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Muscovies are my easiest bird by far!! THey go to the stream for water, stand in it all day. dipple in the leaves at the bottom, go to the turkey and chicken feeders for grain, fly up to the high roosts, and fly around the farm, and are the last to put themselves to bed in a coop.I've never had a breed that I considered a "good" broody...my WR was a great mother, but not a great broody. Cochins are very pretty and they say they are great at it, but not great at foraging and free range survival, so that doesn't fit into my flock needs. Game hens are supposed to be good at it, but how many eggs can they cover? Can't stand BOs, so they aren't on my good list either. To date, the best broody I've had was a BA, but they aren't known for the trait.
Muscovy ducks...that's my conclusion.
Quote: I am so glad I am not the only ones skipping over the silkies and showgirls!!
I tell people that if I had silkies I would have to have a doll house coop with pink curtains!
My chickens have to work too.
Some where in Middle east or Asia there is a LF Silkie Meat Breed! That might be ok to have.
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I am on the Silkie fence.... I have a poor quality hatchery silkie (maybe even a mix?) who is the most awesome little mama hen you ever met.... she can set on and hatch 8 eggs (amazing pancaking ability in that one!) and she wants to have them outside digging and scratching almost immediately! She is outside with her little crew every day it isn't pouring down rain and she scratches and digs for them till her foot feathers are all broken off and their crops are stuffed full. She constantly scans for problems and teaches the little ones to scramble for cover. If you could have 3 or 4 Gracies in your flock you would never need an incubator or brooder...
On the other hand, I have seen much better quality silkies who seem lost once they leave the chicken run gate?? Yep, they are cute and great for kids, but not very practical if you are trying to establish a meaty and eggy flock for the farm. I had Gracie hatch out 3 of her eggs over the winter so we could (hopefully) get another girl as dependable as she is. Yep, they are mutts, but if they are like her then they have a home here (till they crow).
You all have been discussing broodies... it will take another year or two to know for sure... but I got a strain of Silver Pencil Rock from a breeder in SW Pennsylvania and before the age of 9 months three of the 5 hens were broody (in the winter no less!) and two are raising their broods together. If the trait continues I will be a very happy lady, since I don't even own an incubatorand my hopes are for a self sustaining flock of nicely proportioned birds.
I am on the Silkie fence.... I have a poor quality hatchery silkie (maybe even a mix?) who is the most awesome little mama hen you ever met.... she can set on and hatch 8 eggs (amazing pancaking ability in that one!) and she wants to have them outside digging and scratching almost immediately! She is outside with her little crew every day it isn't pouring down rain and she scratches and digs for them till her foot feathers are all broken off and their crops are stuffed full. She constantly scans for problems and teaches the little ones to scramble for cover. If you could have 3 or 4 Gracies in your flock you would never need an incubator or brooder...
On the other hand, I have seen much better quality silkies who seem lost once they leave the chicken run gate?? Yep, they are cute and great for kids, but not very practical if you are trying to establish a meaty and eggy flock for the farm. I had Gracie hatch out 3 of her eggs over the winter so we could (hopefully) get another girl as dependable as she is. Yep, they are mutts, but if they are like her then they have a home here (till they crow).
You all have been discussing broodies... it will take another year or two to know for sure... but I got a strain of Silver Pencil Rock from a breeder in SW Pennsylvania and before the age of 9 months three of the 5 hens were broody (in the winter no less!) and two are raising their broods together. If the trait continues I will be a very happy lady, since I don't even own an incubatorand my hopes are for a self sustaining flock of nicely proportioned birds.
My best broodies are my Heritage Barred Rock and Icelandics. I couldn't believe it when my 3 1/2 year old hatchery Production Red went broody. She is now 5 and surprisingly, a very good mother.I've always wanted some.. they seem like such good broody birds.Now you got me wondering. Ofcourse, I always get a only 2-4 of whatever I want to try. Just sell or eat if I don't like it by the time it's a year old. I'm very anti-feathered feet and not much of a fan of little yappy dogs, I mean, little flooffy birds.. so silkies.. cochins.. not gonna happen. What is your broody of choice?
I learned I really do not like 'production reds' or whatever these sorry things are supposed to be. They're... sassy... seems like they nag at you if things don't go their way. Still on the fence on my partridge rocks, I don't love 'em, don't hate 'em.. but don't love 'em. Just gotta try things to see if you like 'em. Love my white rocks, so I got some more this year, along with some barred rocks.
I'm so glad to see others feel the same way about silkies that I do.