Illinois...

[cavemanrich]

When I think of silkies I think this size below. (large bantam but smaller than a leghorn or other medium breed) Nothing should be different about the new guys..... but perhaps the little one is just a runt. I suspected it got picked on (plucked a bit) and is missing some back feathers. There was never any blood or other signs of severe bullying. Perhaps it's an odd slow, developmental thing.

View attachment 2674670

Here is a link to what LF Silkies look like. It is from a thread I follow.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-larger-silkie-chickens.1463575/post-24380800

Shore iz a biggun

 

[lesliedow]

It's raining. Again. I mean I am glad it's raining, we need rain, but why oh why have my new plants arrived from Prairie Moon Nursery and it's raining!! I swear when you want rain it stops when you want just a few hours of dry, it pours!

Hatch day countdown T-11

 

[Faraday40]

Put the broody in jail tonight as the rest were going to roost. She obviously wasn't happy. Well I just went to check on her and she knocked the crate off the bricks, got out and was back int he nesting box!!!! Grrrrrr!!!!!!

She's a determined one!

Perhaps you should give in and let her have some eggs.

 

[SnootyHen]

She's a determined one!

Perhaps you should give in and let her have some eggs.

She busted out twice!! The first time, she knocked the crate off it's bricks on it's side and the door was open (not sure if it fell open or she managed to open it) and the second time I swear she had help. I'm either going to have to wire the door shut or padlock it.

What is funny (or would be if it weren't happening to me) is the way she can finally be calm and then starts that "buk....buk....buk..buk.buk..buk buk buk buk buk" as she puffs up into a ricking timebomb of fury heading to the nesting boxes like a robot chicken hypnotized and determined. OMG she's gonna be the end of me!

If I didn't already have 8 chickens more than the 4 I am allowed, I'd give in and let her, but at this point, there are no vacancies in the coop and my neighbors have been REALLY great about not complaining but I think a 2nd coop and more chickens might be the breaking point. A friend offered her a date with her roo to settle the issue but I just can't where I live.

 

[Faraday40]

She busted out twice!! The first time, she knocked the crate off it's bricks on it's side and the door was open (not sure if it fell open or she managed to open it) and the second time I swear she had help. I'm either going to have to wire the door shut or padlock it.

What is funny (or would be if it weren't happening to me) is the way she can finally be calm and then starts that "buk....buk....buk..buk.buk..buk buk buk buk buk" as she puffs up into a ricking timebomb of fury heading to the nesting boxes like a robot chicken hypnotized and determined. OMG she's gonna be the end of me!

If I didn't already have 8 chickens more than the 4 I am allowed, I'd give in and let her, but at this point, there are no vacancies in the coop and my neighbors have been REALLY great about not complaining but I think a 2nd coop and more chickens might be the breaking point. A friend offered her a date with her roo to settle the issue but I just can't where I live.

You could always make arrangements to give the chicks away or sell them when mama's all done.

I borrowed a rooster once. I had a Spitzhauben hen (named Poof Poof) and knew someone who had a very well-mannered, nice-looking Spitz rooster. Because he crowed nonstop, I had to lock them up in a little love-shack inside the garage. Since they were both used to free ranging, neither bird was happy in a cage. After a few nights, they learned how to open the dog crate and began free-ranging inside my garage. After about a week I was done and drove the rooster back home.

What's funny is that when I programmed my car's GPS, I labeled the address as "Poof Poof's boyfriend." That was the first time I drove down to visit @homeschoolin momma. Although we've been friends for a few years and regularly visit each other.... the address is still labeled "Poof Poof's boyfriend".

 

[homeschoolin momma]

Although we've been friends for a few years and regularly visit each other.... the address is still labeled "Poof Poof's boyfriend".

Lol! I miss poof poof boyfriend.

 

[BReeder!]

I still have ducklings but am headed out of town for a week on Monday. My brother is going to stop by and take care of things for us while we are gone. But I doubt he will want to clean the dog crate brooder daily. I'm considering fetching in a section of the run and putting them in with a small kiddy pool. He would just have to make sure they have feed and maybe dump and refill the pond once or twice. And everything will be in the same area around the shed coop.

 

[Faraday40]

I still have ducklings but am headed out of town for a week on Monday. My brother is going to stop by and take care of things for us while we are gone. But I doubt he will want to clean the dog crate brooder daily. I'm considering fetching in a section of the run and putting them in with a small kiddy pool. He would just have to make sure they have feed and maybe dump and refill the pond once or twice. And everything will be in the same area around the shed coop.

Sounds like a good idea. Ducklings are cute but messy. Making it easier for your brother is better for everyone. Plan to spend some time to do a good cleaning when you come back.

 

[Welllaidacres]

I thought I had a butcher date scheduled for my batch of birds I’m currently growing. I scheduled it 4 weeks ago. Apparently, the gentleman I spoke with that day did not get it recorded and now the locker cannot get my birds in until 2 weeks after my original date. I just found this out today. I would like to harvest this batch around the first of July. I have called Central Illinois Poultry Processing, Petersburg Poultry Processing, and Brummell poultry processing. CIPP is booked. Petersburg is currently closed. Brummell has availability then, but unfortunately it’s 3 hours away from home. Who in east central Illinois or western Indiana (Must be USDA inspected if in Indiana) processes poultry that may have availability then? Thanks. I’d process myself as I know how, but then I can’t sell these birds legally.

 

[BReeder!]

No activity today on this thread.

I hope everybody is finding an opportunity to enjoy the nice weather. I had my morning coffee on the patio and spent my lunch hour in the garden. Wrapping up the work day here soon and looking forward to getting back out there.

Go grab some rays of sunshine!