Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[normanack]

I will admit they have a reputation of being great at going broody, I've been tempted to get some to help my girls, the breeds that I have don't often go broody. Maybe silkies are smarter than they look, they don't appear to me to be the type that could survive our hawks. They look like dollhouse chickens. Anyone free range silkies?

Totally haven't had Silkies -- or chickens -- long enough to tell, but Eliot here took a hawk strike protecting his girls and survived. (Granted, small hawk.) He and his cohort Mort (name because he almost died as a chick) are always on high alert patrolling the yard. They also chase gigantic Caesar around and scare him witless. Ironically Caesar gets most of the girls because he's the only one big enough to do the deed.

 

[Beekissed]

There are other breeds that go broody....and those breeds actually have feathers and meat on their bones, thus are more utilitarian than birds that can't even get up on a roost and have to have special conditions in which to live and survive. I'd give the Silkies a pass if you want to have broodies.

I have had broodies from BAs, NHs, WRs, BR, and RIRs. All breeds that are actually worthy of throwing feed at.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Totally haven't had Silkies -- or chickens -- long enough to tell, but Eliot here took a hawk strike protecting his girls and survived. (Granted, small hawk.) He and his cohort Mort (name because he almost died as a chick) are always on high alert patrolling the yard. They also chase gigantic Caesar around and scare him witless. Ironically Caesar gets most of the girls because he's the only one big enough to do the deed.

My hes a handsome dude.

 

[Beekissed]

Yes, he sure is purdy!

 

[NikkiMiChickie]

I will admit they have a reputation of being great at going broody, I've been tempted to get some to help my girls, the breeds that I have don't often go broody. Maybe silkies are smarter than they look,  they don't appear to me to be the type that could survive our hawks. They look like dollhouse chickens.

Anyone free range silkies?

I accidentally/on purpose got a silkie at tsc this spring in the straight-run assorted banty bin. Accidentally bc I didn't have a clue what I was getting (and didn't know the breed beyond it's fluffy appearance - that 5th toe is a dead giveaway that it's a silkie you're buying...) and on purpose bc in my inexperience I thought silkies would be a neat addition to my backyard flock. I ended up with one Frizzle Cochin hen, one Cochin roo, and one silkie roo out of that bin. They all free range from sun up to sun down with my other 7 standard sized hens. So far, the frizzle Cochin has already gone broody and hatched 3 eggs . And I really like my silkie roo, as do my visitors. I know they seem like hawk bait, but the males feathers in their heads are sleeked back rather than falling forward over their eyes. He's perfectly capable of seeing an attack, sounding the alarm, and running for cover. And, besides my leghorn who runs zig-zag circles around the rest of my flock, he's the fastest chicken I own.

Of course, this is all testimony of my roo - I don't have a silkie hen, and probably never will....

Now my banty Cochin is worth her 3# weight in gold She lays at least 6 eggs a week ( until she went broody.) She does have a tendency to try to hide her eggs, while my other girls are all perfectly happy to return to the coop to lay in their nest boxes. More than once this summer, she would seemingly stop laying for a few days... An Easter egg hunt would reveal her clutch in a nice secluded area. I have a feeling that she'll wander off next summer and return with a brood of chicks. I am highly impressed with her egg laying, and now with her mothering skills. If you're looking for a broody, my vote goes to the Cochin over the silkie. Of course, that's my newbie experience with one bird... A whole flock of Cochins may be a different experience altogether.

 

[IAFarmGirl]

Boy was I glad to see this post!!! I haven't raised chickens for many, many years but I was starting to think that my thinking was wrong!! I intend to order some chicks next spring and was just going to put them in the coop (with heat lamps, food, water, & bedding of course)....then I started reading how everyone (seemed like that) starts their chicks indoors. Now it may have been many, many years since I raised chickens but even my dog is not allowed to poop in the house although he has been eyeing the toilet lately (wouldn't that be something?) and I really don't want farm animals in my house....they just don't housebreak very well... So THANK YOU VERY MUCH for this bit of wisdom! Man am I glad I found this thread...

 

[Kansas Prairie]

Maybe I am doing something wrong, I've got RIR, BA, and PR, none have been interested in going broody.

 

[Kansas Prairie]

 

[Kentucky Steve]

That is a beautiful bird!

 

[thedragonlady]

ok dragonlady.
i fell for the whole naughus thing. i never heard of one so i googled it. now thats some funny stuff. oh boy, it got me hook line and sinker.

True story!

The girl who answered the phone at the Market Bulletin was also uneducated concerning Naughas. She asked what column to put the Naughas in. I told her to put them in with the rabbits, as they weren't for eating, but bred for their hides. She said, "Oh that's where Naugha hide comes from !"





Old "Uncle Arthur" is giving my fingers fits this morning.