Bantam chickens.. a friendly discussion about all pure and mixed breeds.

[Arbutus Peregrine]

@MysteryChicken , those are some amazingly pretty little ladies! I'm absolutely in love with their form. In winter plumage, you say? How does this differ from breeding plumage?

@Arbutus Peregrine Fingers crossed all of your boys turn out well!

I value an unfriendly, but well-behaved rooster every bit as much as one who wants my attention constantly. Therefore, it sounds as though your d'Uccle boy is wonderful in his own way. Aren't Sebrights terribly aggressive? And as for humane caponization options, it would certainly be nice....

You're more than welcome.

@chickens really, how is Rosebud doing? I'm so very sorry. She's in my thoughts and prayers right now.

@pipdzipdnreadytogo
Thank you!!! As soon as the coop expands....or maybe before?

Awwwww, they're absolutely preciously, perfectly fat. Mottled is a stunning variety....possibly the most gorgeous. And I can actually FEEL your silkied Cochins through the screen!!! Yes to a new project!

No apologies needed, it was time well spent. Little brings me more joy than "living" others' poultry-keeping experiences. Good thing aging brought Ihi down a notch. Her capers had potential to lead to a full head of gray! Oh my.....Vega's eyes....she could get away with murder. (if you suddenly disappear, we'll know what happened )

Again, thanks!!! He's breathtaking, and he knows it.

~Alex

@Alexandra33 I got great news today! A woman only a half hour from my house (But out in the country) wants my boys! I'm so excited! She's actually really nice and not crazy like the other people who have been interested. My boys get to go live on a farm on Saturday. Still keeping my one Dutch and one D'Uccle roos...if they stay nice...but the eight boys have a loving new home. ALSO! Been meaning to say I love the word "chook!" I see it in your profile. We need to get that word into more usage!

 

[Arbutus Peregrine]

My standard Silkie Cockerel vs. Bantam Silkie Cockerel.View attachment 1947157View attachment 1947158 Breeding my Bantam Silkies.View attachment 1947159 View attachment 1947160

My neighbor told me there are only Bantam Silkies and not standard Silkies. But I thought there were bigger ones!!

 

[Arbutus Peregrine]

What do you all think about sulfur in the dust bath? I knew about diatomaceous earth but I didn't know about sulfur.

 

[MysteryChicken]

My neighbor told me there are only Bantam Silkies and not standard Silkies. But I thought there were bigger ones!!

You can still buy standard Silkies of Original Chinese bloodline at most family owned hatcheries. Hoover's is where I get most of mine. I like the whites, & the blacks, but I mainly have white.

 

[Arbutus Peregrine]

You can still buy standard Silkies of Original Chinese bloodline at most family owned hatcheries. Hoover's is where I get most of mine. I like the whites, & the blacks, but I mainly have white.

your boys are super cute!

 

[MysteryChicken]

your boys are super cute!

Thank you.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I just want to clarify something... I've seen a LOT of Silkies from Hoover's. That's where most of the feed stores around here get their chicks. They don't actually have some special large fowl line, they just have poorly bred bantam Silkies that are too large as per the standard, among other DQs. They're probably large enough you could get away with calling them large fowl, but truthfully, it's just a lack of proper selection for size, type, and other Silkie traits in their stock that causes them to look the way they do. That said, they would be a good starting point for someone to breed large fowl Silkies from, given enough generations crossing to better stock and selecting for that larger size!

Personally, I like some of the Hoover's Silkies I've seen much more than any faceless show quality Silkie out there. That's just my preference, no offense meant to any of you Silkie fans! I really love the ones with sparse to no leg feathering, no crest, and no beard, the ones that sometimes have a single comb and wattles but still have darker skin. I could even take that kind in pure white, I like them that much.

...Yeah, I know, I'm weird.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Oh, yes, and the reason I stopped by here. I had to share... Fifi (large fowl Easter-egger pullet) being taught proper foraging etiquette by Altair (teeny-tiny Fawn SDW OEGB pullet). My heart just melted at this. As a side note, Altair is one month older than Fifi.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Thought I might look in I was of the mind cochin where all small much to my surprise I go to a little Mom and pop feed store up the road 10 miles they had 3 I had bought 10 speckled sussex but got 15 so went to pay for the other 5 and they had 3 blue cochin left so when he said they are big full size fowl I bout them now I want more colours

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

FSDW OEGBs Sybil and Winston this morning, begging for more pieces of my bagel.

For just a bit of context... We got a sudden cold snap last night, and I have a few birds in the middle of severe molts that were not handling it well at all, so I brought them inside until this cold snap is over. Well, the OEGB girls were acting a bit iffy, too, and I figured if I was bringing birds in, I may as well bring them in, too, right?

...So, long story short, I have 8 chickens in various pens throughout the house.