Minnesota!

[MinnesotaNice]

I got a PM today from a guy who asked if he could join me in teaching and learning. He said he likes the work I've been doing... What does that mean???

It means stranger danger!

Yeah, what do people know. We Star Wars nerds have to stick together.

So very true. I'm trying to get DH to dress up as Darth Vader for a Halloween party we're going to. Yeah, he's not going for it. Lol


@Minniechickmama , you might know the answer to this. I have a friend's silkie chick in the brooder with my marans. She said the parents were both black and the siblings were black as well. The breeder dubbed the color as "undetermined". Is this common with silkies? Was there maybe a color cross somewhere down the line that happened to present in this chick? Cute little thing....

 

[aussiegal318]

Nice Picts @NathanZee.

Speaking of poop boards, I removed mine when I added a second roost in the coop. I was planning to put it back but it wasn't really wide enough. I stopped at Home Depot for paint only to find they had a miss cut piece of plywood that was the perfect size, 70% off!

I'm so happy with my creamer! I named him C.C. He has become part of the flock so easily, like he always has been there. He comes running with the rest of the flock at TV time. Tonight he was on the roost in the middle of all the girls. He's getting more comfortable being handled a bit.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Hi Minnesotans! I just want to show everyone my flock! My brother and I have two African geese, 3 mallards, 3 fawn and white Indian runners, 3 Buff orpingtons, 3 khaki campbells, two old English game bantams (thanks to bantiesrule!) and one Maiden Rock hen. One of the geese enjoys flying, as do the most of the ducks!

I would be a little concerned with the fall migration on that your ducks might want to join their wild friends and head South. I would consider clipping their wings to prevent it. If you want to know how, it is pretty simple, you cut the primary feathers back about 3/4 of the way on one wing. I am sure they are loving getting airborne, but those light breeds can and do fly off sometimes.

 

[Minniechickmama]

It means stranger danger!



So very true. I'm trying to get DH to dress up as Darth Vader for a Halloween party we're going to. Yeah, he's not going for it. Lol


@Minniechickmama , you might know the answer to this. I have a friend's silkie chick in the brooder with my marans. She said the parents were both black and the siblings were black as well. The breeder dubbed the color as "undetermined". Is this common with silkies? Was there maybe a color cross somewhere down the line that happened to present in this chick? Cute little thing....

Well, if they had a Self-Blue(what most people mis-label as Lavender) split going on. Which means, they can express Black as their phenotype (what you see) but carry a masked genotype (what you don't see) that will only show up if both parents are a split color gene. It looks either Self Blue or Blue, and the Blue (Andalusian Blue gene) only shows if one or both parents are Blue or Splash.
So, my guess is that it is from parents carrying the Self Blue. Confused yet? LOL
With Andalusian Blue (like I have with my Cochins). Here is what you get when breeding:
Black to Black = all Black offspring
Black to Blue = half Blue, Half Black
Black to Splash = all Blue
Blue to Blue = 25% Black 50% Blue 25% Splash
Blue to Splash = half Blue, half Splash
Splash to Splash = all Splash

But with Black splits to Self Blue, I don't know the numbers for sure, but I believe if you have two parents who are splits, then they should produce 50% Black and 50% Self Blue.
I will be honest, I find the whole "Lavender" craze irritating because people have mis-labeled them. They are pretty, but the only true Lavender colored birds, or that that label is used with are some Game birds. I don't think any other breeds have been accept under that label/variety. But for sure, they are beautiful Silkies in that variety.
The way you can tell the difference too is that the shaft of the feathers is that light blue or dove gray color as well as the barbs of the feathers, whereas with the Andalusian Blue, the feather shaft is Black.

That little cutie likely won't have a big crest. When they hatch they tend to have a good crest showing if they are going to get much of one. Some have vaulted skulls too which makes their crests look even bigger. In my Whites I get some that have wimpy crests, which is good for those ones to be able to see. LOL Dixie the Silkie Bogtown got from me is a Buff and she never had much of a crest and she could run all over the place. It is likely why she can stand up to the bigger birds if she needs to at BC's, she sees them coming

 

[Minniechickmama]

Oh, and I just remember something else. You can see on occasion, that some Black lines will kick out some solid White birds that are a recessive white. Maybe destiny_ could shed some light on that though. I am not a color expert. I know quite a bit with the Blue Andalusian gene because I had a lot of birds here with it at the beginning, but now just have the Cochins and Silkies in Blue. I may add some Blue Ameraucanas back this coming year though.

