Recent content by ArmstrongRanch

  1. ArmstrongRanch

    Giant Silkie?

    As an adult our Giant Silkie rooster weighed about 8 pounds. Our regular Silkies were 3-5 pound birds (3 being hens, 5 being roosters). A visiting German said they call the Silkie "Puttanesca" over there (perhaps after the meat dish they make of the bird), and there the Silkie is a standard...
  2. ArmstrongRanch

    Can a Rough Coat collie Pup be Trained to Herd Chickens?

    Congratulations on your dog's CGC! Well done. I'd think he's got herding instinct, and flock protection instinct, from what you've written. Herding instinct is derived from prey drive. A dog that will kill a woodchuck has prey drive. Probably your dog would not be a threat to his stock: he's...
  3. ArmstrongRanch

    Can a Rough Coat collie Pup be Trained to Herd Chickens?

    Our collie was about 3 months old when we got him. I took him with me for farm chores every day. Our chickens have to be put back after a brief period of free-ranging, they have to be protected from predators, and they have to be kept on our small property without use of fence. The pup watched...
  4. ArmstrongRanch

    Got sand? You should!

    We have a Welsh Harlequin drake and his two duck hens in with our chickens. He's fine with the chickens, and a whole lot quieter than a rooster. Wetness is an issue, though. Ducks don't have to have ponds but I find they can splash water out of waterers and make muddy messes quickly. They can...
  5. ArmstrongRanch

    Confused about duck gender

    From pictures I've looked at a buff drake would have a grey head? see http://www.metzerfarms.com/BuffDucks.cfm?Breed=Buff&BirdType=Duck&ID=B so I would think if the buffs are all buff, including the head, they should be female? It may be they are establishing dominance. Curly tail feathers are...
  6. ArmstrongRanch

    Giant Silkie?

    We accidentally got Giant Silkies from our local Tractor Supply Feed store this Spring. We called the store, they said, call the hatchery... Apparently one strain of Mt. Healthy Hatchery Silkies "runs large." Here is a photo of the Silkie rooster - 3 1/2 months old - next to an 8 month old...
  7. ArmstrongRanch

    How long do Silkie Bantam eggs need to hatch?

    I have had a silkie hen successfully hatch a healthy chick at 30 days incubation - her hatch started at 26 days and she hatched a single chick every day through the day 30. 21 days is usual for most chickens, but sometimes silkies can take longer. If there is competition for food or harassment...
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