Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[featherhead007]

We’ll see. I’m not very fond of him, but I’m not sure if I’ll be able to send him to Freezer Camp. If he does end up going to FC, know that he has had cuddles from me quite often, so he knows that he is “loved.”

Give him time. He’ll warm up to you eventually. He’s young and hormones don’t know any better!

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

Well you don’t need silkies, you wish to have and enjoy silkies.

Also if one is a Roo then you will need to keep him away from your other Roo, they are too small and will be seriously injured by a larger Roo.

My silkies are good little egg layers when they aren’t broody. As for mud they are no more or less prone to getting muddy, but they cannot be out in the rain as their feathers are not water repellent, and they can’t free range, they can’t see well unless you trim up their head feathers, they don’t fly at all, and don’t run fast. So they are easy pickings for every predator out there.

Ah, okay. I don’t think that Pastel would hurt him (and Gumbo will be gone soon) and Pastel has been very good with other roosters, but I won’t take any risks.

My poor chooks don’t free range. They get a little bit of time out of the coop, but I’m too scared to loose them.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Okay… I need some help convincing my mom to let me do something that I will probably regret later on. My Agriculture teacher knows someone who is selling two Silkie’s, and I need them. They are about five months old, but one is supposed to be a pullet, and the other a cockerel. They cost $50 together, but I want them so badly. Could those of you (@Ponypoor, @RebeccaBoyd and anyone else) who own silkie’s, could y’all make me a list of why I SHOULD get silkies. They are my mom’s favorite type of chook (and I love them as well) so I feel like they would be a wonderful addition to my flock. Also, the reason I would regret it later on is because of how muddy they would get. Let’s not talk about that though… I know darn well that I am gonna need to take them inside and bathe them.

Oh, and I might have found a home for Gumbo the little rooster. If not, then he will be going to freezer camp in a few weeks. I don’t really like him all that much.

Silkies I love them.
First off, the price is pretty fair for a pair. Do you know what colors they are yet? When she was not broody Chiquita was a very reliable egg layer. Averaged 6 eggs a week. They are not huge eggs, but big for their body size. They fit perfectly on a piece of toast to make a sandwich. Silkies do go broody though, and make wonderful mothers. There is a reason many people keep a few silkie hens solely for that purpose. Unless you want to you do not need to bath them. They keep themselves clean. In the warmer months when it rains and it is muddy yes Branch is out there getting himself soaked. A hour on the roost he has dried off and preened himself clean. They do not fly very well, but they are smart. They can get up pretty high, they use their surroundings and create step ladders. Depending on their topknot you may need to trim around their eyes so they can see. Branch does not have a huge poof so I do not trim. He is very alert to the world around him and is normally the first to spot and alert a hawk. If he makes the warning call, the entire flock listens. In general silkies are loveable and up for affection. They are individuals though and not all may like to be handled, Marty for example. I say get them and try them out. Give them a few months to settle in and get a feel for them. If you find they are really not for you then rehome the pair. Silkies are in demand, especially hens.

 

[SimpleJenn]

I love my satin silkies! Samara is very friendly to me now that she's laying, and Morinth has even warmed up! I think once I get their permanent coop set up with a nice dust bath they'll be much cleaner.

They were not raised to be pets so it took many months to warm up. I think those pullet hormones actually had the most to do with becoming friendly.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

I love my satin silkies! Samara is very friendly to me now that she's laying, and Morinth has even warmed up! I think once I get their permanent coop set up with a nice dust bath they'll be much cleaner.
View attachment 3726098
They were not raised to be pets so it took many months to warm up. I think those pullet hormones actually had the most to do with becoming friendly.

I am happy they are warming up to you. They are lovely girls.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Woke up this morning for the first time this winter of the nasty white stuff. Strong winds as well and even though it was the low 30s felt like middle 20s. The flock were not phased and played out in the snow and then warming up in the horse stalls away from the wind. Miss Poppet got plenty of new hay to bed down in. I fixed her 3 different bed/nest spots and then a layer scattered in the coop. I also made sure to patch up the few area's where it had torn off the coop so there is zero wind blowing in on her. Today the smart little girl did not try to escape, she has it made and she knows it.

 

[Ponypoor]

Yes 9 is a good age!
Our starlink is on a 18' pole and that is perfect clear sky for us.
Our power is flickering so we're preparing for it to potentially go out tonight.
View attachment 3726055
Here's my little foot warmer, hard at work.
Edit to add:
Dad and I picked out and bought a coop plan today at dinner
View attachment 3726066
Very excited, he needs the money from the build job for a new car so we decided to hire him (helps he's next door so he'll be able to pop over to work on it as soon as ground thaws)

That’s such a lovely design, bet you can’t wait for spring

I have a 65’ tower to put my dish on but I need to hire someone to scale the sucker! Which means I need to sell a bunch more eggs hahaha! Right now I have 10 dozen eggs in the fridge. The gentleman who said he would take as many as I could get him sings a different tune now.

And today was found were the kiddos where laying eggs way up on my straw pile! @RebeccaBoyd will appreciate a pile 8 bales high!

 

[Ponypoor]

I love my satin silkies! Samara is very friendly to me now that she's laying, and Morinth has even warmed up! I think once I get their permanent coop set up with a nice dust bath they'll be much cleaner.
View attachment 3726098
They were not raised to be pets so it took many months to warm up. I think those pullet hormones actually had the most to do with becoming friendly.

I think they are pretty clean, and Morinth is such a lovely colour, white can be a hard colour sometimes, Henny is always spotless, but Twister my Azur is always messy - she just seems to get into all the horse poop hahaha!

 

[Ponypoor]

Woke up this morning for the first time this winter of the nasty white stuff. Strong winds as well and even though it was the low 30s felt like middle 20s. The flock were not phased and played out in the snow and then warming up in the horse stalls away from the wind. Miss Poppet got plenty of new hay to bed down in. I fixed her 3 different bed/nest spots and then a layer scattered in the coop. I also made sure to patch up the few area's where it had torn off the coop so there is zero wind blowing in on her. Today the smart little girl did not try to escape, she has it made and she knows it.

Today was really windy and cold here also, no one tries to escape the barn when I unloaded the feed - oh they looked out but decided nope too cold. Oh and darn I have a bunch of shavings in the back of the truck I forgot to unload - darn!

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

That’s such a lovely design, bet you can’t wait for spring

I have a 65’ tower to put my dish on but I need to hire someone to scale the sucker! Which means I need to sell a bunch more eggs hahaha! Right now I have 10 dozen eggs in the fridge. The gentleman who said he would take as many as I could get him sings a different tune now.

And today was found were the kiddos where laying eggs way up on my straw pile! @RebeccaBoyd will appreciate a pile 8 bales high!

That video speaks to me on so many levels. It is always the highest and the farthest back that they lay. I know I have a few on top I need to collect but nope. Last time I climbed it it wobbled with me. I got down fast. Evil, evil hens.