INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Finnie]

I have read good things about American Guinea Hogs. I will look forward to you telling us all about yours after you've had them a while.

 

[Indyshent]

This is a tough one for me to sex, and I'm not very familiar with sexing silkies. All pics are the same silkie. Hatched mid April = 9.5 weeks old. Please click on & enlarge pics.
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Well, nine and a half weeks is pretty young considering that Silkies are notoriously difficult to sex. At this point, I'd say it looks like a pullet though. Not seeing any streamers, comb or epaulets yet, and it's pouf is round.

 

[Faraday40]

Well, nine and a half weeks is pretty young considering that Silkies are notoriously difficult to sex. At this point, I'd say it looks like a pullet though. Not seeing any streamers, comb or epaulets yet, and it's pouf is round.

This particular silkie is tough.
After the cute chick stage (and yes DD had some fun coloring it) I thought it looked male because the comb was slightly wide..... but the comb didn't really get any bigger/wider/taller. The crest looked swept back at first but now looks very round & full.


Do you have a pic of what "epaulets" look like on a male silkie. What color should they be?

??? LOL

 

[Indyshent]

This particular silkie is tough.
After the cute chick stage (and yes DD had some fun coloring it) I thought it looked male because the comb was slightly wide..... but the comb didn't really get any bigger/wider/taller. The crest looked swept back at first but now looks very round & full.
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Do you have a pic of what "epaulets" look like on a male silkie. What color should they be?
View attachment 1051635 ??? LOL

Epaulets are just what I call the upper wing feathers on male birds. With blue boys, I've noticed shoulders, hackles, and saddles all being a darker blue color.

If your bird is lavender, the difference between feather colors may be far more subtle, however.

 

[Faraday40]

Epaulets are just what I call the upper wing feathers on male birds. With blue boys, I've noticed shoulders, hackles, and saddles all being a darker blue color.
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If your bird is lavender, the difference between feather colors may be far more subtle, however.

Not really sure of the color. I thought it was white at hatch. Since I dislike boring "white chickens" DD decided to dye it. Now that it's older, I think it may be a splash or paint. (Besides the name, I'm not sure what the diff is?) It's not a brilliant white. Definitely has some gray spots. Not a solid gray like my lav orps. No real epaulets. I took some full body shots today

 

[Faraday40]

Last week we picked about 7lbs of cherries from our bush. I just finished pitting & making all the pie filling today. So….. we went out to pick some more. Today’s haul was a total of 11 lbs!


The whole family is covered with cherry red splotches & splatters. We’re quite a sight! The kitchen looks like the scene of a horror movie. Fun day. Now I get to start pitting this new batch. More Fun! I think I’ll be buying an auto cherry pitter for next year.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@Faraday40

Hey!!! Tell me what kind of cherry that is. I'm just starting to work on edible landscaping and looking at a variety of ideas before planting. I don't want a huge tree. Your "bush" looks just about the right size.

Are they tart or sweet?

 

[Faraday40]

@Faraday40

Hey!!! Tell me what kind of cherry that is. I'm just starting to work on edible landscaping and looking at a variety of ideas before planting. I don't want a huge tree. Your "bush" looks just about the right size.

Are they tart or sweet?

Tart. Great for pies, on ice cream & in vanilla yogurt.
It's called a Carmine Jewel Dwarf Cherry Bush & is some type of hybrid.
We got it from Gurney's (online) about 5 years ago. They always had buy $25, get $25 free. I bought one for my mom & kept the other for myself. This is our 3 year of picking. I know nothing about fruit trees, spraying, pruning, and this single bush amazes me.

I was smart enough to plant it out front, so unlike my strawberries raspberries, & blueberries, I don't have to share with the chickens! We do eat some straight & the neighborhood kids are always snacking on our little bush. One little girl rides her bike up & down the sidewalk & stops to pick a cherry with every pass. The little bush has more than enough.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I have thought about sheep, but lack fencing for them at the moment, so I haven't pursued it. Plus we just got four American Guinea Hogs and we are working on getting them setup on pasture. learning a lot about electric fencing at the moment(I do the electric netting with chickens, but putting up electric fence is a little more figure it out on your own than that.) Sheep are still a want down the road though.

After we finish putting up the solar panels, plant the new row of grapevines, finish mowing the orchard, train the pigs to electric fence, clean the birds nest out of the gutters, etc..... you know how it goes.

Hear that, seems I never sleep much. Too much to do! Congrats on the hogs! Did you get any sows? We have become quite familiar with electric fence. Sooo cheap compared to traditional fencing! I train any new animals in the fenced main pasture. once they learn the wire we move them with the herds. Most livestock lunge forward so they need a visual barrier to train them to wire. A strong charger, T-posts, insulators and tight wire is all you need. Holler if you need input or help.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

This is a tough one for me to sex, and I'm not very familiar with sexing silkies. All pics are the same silkie. Hatched mid April = 9.5 weeks old. Please click on & enlarge pics.
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I am thinking pullet too. Beautiful color Roos have streamers of spiked feathers on their heads.