ones that are laying. ??? Thanks

I too would have her vanish for a week or two and only allow him to see her 1-2x a week for a few hours. LOL

 

[Fancychooklady]

Is the bearded gene in Silkie's dominate over the un-bearded gene?

From what I understand, you need two non bearded genes to achieve a non bearded bird . One of each gene will give varying sized beards and two bearded genes will give you a full beard. So the genes operate in pairs.

 

[Redhenny]

Beautiful to have your own zoo

 

[Sylvester017]

A few of my flock just have the extreme fluff around their heads and faces.
Not sure if it's because I'm in FL where the ground is only very light sand, but I don't get wear and tear on the feathering, just a dusty dirty look to foot feathering. Not even muddy. Just dark dusty.
Weather was not good today, extremely windy and rainy, so no trimming was done.
I'll try to get some good close-up before/after pics of them and I think the need for their trims should be evident.
Every owner decides what's best - I just don't trim because the fluff naturally wears down from all the corners of the yard they forage in -- picking up debris and mud and rocks tangling in their fur -- we just give them a bath & blowdry as need arises. It's been raining so hard here that the birds have actually been staying out of the yard and staying under cover of the coop patio so they are staying cleaner now than if it wasn't raining LOL! Luv to see your before/after shots!!
They are housed with OEGBs and 3 SS hens(for standard sized eggs to use in baking), and so far I have had zero feather picking from anyone. And zero picking of any dropped feathers in the coop. I have been feeding the Nutrena Naturewise Feather Fixer(along with supp oyster shell for the ladies) to everyone because the calcium is a bit lower than layer ration for the roos, and they all look in top shape.
Feather Fixer is good. I've been toying with the idea of having it as an at-will dish w/the other stations. We don't have roos (not zoned for them) but we have hens that stagger laying. So rather than feeding everyone just one feed, we have several stations of different feeds available -- Scratch & Peck organic non-processed 18% layer non gmo/no soy, Scratch & Peck 3-grain scratch, organic layer pellets, turkey grow crumbles, oyster shell, calcium carbonate and a treat scattering of wild bird seed. This way the hens choose what feed they need because when they aren't laying they don't need the oyster shell-laced layer feed - plus my Silkies don't seem to like the bigger pieces of oyster shell in the Scratch & Peck anyway.
On a side note: One of my young OEGB hens who has just started laying again after a short 'winter' (winter in FL) break of about one month just started back up by laying a full sized egg... full sized like the size my SS hens lay! I was shocked at the size of it. OUCH! Poor little girl. LOL
That's how I feel about Silkie eggs -- they seem so large for only a 2-lb hen!
I can easily tell the OEGB eggs from the SS eggs because of the color and sheen. The SS eggs are a light pinkish tan and very matte, almost chalky, the OEGB eggs are cream-ivory colored and have a sheen to them, like porcelain. I never expected to get an egg that big out of such a tiny little hen.
I used to be able to tell which Silkie layed which egg -- one would be pink & glossy while the other was cream & matte -- but now that they are both older birds (6 and 5 yrs) their eggs are both cream and have lost their gloss. The only way I can tell the difference now is that one lays a slightly narrower longer egg than the other.

 

[Sylvester017]

I second that on needing pics

they all must be sooo pretty! Congrats your hatch and so many Pullets!

Cynthia 12- you could always get your roo a crow collar to minimize the noise output

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FYI - Velcro is on crow collars. I don't use velcro (like on chicken diapers) because the fluffy fur of the Silkie feathers gets tangled in the velcro.