- May 8, 2014
- 8
- 0
- 7
Hi, I'm Shelley and I got my first Silkie a few months ago. A year old rooster I call 'Bird'. I tried, "Bud" and "Boo", but he ignores me, "Bird" and he looks interested. I got him in mid-March and still had 3 feet of snow in the yard, so he is a kitchen chicken. He sleeps in a dog crate. Voluntarily, I assure you. Mind you, he hangs out with my pom/chi cross, Jethro and so perhaps a dog crate isn't that odd. Also, despite some suggestions that lowering the roof on a rooster will help stop the crowing? Nope, Bird can quite happily crow nestled into his pine chips. Thankfully, the snow is gone and most days it is nice enough that he is outside in my yard. He walks down the deck steps so I'm not worried that he'll fly over my 3' fence. I'm kind of amazed actually, as I had read that Silkies are docile, but it isn't just that he's non-aggressive, it's just that nothing fazes him. He moved out of a big barn where he lived with many breeds of chickens and 4 bigger roosters and just settled into my household like it was nothing, with 2 cats and 2 small dogs. A dream for a newbie like me. I'm starting to understand his 'noises' - he groans a lot. And the happy 'yay, food' chortle and the 'I'm not impressed' huff with glare (caught in the rain one day - not impressed). He grumbles less about being picked up and has learned the 5 second rule doesn't apply to cat food treats and the chi's (if he wants any, he'd better get moving).
I also bought 6 silkie chicks a few weeks ago and they are now about 7 weeks old. (Conflicting advice on if one Silkie could be happy...I guess we'll see.) They are also living in a 'rabbit run' in my kitchen with lots of outdoors time when it's nice enough. We're still getting freezing night-time temps so I'm in no hurry to move them out for a few weeks. I enjoy the 'babies', although I haven't handled them a lot - the run is not a good design for that, but we are getting into a routine when I take them outside and spend some time with each during transport....and with the escort (Jethro and Bird, sure that I'm killing the babies). (Again, I read conflicting advice on how much to handle them...so went with the 'when their older' advice, it worked for me!). However, I talk to them a lot. Bird is very much a 'fussy old hen'. He can be out in the yard and he'll hear the babies squawking when I pick them up and he's in the house in a flash, grumbling and strutting...when they're outside in their temporary run, he's nearby. Jethro just tries to get any treats first. The babies love worms/bugs and as I'm doing a lot of yard work, I've been taking time to get some just for them...I laugh watching them chase each other around their pen and then rush back to the corner where I am with the next offering. Bird, (he's a bit different?) does not eat worms. Ever. Or bugs. He also won't roost. The babies love the roost I made them, although the 1x4 ends appear to more popular than the dowel.
I got a sweet deal on a 6' x 10' chain link dog kennel. 6' high with a door. I'll be using this as a run. I'll line the lower few feet of the kennel with smaller wire until the babies are bigger....unless the get a growth spurt in the next week. I'll put a metal roof on top to shelter them from the rain. For the summer, I've been building a simple temporary coop to put inside the run - nothing too fancy. A reconfigured cupboard that is large enough to lock them in safely at night. Before winter, I'll have a proper winter coop build inside my shed and the dog run will be moved there so they have outside space, even in the winter. When the weather is decent and I'm home they'll be in the yard. Bird currently has free run, although he seems to prefer company and if I'm inside and the dogs are inside, he'll come in and nestle back in his kennel & just hang out. Now, putting everyone together? Not sure how to do that...until I have the crowing issue relatively under control, Bird may just have to sleep indoors until the shed coop is built...it can be made more 'sound' proof. (To me, Jethro's barking is more irritating - he's male and has pom in him...arg...but I'm not my neighbours.) And of course, until the babies are bigger, I don't trust my cat, Aries not to have a snack. Betty could care less, but Aries...caution. Even though he is bigger than Bird, there has never been a problem, but the little ones....he ignores them, but....
