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AnneInTheBurbs said:
***Crickets....***

Where is everybody? Out playing in the yard I guess? :frow

@dheltzel Any word on the Sandhill order? I'm sorry to be a pest, but just trying to make plans. :D
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Not playing in the yard...between rainstorms we were playing on the Lake! Finally got the boat mechanicals sorted out and had it out for a cruise today with good results...so fishing can now commence!
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AnneInTheBurbs said:
Bad news, my meaties seemed to have gotten that sinus infection where their eye swelled up pretty bad. Not all of them got it, but several did.


Good news! After a week treating them all with the Vetrx, they are seeming to all recover. I can't even tell which one was the real bad one now.
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Great news on their Recovery!
 
Hi all - question for the group. In February, I got 3 bantam chicks to add to my existing flock of 3 hens (sexlink, cochin, and welsummer). When the chicks got older and went outside with the older hens, they didn't integrate well. No violence or anything, but they hung out as two separate groups - older hens on one side and younger chicks on the other. Unfortunately, about a month ago, a raccoon (I think) got into the coop at night and killed two of the chicks. Now, we have a silkie by herself with the older hens, and she's always alone and getting picked on by the others. They don't hurt her, as far as I can tell, but they chase her off whenever they see her - to the point where she has started to sleep on a perch outside in the run, until I move her inside (every.darn.night). I built a small area in the run where only the silkie can get access, and she gets her own food and water in that area, so she's well fed and hydrated and appears to be healthy. I just feel really bad for her because she's so constantly isolated.

What do you think I should do? Should I add another bantam or two for her to socialize with? The cochin is due to go broody soon - though she's never actually hatched out any live eggs before. I am open to any/all suggestions, including trying to re-home the silkie if that would be best, though I would very much prefer not to do that. Appreciate your time and advice!
 
ewe105 said:
Hi all - question for the group. In February, I got 3 bantam chicks to add to my existing flock of 3 hens (sexlink, cochin, and welsummer). When the chicks got older and went outside with the older hens, they didn't integrate well. No violence or anything, but they hung out as two separate groups - older hens on one side and younger chicks on the other. Unfortunately, about a month ago, a raccoon (I think) got into the coop at night and killed two of the chicks. Now, we have a silkie by herself with the older hens, and she's always alone and getting picked on by the others. They don't hurt her, as far as I can tell, but they chase her off whenever they see her - to the point where she has started to sleep on a perch outside in the run, until I move her inside (every.darn.night). I built a small area in the run where only the silkie can get access, and she gets her own food and water in that area, so she's well fed and hydrated and appears to be healthy. I just feel really bad for her because she's so constantly isolated.

What do you think I should do? Should I add another bantam or two for her to socialize with? The cochin is due to go broody soon - though she's never actually hatched out any live eggs before. I am open to any/all suggestions, including trying to re-home the silkie if that would be best, though I would very much prefer not to do that. Appreciate your time and advice!
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You could add another bantam or two to be with her or even some older chicks that she could bond with. That way she can have a group of her own. A friend of mine did that not long ago when I gave them a silkie pullet. She got picked on by the rest of the flock so they moved her in to the brooder with some 6 week old marans chicks. She's now very happy with them and from what I hear, quite protective of them.
 
If the silkie is a female, you should have no problem finding a new home for her. I personally would not keep silkies with large fowl hens, I don't see her ever integrating. Even adding more LF pullets can be tricky, but at least they will grow up to be the same size.
 
dheltzel said:
If the silkie is a female, you should have no problem finding a new home for her. I personally would not keep silkies with large fowl hens, I don't see her ever integrating. Even adding more LF pullets can be tricky, but at least they will grow up to be the same size.
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It really depends on the flock. I keep bantam silkies in with my LF flock and rarely have trouble integrating more silkies.

Now, TINY bantams like seabrights and Seramas are a while other story lol. Sizing of which, I just moved the serama and his 3 seabright ladies or to the rabbit hutch. They have their own personal coop lol
 
Auroradream26 said:
It really depends on the flock. I keep bantam silkies in with my LF flock and rarely have trouble integrating more silkies.

Now, TINY bantams like seabrights and Seramas are a while other story lol. Sizing of which, I just moved the serama and his 3 seabright ladies or to the rabbit hutch. They have their own personal coop lol
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Agreed, my silkies were okay to integrate. But you do have to watch. It's funny now to see my one Silkie will boss the meat chicks, which are easily twice her size and so much heavier!

I would like to get a couple more silkies in the future. Do you have any Silkie eggs that you could send eventually?
 
AnneInTheBurbs said:
***Crickets....***

Where is everybody? Out playing in the yard I guess? :frow

@dheltzel Any word on the Sandhill order? I'm sorry to be a pest, but just trying to make plans. :D
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Yup, been busy painting, taking care of chickens, and gardening!

So I was complaining about having too many eggs a while ago... guess what? Now I only get 2-3 eggs a day from 7 hens... ugh! I think they are laying in the bushes or somewhere outside... Any clue what to do about them not laying in their nesting boxes?

Also, my one sorta-broody girl keeps randomly walking around all fluffed up as if she has chicks with her. She will do that all day or I'll find her in the nesting box. I feel bad, it seems like she really wants chicks of her own. I wonder if she'll quit doing that soon.
 
AnneInTheBurbs said:
Agreed, my silkies were okay to integrate. But you do have to watch. It's funny now to see my one Silkie will boss the meat chicks, which are easily twice her size and so much heavier!

I would like to get a couple more silkies in the future. Do you have any Silkie eggs that you could send eventually?
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I will after our trip in July. I've already had a request for a few breeds and silkies are one of them so it looks like I'll be seperating them again after we get back. Just for hatching eggs though. I'm only going to be hatching experimental stuff the rest of the year. I'm hoping to cross my showgirl to the silkie feathered lavender ameraucanas and try to make lavender showgirls :)
 

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