Illinois...

[Molpet]

So here's a funny one:
For the 1st 8 weeks, I thought male.

Around 10 weeks my opinion changed to female. (even coloring & rounded crest)

At 6 mo, my silkie began to lay eggs.


At 6.5 months, my silkie went broody.

She just hatched some chicks:


....... and now she started crowing.

BTW- She now has 2 black orps & 1 pipped egg under her.

I guess she is very dominate some chickens are so strange so far none of my hens crow
but the end of oct, when I processed the 4th July cockerels, one was very small.. I thought about waiting on him ,but did 'him' last... he had saddle/sickle feathers big comb and wattles.. fought w/the other cockerels... and when I cleaned him he had small ovary center and a small testicle on the left.
The others weighed around 6 lbs dressed and he was 3 lbs.. BR cross

 

[Faraday40]

The others weighed around 6 lbs dressed and he was 3 lbs.. BR cross

I guess it truly was a "cross" -- and not just in breed!

 

[Mumbelz Mayham]

Age: 37 City: Chicago
High School: Chicago HS for Agri Sci
111th / Pulaski
College: Southern University A&M
Chicago State University
Olive Harvey College

Recently, I obtained a 7mo Welsummer hen and a 1yr New Hampshire Rooster.

New to having chickens as a pet, I often refer to the internet. BYC had the answers to many questions, as a new owner.

I am confident of using suggestions and methods of members. It eases tensions to find that your not the only one that is/has experienced ...!

Please contact me if your reside in or are familiar with Chicago and the Chicago-land Area.
Let's have a brew at the brooding box

 

[Faraday40]

Age: 37 City: Chicago
High School: Chicago HS for Agri Sci
111th / Pulaski
College: Southern University A&M
Chicago State University
Olive Harvey College

Recently, I obtained a 7mo Welsummer hen and a 1yr New Hampshire Rooster.

New to having chickens as a pet, I often refer to the internet. BYC had the answers to many questions, as a new owner.

I am confident of using suggestions and methods of members. It eases tensions to find that your not the only one that is/has experienced ...!

Please contact me if your reside in or are familiar with Chicago and the Chicago-land Area.
Let's have a brew at the brooding boxView attachment 1202216 View attachment 1202216 View attachment 1202217

Congrats & welcome to BYC. There are a few of us in the Chicagoland suburbs.

& I agree that BYC is a great place to ask ?s.

 

[Faraday40]

Been busy the past few days. The silkie & her 2 chicks were placed in a storage tub to make sure she doesn't wander off. The broody sadly took breaks every day last week- including when eggs were pipping / hatching / & after hatch. She kept getting herself on the wrong side of the protective netting & unable to return to her nest. That's how the chicks got chilled. We got 2 black orp chicks, but the last egg/chick (a blue orp) died of cold while hatching. Honestly, I'm amazed we got any after all the times the eggs were left. I plan to move them to a larger area, but for now, the small tub inside the run is safe, clean, & warm.

It's very windy out there now & the entire flock decided to stay inside the run. I guess they're afraid of blowing away!

Today DD's school went on a field trip to Feed My Starving Children. As always, it was a great experience & I got to ride on a school bus packed with middle schoolers. ( Just kidding; they were fine.) Now I get to help the kids with hmwk, make a quick meal, put the chickens away & then take DS to religious ed. I only work part time, so when did Mondays get so busy???

 

[cavemanrich]

Tucked my girls into their winter housing until Spring. Lights, on automatic. Water heaters on automatic. ...... No need to let them out in the morning, and worry about being able to lock them up in eve. .... The last is probably the one of most concern.. It gets dark so early now.
Still need to give them a daily visit to make sure there is food and water , but that could be done anytime even after dark.. Now if they would only get off strike and start to lay some eggs.

 

[Faraday40]

and more


Oh My!!! What should have been a great day turned out terrible.

We just discovered (moments after it happened) that a hawk killed DD's black silkie, Gilfie! The body was ripped apart & still warm. We're all pretty devastated. DH wasn't home yet, so I asked a neighbor to come over to help me with the burial. Out of all our chickens, why Gilfie!?!


Both kids cried a lot of course. This chicken was more like a pet dog than livestock. DD hatched & cared for this bird. It bonded to her as mama and followed DD everywhere. The chicken spent more time in the house than in the yard and was extremely fond of road trips. Gilfie went with DD to several schools, parks, special events, and was well known throughout the town. (In fact, at Easter the line to pet the famous Gilfie was longer than the Easter Bunny's line!)

I always joked about Gilfie being one of our "useless chickens" but I find myself still crying and in shock. Just an hour before she was killed, she was gently & persistently pecking on my ankle which was her way of asking to be picked up. (A bad but endearing habit of our spoiled chicken.

RIP, sweet Gilfie.

Taken Wednesday:
(An especially sad photo because this was also the exact spot where she was killed today.)

 

[Faraday40]

Also: Tonight was our 4H meeting. Last month DD was elected as the group's president, so tonight was her 1st official meeting. She put on a brave face, wiped her tears, and ran the meeting. After the business part, the kids decorated cookies as our holiday-themed activity. I'm very happy the kids went and got to spend time with their friends after such a horrible afternoon. It was really needed!

 

[NotAFarm]

So sorry to hear about Gilfie.

 

[Molpet]

so sorry for your loss... it is always the favorites that something happens to... proud DD could keep it together to run the meeting