Michigan

[Olive Hill]

Quote:
Their personality is great. Very calm, docile. The gander gets a bit hissy during breeding season, but then again he is a gander. And he is the type that it takes very little to make him think twice about his hissy ways. I just walk at him with arms stretched and tell him "I DON'T THINK SO!" and off he goes. The rest of the year he's a peach. And, really, during breeding season he only gets real hissy when you're near his goose and her nest. I think they hatched babies on their own at their previous home, but I take all their eggs away as I didn't want any blue goslings. The female was intent to sit a nest, despite my taking the eggs daily and even tried stealing some eggs from the chicken coop. And the gander was very protective of her. He did a nice job. He also has a good breeding appetite during the season. I think if I had let her have the eggs she'd have hatched some. I just didn't want that.

I'm about 45-60 minutes north and a little west of Lansing. To relate it to somewhere you are familiar with, when you're coming from Midland we're about 35 minutes on the other side of St. Louis.

 

[theron]

Quote:
Their personality is great. Very calm, docile. The gander gets a bit hissy during breeding season, but then again he is a gander. And he is the type that it takes very little to make him think twice about his hissy ways. I just walk at him with arms stretched and tell him "I DON'T THINK SO!" and off he goes. The rest of the year he's a peach. And, really, during breeding season he only gets real hissy when you're near his goose and her nest. I think they hatched babies on their own at their previous home, but I take all their eggs away as I didn't want any blue goslings. The female was intent to sit a nest, despite my taking the eggs daily and even tried stealing some eggs from the chicken coop. And the gander was very protective of her. He did a nice job. He also has a good breeding appetite during the season. I think if I had let her have the eggs she'd have hatched some. I just didn't want that.

I'm about 45-60 minutes north and a little west of Lansing. To relate it to somewhere you are familiar with, we're about 35 minutes on the other side of St. Louis.

Ok. yea that is not too far of a drive. How long do you plan on having these before you butcher them? I don't really want to put a deposit on them because I want to make sure to get rid of our leftover sebastopols first before I confirm my decision.

 

[babigyrl22]

Yeah! I got the coop clean. :: fist pump:: I also did some minor demolition and removed the top of the upper nesting boxes. If they still decide to roost up there tonight then I will take them completely down. My silke Mavis was all icky today so I decided to bring her in and give her a bath. (poo all over her rear end). I actually think she liked getting a bath. While I was fluffing her dry with the blow dryer I noticed that she was missing quite a bit of feathers. Maybe she is molting?? (and maybe THAT's why they aren't giving me any eggs?!)

Is it possible that they could molt BEFORE they every start laying?

 

[Olive Hill]

Quote:
Their personality is great. Very calm, docile. The gander gets a bit hissy during breeding season, but then again he is a gander. And he is the type that it takes very little to make him think twice about his hissy ways. I just walk at him with arms stretched and tell him "I DON'T THINK SO!" and off he goes. The rest of the year he's a peach. And, really, during breeding season he only gets real hissy when you're near his goose and her nest. I think they hatched babies on their own at their previous home, but I take all their eggs away as I didn't want any blue goslings. The female was intent to sit a nest, despite my taking the eggs daily and even tried stealing some eggs from the chicken coop. And the gander was very protective of her. He did a nice job. He also has a good breeding appetite during the season. I think if I had let her have the eggs she'd have hatched some. I just didn't want that.

I'm about 45-60 minutes north and a little west of Lansing. To relate it to somewhere you are familiar with, we're about 35 minutes on the other side of St. Louis.

Ok. yea that is not too far of a drive. How long do you plan on having these before you butcher them? I don't really want to put a deposit on them because I want to make sure to get rid of our leftover sebastopols first before I confirm my decision.

I understand.

It'll depend on how quickly it gets cold -- seems like fall already even though it shouldn't be -- but if we have the usual kind of weather probably until mid to late October. As long as the grass is growing so I don't have to feed them I won't be too motivated to put them in the freezer. Once the grass slows and the days start getting colder then I'll put them up.

 

[Olive Hill]

Quote:
How old are they? What breed?

 

[babigyrl22]

Quote:
How old are they? What breed?

Silkies...about 10months.

 

[Olive Hill]

Quote:
How old are they? What breed?

Silkies...about 10months.

Silkies aren't known for being the earliest layers but that is pushing it. Have you had them since they were chicks and they haven't laid at all? Are the penned so you're sure they're not laying elsewhere? What is their diet?

 

[babigyrl22]

Quote:
Silkies...about 10months.

Silkies aren't known for being the earliest layers but that is pushing it. Have you had them since they were chicks and they haven't laid at all? Are the penned so you're sure they're not laying elsewhere? What is their diet?

Diet: Layer Feed (from local elevator)
From: I got them from a breeder and I believe she told me they were 8months when I got them. (I have just 2 silkies from the same breeder and they are the same age)
Penned?: Yep. I am positive they are not laying (I have floor level nesting boxes just for them). My only bantam laying right now is Blueberry and she flies up to the top nesting boxes to lay.

Here she is...I noticed that her head feathers were a little punk rock-ish and she is missing quite a few tail and back end feathers.

 

[chicken grandma]

Quote:
Silkies aren't known for being the earliest layers but that is pushing it. Have you had them since they were chicks and they haven't laid at all? Are the penned so you're sure they're not laying elsewhere? What is their diet?

Diet: Layer Feed (from local elevator)
From: I got them from a breeder and I believe she told me they were 8months when I got them. (I have just 2 silkies from the same breeder and they are the same age)
Penned?: Yep. I am positive they are not laying (I have floor level nesting boxes just for them). My only bantam laying right now is Blueberry and she flies up to the top nesting boxes to lay.

Here she is...I noticed that her head feathers were a little punk rock-ish and she is missing quite a few tail and back end feathers.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-.../SDTZzbCGjo8/s640/2011-08-14_12-03-55_271.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-.../qVo1fm2_m68/s640/2011-08-14_12-01-25_168.jpg

Your bantams are so cute~ Where did you buy the Silkie girls and Blueberry? I would love a Blueberry!

Were these the bantams you just integrated into your standard flock? Could they have lost tail feathers in the scuffle?

 

[theron]

Quote:
Diet: Layer Feed (from local elevator)
From: I got them from a breeder and I believe she told me they were 8months when I got them. (I have just 2 silkies from the same breeder and they are the same age)
Penned?: Yep. I am positive they are not laying (I have floor level nesting boxes just for them). My only bantam laying right now is Blueberry and she flies up to the top nesting boxes to lay.

Here she is...I noticed that her head feathers were a little punk rock-ish and she is missing quite a few tail and back end feathers.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-.../SDTZzbCGjo8/s640/2011-08-14_12-03-55_271.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-.../qVo1fm2_m68/s640/2011-08-14_12-01-25_168.jpg

Your bantams are so cute~ Where did you buy the Silkie girls and Blueberry? I would love a Blueberry!

Were these the bantams you just integrated into your standard flock? Could they have lost tail feathers in the scuffle?

chicken grandma- your pm box is full. I tried telling you more about the serama pullet, but the box is full.