Are silkies good protectors?

[McChooky]

Case in point:
This is daily below one of the wild bird feeders strung in the tree above so the bear can't get it.

The chickens try chase the squirrels and chipmunks off, but they play games and run to the tree, then turn around and come right back.
View attachment 3974944

Exactly! If I had a big grassy lawn I'd get some but I'm afraid I'd forget to trim the feathers .My chickens have been supervising the catio I'm building

 

[Chickenmumma7]

Trim the feathers around their face so they can run and hide or they'll quickly become a predators lunch.Hidings their only defense

Lol thank you. It comes as a surprise to me because he bites me quite hard when I grab him. Even left a mark this last time! We raised him so we do love him and hope to integrate him with our flock. Do roos only protect hens they grew up with? I hear sometimes they pick on the hens..why would that be?

 

[Debbie292d]

Lol thank you. It comes as a surprise to me because he bites me quite hard when I grab him. Even left a mark this last time! We raised him so we do love him and hope to integrate him with our flock. Do roos only protect hens they grew up with? I hear sometimes they pick on the hens..why would that be?

I'd question keeping that one that bites you while you're holding him. That's a little over and above, but maybe he'll grow out of that. That's like famous last words for young roosters...maybe they'll grow out of it.

I don't see ours picking on the hens, but the newer roosters may appear to be doing that as they don't know what they're doing yet. I've seen one mate an old hen 4 times in a row, one of the times he was backwards, until I ran over and shoo'd him off her. We can't always see what they're doing but hopefully they just get past that.

Usually, it's about a year or more before any quirks get outgrown. Some may never stop being mean, and that's when a decision has to be made.

Roos will protect the ones that are hanging out with him. Other chickens will hear the call for danger too.

 

[McChooky]

Lol thank you. It comes as a surprise to me because he bites me quite hard when I grab him. Even left a mark this last time! We raised him so we do love him and hope to integrate him with our flock. Do roos only protect hens they grew up with? I hear sometimes they pick on the hens..why woand uld that be?

Some roosters will chase hens that refuse to submit or mate, others won't let them eat or drink. The hens that stick the closest to the rooster are the hens he'll protect the best. A roosters job is to mate the hens, sound alerts and get their hens to safety when dangers present.The ones who protect them best usually die young

 

[McChooky]

Lol thank you. It comes as a surprise to me because he bites me quite hard when I grab him. Even left a mark this last time! We raised him so we do love him and hope to integrate him with our flock. Do roos only protect hens they grew up with? I hear sometimes they pick on the hens..why would that be?

It was evident from an early age that one of my cockerels was more aggressive than the other .He was the slowest to mature but once he did he forced himself on the hens.My other rooster was laid back and didn't fight him over the hens .Oddly the aggressive rooster never attacked him over the girls either.They roosted side by side until I decided to get rid of the one that was mean to the hens.He also acted like he wanted a piece of me too.

 

[Chickenmumma7]

I'd question keeping that one that bites you while you're holding him. That's a little over and above, but maybe he'll grow out of that. That's like famous last words for young roosters...maybe they'll grow out of it.

I don't see ours picking on the hens, but the newer roosters may appear to be doing that as they don't know what they're doing yet. I've seen one mate an old hen 4 times in a row, one of the times he was backwards, until I ran over and shoo'd him off her. We can't always see what they're doing but hopefully they just get past that.

Usually, it's about a year or more before any quirks get outgrown. Some may never stop being mean, and that's when a decision has to be made.

Roos will protect the ones that are hanging out with him. Other chickens will hear the call for danger too.

Yup he'll bite as I grab. Figured it's normal for a roo and maybe that he might be efficient at scaring small predators. Thanks for the information. Just confused if it's worth it to keep him and deal with fertilization in the summer heat. My bf suggests we get him two silkie hens and separate them, try to collect but worst case they can raise babies if they get broody. Do the moms feed their babies or do we have to?

 

[Debbie292d]

Yup he'll bite as I grab. Figured it's normal for a roo and maybe that he might be efficient at scaring small predators. Thanks for the information. Just confused if it's worth it to keep him and deal with fertilization in the summer heat. My bf suggests we get him two silkie hens and separate them, try to collect but worst case they can raise babies if they get broody. Do the moms feed their babies or do we have to?

You'll have to set out food for both the adults and the chicks and the chicks will eat on their own.

Either get chick crumbles for all the feeders or an all flock. Then it doesn't matter where they eat as they all can eat the same thing.

The only thing is you'll have to set out some oyster shell for the laying hens, but set the dish/containerit up so the chicks can't get it. They shouldn't eat it anyway, but I had some that did and it didn't end well.

 

[Chickenmumma7]

You'll have to set out food for both the adults and the chicks and the chicks will eat on their own.

Either get chick crumbles for all the feeders or an all flock. Then it doesn't matter where they eat as they all can eat the same thing.

The only thing is you'll have to set out some oyster shell for the laying hens, but set the dish/containerit up so the chicks can't get it. They shouldn't eat it anyway, but I had some that did and it didn't end well.

Yes I think I will convert to an all flock anyway with oyster on the side for simplicity.

 

[Chickenmumma7]

You'll have to set out food for both the adults and the chicks and the chicks will eat on their own.

Either get chick crumbles for all the feeders or an all flock. Then it doesn't matter where they eat as they all can eat the same thing.

The only thing is you'll have to set out some oyster shell for the laying hens, but set the dish/containerit up so the chicks can't get it. They shouldn't eat it anyway, but I had some that did and it didn't end well.

Hey Debbie. Quick question if you don't mind. I just got a 5/6 month old orpington that was laying eggs at the farm when we got her. I've put out some oyster shell flakes (legit) with grower feed bc I have two others that haven't laid their first egg yet and I don't think she's eating the oyster. She layed first two days and now nothing. I'm wondering if I should feed layer. I want to do all flock as it seems most natural without force feeding calcium but not sure if they will eat it when needed. My other two are 8 months!

 

[Debbie292d]

Hey Debbie. Quick question if you don't mind. I just got a 5/6 month old orpington that was laying eggs at the farm when we got her. I've put out some oyster shell flakes (legit) with grower feed bc I have two others that haven't laid their first egg yet and I don't think she's eating the oyster. She layed first two days and now nothing. I'm wondering if I should feed layer. I want to do all flock as it seems most natural without force feeding calcium but not sure if they will eat it when needed. My other two are 8 months!

I'd give her some time. The adjustment from the move probably is what's doing it. That's stress to her and it's not unusual for stressed hens to stop laying.

Switching to an all flock is easiest if you have all different ages as chicks can even have that. We use Kalmbach's Flockmaker for every age here.

We have oyster shell out in dog dishes for the hens. They go in spurts it seems as in that dish will sit there for a week untouched, then suddenly it's half gone.