 

[Cluckies]

Hi Minnesotans! I just want to show everyone my flock! My brother and I have two African geese, 3 mallards, 3 fawn and white Indian runners, 3 Buff orpingtons, 3 khaki campbells, two old English game bantams (thanks to bantiesrule!) and one Maiden Rock hen. One of the geese enjoys flying, as do the most of the ducks!

Wonderful! Beautiful flock @Minniechickmama , you might know the answer to this. I have a friend's silkie chick in the brooder with my marans. She said the parents were both black and the siblings were black as well. The breeder dubbed the color as "undetermined". Is this common with silkies? Was there maybe a color cross somewhere down the line that happened to present in this chick? Cute little thing.... cute! Love chicks!

 

[lalaland]

@lalaland I think it was you who mentioned it, I ordered some of that Molly's herbals wormer, (as my girls are molting, but are getting so very thin) now i'm not sure how to dose, the paperwork says 1 Tbsp for 6 chickens. directy? added to their food or water? How do I split that up? not sure... How do you dose your chickens when you use it?

I use mash, so I just mix it in. Definitely add it to their feed. If you use pellets or crumbles, I think I would soften them up with milk or broth or even water, so the herbs would stick.

If you think they are getting thin, you might try adding some additional protein which isn't a bad idea when they are molting anyway. You could feed ground hamburger or turkey, liver, tuna, a couple dozen minnows, cottage cheese, etc.

About the milk - someone I trust has said on other threads that chickens can't digest milk. I am not sure about this, after all, chickens used to get feed buttermilk routinely. And I have always feed milk, cheese, yogurt, and never have seen a problem.

 

[Cluckies]

I use mash, so I just mix it in. Definitely add it to their feed. If you use pellets or crumbles, I think I would soften them up with milk or broth or even water, so the herbs would stick.

If you think they are getting thin, you might try adding some additional protein which isn't a bad idea when they are molting anyway. You could feed ground hamburger or turkey, liver, tuna, a couple dozen minnows, cottage cheese, etc.

About the milk - someone I trust has said on other threads that chickens can't digest milk. I am not sure about this, after all, chickens used to get feed buttermilk routinely. And I have always feed milk, cheese, yogurt, and never have seen a problem.

Thanks, i'll give them some mash with it in there.

I've also been trying to give all kinds of extra protein. I think i'm being played by Mother though. She doesn't want to eat anything, so I tempted her with all kinds of stuff, including egg, tuna, cat food, crumble wetted and mixed with sweet potato, scratch, etc. she is not interested. I pull out the live meal worms and she gobbles them up. This is three days running now.

Am I being played? or did I just hit on the one thing she can't resist, even though she is not hungry? Either way she is going to keep getting them, she needs to be eating something.

 

[lalaland]

yeah, mother doesn't sound good. is she in full molt? I hope nothing else is going on with her. How is her poop?

 

[lalaland]

I didn't know about the removing the water either! I change their water at night in the warmer weather to save me time in the morning...
Maybe this would work for you? if done right, there is no waste, and you can cap the ends at night to keep critters out of it.
No waste feeder for approx 3 bucks

thanks!

well, I clicked on the no waste feeder link and started reading it last night. The guy who posted seems to make things - he has a waterer that works in freezing weather, and the no waste feeder and something else, which I forget this morning.

I think I might have to try the no waste feeder. I hate plastic buckets. I like the old fashioned metal feeders and I have some very cool ones (its all about the look

), but.....I hate the idea of rats. And in the winter, maybe it is best to move to something like the buckets - 5 gallons of feed would last a long time, and I could put the bucket into a metal garbage can each night.

Now, with the 6 new birds coming (boy I hope they come soon before snow flies) I will need three buckets, I think....with three feeding holes.

This morning I am withholding feed, they can clean up the yard a bit before I feed them.