Silkie saga

[2ndTink]

It's been freezing here the last few mornings and I walk outside to Chonkers head sticking out of the brooder box under the heat lamp. He warms up enough in there to thaw out his crower I think, because he doesn't make a peep until he's been in the oven, once he steps out, he let's the world know who he is!


Fray the Itty Bitty really likes having the heat lamp still, she's been sleeping under it and hanging out in the door


Still trying to break these determined ladies. I don't have a broody breaker cage, it looks like I need to make sure I have one in my silkie coop. I may move these girls in with the other silkies in the spring.

 

[TwoCrows]

He warms up enough in there to thaw out his crower

They are so adorable, love how they can pop out of that little hole. SO cute! You are doing such a wonderful job with your birds, I can tell from here how much they are loved. ❤

I think Silkies are one of the biggest broody breed, always broody! You will definitely need to figure something out by spring. I don't like to break my broodies, but they can drive you nuts. They get so depressed during the breaking process, poor gals. But they hog up nest boxes and there's no sense in setting there if they aren't actually incubating eggs.

 

[2ndTink]

Well, Base and Cappy Llama appear to have rejoined the flock and left the nests. It seems that sitting in an empty nesting box is not near as appealing as being able to sit on eggs. Since they were being box hogs and I put the wooden crate in there, everyone has changed to laying eggs in the crate. Even today with no grouchy broodies in the nesting boxes, they all still used the crate

All of my hens are molting so I am no longer getting normal size eggs, just 3 to 5 little pullet eggs per day now. I'm hoping they get bigger but for now I'm still enjoying the small cute eggs. I'm not planning on putting a light on them this winter, but if they are my only layers, I don't know what I'll do if I have to buy store-bought eggs

Here's Storm being a distinguished gentleman, so dashing

 

[TwoCrows]

Well, Base and Cappy Llama appear to have rejoined the flock and left the nests. It seems that sitting in an empty nesting box is not near as appealing as being able to sit on eggs. Since they were being box hogs and I put the wooden crate in there, everyone has changed to laying eggs in the crate. Even today with no grouchy broodies in the nesting boxes, they all still used the crate

All of my hens are molting so I am no longer getting normal size eggs, just 3 to 5 little pullet eggs per day now. I'm hoping they get bigger but for now I'm still enjoying the small cute eggs. I'm not planning on putting a light on them this winter, but if they are my only layers, I don't know what I'll do if I have to buy store-bought eggs

Here's Storm being a distinguished gentleman, so dashing
View attachment 3669062

Good morning, it's Friday!

Glad to hear Base and Cappy Llama gave up the broodiness! It's crazy how they get hooked on one or two nest boxes when there are others available. I've had waiting lines at my 2 boxes and I go get the dog carrier or my home made cardboard nest box, set it up right next to the nest boxes and nope....the new box stays empty and the waiting line gets longer. Crazy birds.

It is SO weird buying eggs in the store! I feel like everyone is looking at me, or maybe I am doing something wrong or illegal. And since I don't really know where the eggs came from and I didn't collect them, I get sort of creeped out about the eggs. So yes, I hope your girls keep you in enough eating eggs so you don't have to go through the stress of purchasing eggs!

Wow Storm looks pretty dapper there! Very handsome guy you've got!! Love the doodle hat and cane, always puts a big grin on my face. LOVE his coloring! ❤ He looks SO soft!

Enjoy your day my dear, last day of the work week!

 

[2ndTink]

Good morning, it's Friday!

Glad to hear Base and Cappy Llama gave up the broodiness! It's crazy how they get hooked on one or two nest boxes when there are others available. I've had waiting lines at my 2 boxes and I go get the dog carrier or my home made cardboard nest box, set it up right next to the nest boxes and nope....the new box stays empty and the waiting line gets longer. Crazy birds.

It is SO weird buying eggs in the store! I feel like everyone is looking at me, or maybe I am doing something wrong or illegal. And since I don't really know where the eggs came from and I didn't collect them, I get sort of creeped out about the eggs. So yes, I hope your girls keep you in enough eating eggs so you don't have to go through the stress of purchasing eggs!

Wow Storm looks pretty dapper there! Very handsome guy you've got!! Love the doodle hat and cane, always puts a big grin on my face. LOVE his coloring! ❤ He looks SO soft!

Enjoy your day my dear, last day of the work week!

Base and Cappy are still out and about, so I'm happy about that! Yesterday had 4 eggs in the wooden crate and 1 in the regular nesting boxes. The open air concept seems to be a hit. They do pick the oddest favorite laying spots. My one prefab coop has 6 nesting boxes, they'll all lay in one, and that one changes from time to time, silly chickens!

Definitely darn near a crime to buy eggs at the store

I really like Storm's coloring too!

So happy it's the weekend!

One of my chocolate "pullets" is getting spicy. It is starting to get the little busy bustle movements of JetPack, it struts up to me and has started pecking my boots the last few days and if I reach for it, it bites me it seems to have the same vertical crest as JetPack too while the other two are more rounded. Uh oh... spicy chocolate pullet or did I get another cockerel?

