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Randy T said:
I think we're going to go that route...I always wanted a bannie roo but not if he's going to torture bbr. The wife wants to put a diaper on her and keep her in the house...I don't think so lol.
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Nothing wrong with chicken diapering a bird for emergencies like illness or raising a single juvenile before introducing it through a fence to an existing flock (usually 6 months or older is best for full integration - any younger than that and the young bird gets woefully picked on). My feelings about keeping a healthy chicken isolated from a flock is not natural. And bantams will do better to have at LEAST one other pullet to hang around with - it's why we got a 2nd Silkie after having to rehome a Silkie roo - so now we have two Silkie girls that toodle around together all day.

We do allow a chicken from time to time to enter the house if they want a short visit in the kitchen. We have one Black Silkie that asks to be let in so she can go to the hospital pen nestbox to lay her egg and after she's layed her egg asks to be let out again - spoiled girl. These chickens take over your whole life just like a pet puppy or kitten. My DH has completely taken over our girls' care including letting the Black Silkie into the house to lay her egg! The other Partridge Silkie is perfectly content to use the coop nestboxes.
 
niqueie said:
My bantams have the most personality. They are such sweet and fun birds. They are my favorite.
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Our Silkies were personable, sweet, fun birds and our favorite. By the time they reached full adulthood by age two they turned into grouchy, peckish, flock political birds as any other LF breed - still sweet but definitely flock-assertive.

The thing we had to change was the size and temperament of the LF because a 2.5-lb Silkie doesn't stand a chance in flock politics against 6-lb+ heavy LF. Everything is balanced in our flock now temperament and size-wise with no LF over 5-lb and gentle natured. We have no breeds like Marans, RIRs, SLWs, Orps, Lorps, BRs, etc. that grow too large/heavy and bully smaller breeds in the flock. Even gentle heavy breeds like Sussex or Brahmas can be tempted to bully smaller fowl. Many Mediterranean class of fowl are lightweight but can become aggressive toward bantam-size birds. As pullets the heavy LF breeds can be as sweet as pie in a mixed flock but at full maturity over 18 months old they can become domineering, cruel, vicious, or just plain unpleasant toward smaller or weaker breeds.

Since APA Ameraucanas are friendly, non-broody, mostly non-political flock birds they were a good choice to mingle with Silkies. In fact, Ameraucanas are so friendly I wouldn't stress them by putting them in a heavy LF flock either.

We are adding two 4-lb gentle non-broody Breda pullets to the flock to try around the Silkies and Ameraucana. A breeder friend said it was a good addition for the temperament of our flock so we're looking forward to them.
 
My coop isn't done yet, I have tons of pictures of the different stages but I dont want to bore anyone with those. :) If the High Desert isnt part of So Cal what is it part of then?
 
froggiesheins said:
I'm with hosspak! PICTURES / questions / go for it...
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See what I mean about crazy chicken heads....
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