Arizona Chickens

[Sonoran Silkies]

Someone tell me this is going to be okay please!

Just moved my chicks to their new coop and layered about three inches of hay throughout. We're leaving town for a couple of days so they've got loads of food, water and room to move around.

Only thing is... there are no hooks to hang the heat lamp from. With all the hay, and being out of town, the fire risk is too great to mess with a 240 watt heat lamp.

They've been sleeping outside for the past two weeks. They're about six weeks old now and most of them are really feathered out. Last night I noticed that many of them slept on roosts far from the lamps. The others, including the little silkies who are a little less feathered, all slept in a pile outside the direct heat but still within its glow. That was when they were sleeping on gravel/dirt.

I really don't have a choice but it would be nice to hear that all that hay and the body warmth of twelve chicks will be enough. I've also got towels wrapped around one area to break any breeze and help keep in whatever warmth they create themselves.

I NEVER use the 250 watt lamps. I typically use regular light bulbs--75-100 watts depending on weather. Reflectix foil insulation from Home Depot or Lowes will do a better job at keeping heat in (or out during summer) than towels.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

WoW!!!! A Barnevelder! I've never heard of that breed let alone pronounce Barnevelder, and after a little research I belive you are correct! She's very glossy and lays medium light brown eggs and I've found tons of photos just like her. Thanks so much!

Ya learn something everyday.

Lucy is a different story. I think she's too big and too feathered to have silkie in her. She's not furry in any way like a silkie and she acts like and hangs with the other Polish. Whatever she is she's a nice chicken, quiet, calm, and a little dittzie like a polish. She reminds us of Lucille Ball with that red top.

This site is great.

Silkie crosses do not have silkie feathering--at least not in the first generation; it is recessive. But she doesn't look like a silkie cross to me; for one thing, she doesn't have feathered legs, and that should show up.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: I think she is probably crossed with a non-crested breed.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Chicken Feat Lucy is definetly a Polish Cross breed but it would be almost impossible to say which cross. Squawk look like a blue laced red Wyandotte. The double lacing is called pencile or something like that. She is pretty.

No, penciling is not the same as double lacing.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Those shoes are freaky deaky.

Perhaps those shoes with you skin outfit?!? ;-)

Oh MY!!!

 

[flower]

No, penciling is not the same as double lacing.

You are correct ! I must be more careful in my posting ! I do know the difference.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: I tried to find an online comparison between the two, they ARE similar, but could only find a picture in a printed book. Basically penciling (sometimes called multiple lacing) has three concentric rings of colour around the feather edge, with ground colour on the outside. This diagram shows penciling:

http://www.edelras.nl/chickengenetics/mutations1.html#gen_mut_secpattern shows both, but the photos are small.

 

[Mikey D]

Quote:

I'm very intrigued by the feeder ideas in the video below. I've seen various refinements on the basic design to further reduce billing out of feed and you can find them out there on youtube. I'm a bit doubtful that it would keep sparrows out but I'm tempted to make one just to find out. The big benefit is that you could hang it and limit ant access, plus it would be pretty darn cheap and easy to make.

that sure would have been a bunch easier than a 40 hour aluminum treadle feeder...

Edit - he posted a second video where he cut a jar cap into a third and riveted it into the bottom to minimize spillage.

 

[kpgoldstar]

Hey there!
My chicks will be 4 weeks on Tuesday and this weekend we let them in the coop and run during the day and took them back to the brooder box at night. Next weekend they will start being in the coop full time. I have sand in the run, sand under the roosting bars inside. I bought one of those small prefab coops like they sell at mypetchicken. I thought I read somewhere not to give them access to the nesting boxes until they are closer to laying age? Do y'all agree with that? Is that so they will know when the time comes the purpose of those? I am planning to line them with straw (which I don't have yet) but I don't necessarily want them sleeping in there, or worse yet pooping in there for months until they are ready to start laying. Should I just put a cardboard barrier between the inside of the coop and the boxes for now?

 

[WestSideChicken]

My husbands statement as he heads out the door to Home Depot to get coop materials... "I feel like all I do is work for chickens ". Oh and we got two eggs two days in a row from Taco and now it has been three days with nothing! Frustration has replaced excitement.