Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[Lelanae]

My half brother is in New Orleans and has silkies. He was one of my first enablers (before I discovered you guys!) The tiny eggs knocked me out, and the little guys were so friendly! He only has a two foot fence to enclose them which kept them in but did not keep out a chicken killer terrier. (His Mastiff and lab were no problem.) He used a plastic coop because his first wooden one deteriorated so quickly in the humidity. I like wood myself--I think the plastic fades--but plastic is much easier to clean.

 

[HeartoftheMatterFarm]

I heard that silkies are good for hatching eggs, and are good moms too.

 

[dheltzel]

I heard that silkies are good for hatching eggs, and are good moms too.

It depends on the individual. I have 2 silkies that will sit on anything for months on end and hatch chicks, but they refuse to take the chicks and care for them if it means moving off the remaining eggs. Last summer they raised 2 chicks because it was so hot they didn't really need a mother. The roosters showed the chicks what to eat while both hens refused to budge.
Other silkies make great mothers, but I'd rather use cochin bantams, or better yet, some large fowl like Orpingtons or Marans. The game type fowl do great also, including Sumatras and the Genetic Hackle chickens.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

My true silkies rarely, if ever, go broody. I had one hatchery type go broody a couple times though. She was an incredible mom. I don't think I've ever had a broody come close to comparing to her. I assumed all silkies were like her so I sold her and got some true bantam silkies.

 

[HeartoftheMatterFarm]

So I have a flower bed that is at the north of my house. Gets shade all day. What could I plant that the chickens and ducks could eat?

 

[LadyBehir]

Hey, LMP - we drove by your house yesterday! Had to go up Skunk Hollow Rd. And N Maple. So if you saw a crappy looking Patriot, that was us.


5 eggs today - I think the hen I hate is laying. Drat. Why can't it be the ones I like? She's a bully and has been really picking on Colleen. She's got a nasty wound on the back of her neck so she's living in the bathroom until this weekend, probably. I haven't gotten any eggs from her since I brought her in, but she's the one I dressed up for the highland games. Super friendly girl.

 

[BullChick]

Whew, I’m aching! The main coop is cleaned out, and the chicks have the run of the place. Of course, they were terrified, and huddled in the back.

I still need to wipe some things down, but I barely got this done before Duckling came back.
Here are the five chicks that made it through the first few weeks. I thought I had; (sold as names, but we know it’s unlikely accurate) BR, RIR, Ameraucana, Rainbow Layer and two Welsummer. One accidentally being a cockerel. Since there are only five chicks...
So, what do I have? The BR, and RIR are there. The beautiful thing in the back is a Welsummer, isn’t it?

 

[OneMountainAcres]

I think one looks like a RSL (probably your RIR), a barred rock, and a welsummer. Maybe that one is a blue ameraucana? The last one looks like a SLW though.

 

[BullChick]

Yeah, the RIR, is surely a RSL, just like the Am is an EE. I was thinking SLW too, but at this point, I just couldn’t decide for sure which were left.
Thank you. I’m going with your answer!

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

So I have a flower bed that is at the north of my house. Gets shade all day. What could I plant that the chickens and ducks could eat?

some herbs, most aren't too picky. ..mints, oregano, thyme,
regular veggies- peas/beans, they don't mind the shade so much., swiss chard
perennials- purple cone flower (they can handle a lot of different situations), lavender, some are okay with shade, clover, alfalfa
just a few off the top...

Hey, LMP - we drove by your house yesterday! Had to go up Skunk Hollow Rd. And N Maple. So if you saw a crappy looking Patriot, that was us.


5 eggs today - I think the hen I hate is laying. Drat. Why can't it be the ones I like? She's a bully and has been really picking on Colleen. She's got a nasty wound on the back of her neck so she's living in the bathroom until this weekend, probably. I haven't gotten any eggs from her since I brought her in, but she's the one I dressed up for the highland games. Super friendly girl.

well fine then, don't stop in or anything..and don't tell me you were in a rush either
Didn't notice a creepy or crappy looking patriot....should have stopped in , geesh
Could have pawned off some oranges to you. Had a neighbor drop off an entire case of them. I do have plans for a lot of them, but good gawd...that is a lot of oranges.
Sorry to hear about your girly-bird.