I bought 6 chicks in the hope that I get at least 2 or 3 hens. It looks like blue chick will be a rooster...sigh....(even a newbie such as me can compare his large comb and wattles to the other 5 and groan, I hope I'm wrong)...and I'm guessing at least two others. (I'm hoping my bear bell collar idea works - posted under rooster collars). I got the chickens....starting with Bird as my garden helpers - eat the bugs, dig up the dirt, make compost, hang out, make me laugh...all that. Eggs are a bonus. Bird isn't really into bugs. Maybe as he 'gets out more'. Thankfully, it appears that the babies are. I have a pretty small yard. Silkie size, I'd guess, but I"m a pretty laid back gardener, so there are lots of interesting things for chickens. Currently digging out any sweet pea left overs so the chicks don't eat them....a bit worried about toxic plants.
Anyways, I've been reading many posts and articles on Backyard Chickens and finally joined up. As you can see, I'm enjoying my 'chooks'.
Shelley
I also bought 6 silkie chicks a few weeks ago and they are now about 7 weeks old. (Conflicting advice on if one Silkie could be happy...I guess we'll see.) They are also living in a 'rabbit run' in my kitchen with lots of outdoors time when it's nice enough. We're still getting freezing night-time temps so I'm in no hurry to move them out for a few weeks. I enjoy the 'babies', although I haven't handled them a lot - the run is not a good design for that, but we are getting into a routine when I take them outside and spend some time with each during transport....and with the escort (Jethro and Bird, sure that I'm killing the babies). (Again, I read conflicting advice on how much to handle them...so went with the 'when their older' advice, it worked for me!). However, I talk to them a lot. Bird is very much a 'fussy old hen'. He can be out in the yard and he'll hear the babies squawking when I pick them up and he's in the house in a flash, grumbling and strutting...when they're outside in their temporary run, he's nearby. Jethro just tries to get any treats first. The babies love worms/bugs and as I'm doing a lot of yard work, I've been taking time to get some just for them...I laugh watching them chase each other around their pen and then rush back to the corner where I am with the next offering. Bird, (he's a bit different?) does not eat worms. Ever. Or bugs. He also won't roost. The babies love the roost I made them, although the 1x4 ends appear to more popular than the dowel.
I got a sweet deal on a 6' x 10' chain link dog kennel. 6' high with a door. I'll be using this as a run. I'll line the lower few feet of the kennel with smaller wire until the babies are bigger....unless the get a growth spurt in the next week. I'll put a metal roof on top to shelter them from the rain. For the summer, I've been building a simple temporary coop to put inside the run - nothing too fancy. A reconfigured cupboard that is large enough to lock them in safely at night. Before winter, I'll have a proper winter coop build inside my shed and the dog run will be moved there so they have outside space, even in the winter. When the weather is decent and I'm home they'll be in the yard. Bird currently has free run, although he seems to prefer company and if I'm inside and the dogs are inside, he'll come in and nestle back in his kennel & just hang out. Now, putting everyone together? Not sure how to do that...until I have the crowing issue relatively under control, Bird may just have to sleep indoors until the shed coop is built...it can be made more 'sound' proof. (To me, Jethro's barking is more irritating - he's male and has pom in him...arg...but I'm not my neighbours.) And of course, until the babies are bigger, I don't trust my cat, Aries not to have a snack. Betty could care less, but Aries...caution. Even though he is bigger than Bird, there has never been a problem, but the little ones....he ignores them, but....
I bought 6 chicks in the hope that I get at least 2 or 3 hens. It looks like blue chick will be a rooster...sigh....(even a newbie such as me can compare his large comb and wattles to the other 5 and groan, I hope I'm wrong)...and I'm guessing at least two others. (I'm hoping my bear bell collar idea works - posted under rooster collars). I got the chickens....starting with Bird as my garden helpers - eat the bugs, dig up the dirt, make compost, hang out, make me laugh...all that. Eggs are a bonus. Bird isn't really into bugs. Maybe as he 'gets out more'. Thankfully, it appears that the babies are. I have a pretty small yard. Silkie size, I'd guess, but I"m a pretty laid back gardener, so there are lots of interesting things for chickens. Currently digging out any sweet pea left overs so the chicks don't eat them....a bit worried about toxic plants.
Anyways, I've been reading many posts and articles on Backyard Chickens and finally joined up. As you can see, I'm enjoying my 'chooks'.
Shelley
and Welcome To BYC! What an entertaining introduction! Bird sounds like one special chicken! Hope most of the chicks do turn out to be hens for you!