Not the best shot of little Freya, or is it Fred?

 

[TwoCrows]

Base and Cappy are still out and about, so I'm happy about that! Yesterday had 4 eggs in the wooden crate and 1 in the regular nesting boxes. The open air concept seems to be a hit. They do pick the oddest favorite laying spots. My one prefab coop has 6 nesting boxes, they'll all lay in one, and that one changes from time to time, silly chickens!

Definitely darn near a crime to buy eggs at the store

I really like Storm's coloring too!

So happy it's the weekend!

One of my chocolate "pullets" is getting spicy. It is starting to get the little busy bustle movements of JetPack, it struts up to me and has started pecking my boots the last few days and if I reach for it, it bites me it seems to have the same vertical crest as JetPack too while the other two are more rounded. Uh oh... spicy chocolate pullet or did I get another cockerel?

Not the best shot of little Freya, or is it Fred?
View attachment 3669979

Glad those broodies are behaving!!

Aww...Freya or most likely Fred, is adorable! ❤ He/she is a fuzz ball with feet! Oh I hope this one isn't going to get an attitude on you, some do though. Hopefully it's just a phase, or maybe they woke on the wrong side of the roost bar. Cutie pie no matter!

 

[2ndTink]

I gave JetPack a floof trim around his eyes this morning, after seeing him a bit later I want to cut a little more. Before I started trimming, I couldn't see his eyes at all, then as we were going he started being able to see the scissors coming, he wasn't a fan, but he wasn't too hard to work with either. I set him down and obviously he wasn't used to seeing stuff. He was standing straight upright alarm clucking and jumping at everything poor guy, he got to experience his surroundings with clearer vision than he's seen in his teenager life once he settled down about seeing things, he started scratching and doing excited little clucks over the feed on the ground. Poor little dude has been living with blinders on. I trimmed Sylvi and Lumi a little too.

 

[TwoCrows]

I gave JetPack a floof trim around his eyes this morning, after seeing him a bit later I want to cut a little more. Before I started trimming, I couldn't see his eyes at all, then as we were going he started being able to see the scissors coming, he wasn't a fan, but he wasn't too hard to work with either. I set him down and obviously he wasn't used to seeing stuff. He was standing straight upright alarm clucking and jumping at everything poor guy, he got to experience his surroundings with clearer vision than he's seen in his teenager life once he settled down about seeing things, he started scratching and doing excited little clucks over the feed on the ground. Poor little dude has been living with blinders on. I trimmed Sylvi and Lumi a little too.

Yay JetPack, Sylvi and Lumi! ❤ From the sounds of it, JetPack was excited about his new vision! Yes most people don't know to trim the feathers out of their eyes. They can't see very well at all with all that floof! I have a friend that keeps Silkies, she's seen them become dehydrated and malnourished from not seeing well. Early on she had one wander into her pond because he couldn't see, poor bird drowned. She learned from then on to trim the hair out of the eyes. They are cute when all you see is a floofy head with a beak, but it's not good for them. Give everybody hugs for me!

 

[2ndTink]

Yay JetPack, Sylvi and Lumi! ❤ From the sounds of it, JetPack was excited about his new vision! Yes most people don't know to trim the feathers out of their eyes. They can't see very well at all with all that floof! I have a friend that keeps Silkies, she's seen them become dehydrated and malnourished from not seeing well. Early on she had one wander into her pond because he couldn't see, poor bird drowned. She learned from then on to trim the hair out of the eyes. They are cute when all you see is a floofy head with a beak, but it's not good for them. Give everybody hugs for me!

I trimmed JetPack a little more, he wasn't not near as complacent this time though, he was a total wiggle worm! I also started to trim Fray the Itty Bitty, I wasn't making much progress then hubby came to assist. Once he held her and I was able to freely use two hands it really went much easier. We did her and Freya Maybe Fred. I noticed they had a lot of feathers under their eyes that were clumped like they'd been wet, to me this means they've been rubbing into their poor eyeballs I'm glad I decided to give them trims! The satins all look good, or is it see good? Lol. I have a couple more silkie feathered floofs to trim but they don't have near as big of floofs as the chicks I trimmed. I have one chocolate frizzle left to trim, I'll try and catch her tomorrow.

JetPack showing of his new fade, or is it a bowl cut?



Probably a bowl cut


I can see all the goodies now!


Crack Jack being his adorable self.


Trimmed up chocolates! It's so weird seeing their eyes



Sven (was Svanhild...)

 

[2ndTink]

Question, Cracker is pretty clearly a cockerel, I've caught him trying to crow a few times, he's got pointy saddle feathers and he's got a comb bump. But, when I reach for him to pick him up he squats like a pullet. What's going on? Is he just a submissive cockerel?


Here's Freya Maybe Fred after an eye trim, what a beard!


And some fall foliage, it's been gorgeous around here, passed the peak though now and all the leaves are falling pretty quickly.