Silkie thread!

[peepblessed]

Ok fellow silkie lovers, question.....How do I get my silkie hen, Lovey, to go into the hen house with the rest of the flock every evening? Here's the story: I let my hens out to free range every evening when I get home at 6. Around dusk they all begin gathering near the coop, and start the procession inside to the roost. Not Lovey, she goes to the other side of the hen house (outside the coop/run) and jumps up on the roof to the nest boxes and settles in. The first time this happened I didn't see her, it was already dark and she is black, when I got up the next morning to let the girls out, she was already out clucking and scratching happily in the yard near the hen house. Even the 9 week old babies go into their little house at dusk, why won't she? How do I get her to?

I'm lost!!

Black silkies have an especially hard time seeing at night because of their crest and they often don't like going into a dark cave. Try putting a solar light in the coop for a few nights. You will liking have to put her in for a day or two if she is used to roosting somewhere else.

 

[marlo1968]

Black silkies have an especially hard time seeing at night because of their crest and they often don't like going into a dark cave. Try putting a solar light in the coop for a few nights. You will liking have to put her in for a day or two if she is used to roosting somewhere else.

Ah ha...ok, I can do that, thanks for the advice

 

[skyl3r]

OK, finally I got a few photos today. Although, the silkies were not being their photogenic selves. Made us work hard for the pics. If you want to take a guess at the gender, please do. I inspected closely today. No wattles or combs yet. Although, Einstein did make an odd noise when it was calling to the other chicks. Wasn't a crow, but sounded like he was cooing/singing.

Finally our lil silkie chick, Scrambled, is growing...too bad its only part of him growing. Apparently the growth spurt forgot to occur in the head. @9wks


Einstein looking grouchy, 9 weeks old


Einstein, our splash silkie 9 weeks old today.

 

[skyl3r]

And because we love it, our Silkie/Frizzle Cochin cross. It is 9 weeks today also. If you have any ideas of what its gender might be let me know. I am not sure what to look for waiting for an egg or a crow.

 

[peepblessed]

And because we love it, our Silkie/Frizzle Cochin cross. It is 9 weeks today also. If you have any ideas of what its gender might be let me know. I am not sure what to look for waiting for an egg or a crow.

OK, finally I got a few photos today. Although, the silkies were not being their photogenic selves. Made us work hard for the pics. If you want to take a guess at the gender, please do. I inspected closely today. No wattles or combs yet. Although, Einstein did make an odd noise when it was calling to the other chicks. Wasn't a crow, but sounded like he was cooing/singing.

Finally our lil silkie chick, Scrambled, is growing...too bad its only part of him growing. Apparently the growth spurt forgot to occur in the head. @9wks


Einstein looking grouchy, 9 weeks old


Einstein, our splash silkie 9 weeks old today.

Einstein just needs to share some of that abundant crest with Scrambled. Einstein is looking awesome! Great photos too!!

 

[peepblessed]

And because we love it, our Silkie/Frizzle Cochin cross. It is 9 weeks today also. If you have any ideas of what its gender might be let me know. I am not sure what to look for waiting for an egg or a crow.

Really cool looking chick! Can't help you with the sex though.

 

[littlecritters]

Well, that would make two of us, lol!! 

It really isn't working, that is the thing. I feel like I need at least one more coop, if not more. I have two roos that have to be separate and I need somewhere for my grow outs. I am acutally considering a shed that I could divide up in to several runs, although that won't solve the outside issue. And I love your under the deck coop. We are renting, or I would SO do that! 

What do you have in the run of your coop? I have sand and I just hate it! It sticks to everything! 

Also, how big are your runs for how many birds?

Our setup is not yet completed, but we are going to use a nice dog kennel for the outside run that can be used as a modular system. The panels are 5' wide by 6' tall and the gate section is the same dimension, for easy access and cleaning of the run. By adding or removing panels we can create either one big run or divide it into separate sections.

By placing 7 panels alongside the 16' length of our shed (soon to be coop) we can create a 10' x 15' run that has an entrance on each 10' side. These units are extremely easy to assemble and move around. We are still figuring out our layout before we decide on how to cover the run(s).

When we first bought our 10 egg layer chicks, I thought 10' x 15' would be fine. Now that we added 4 silkie chicks and 2 polish, I will create a separate run area for them.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/doc-bo...large-breed-5-ft-w-x-10-ft-l-x-6-ft-h-3606033

 

[littlecritters]

I just love the pics of your sillies and polish! My daughter and I really enjoy all the photos on these pages that folks are willing to share. Your frizzle is very cute.

And because we love it, our Silkie/Frizzle Cochin cross.  It is 9 weeks today also.  If you have any ideas of what its gender might be let me know.  I am not sure what to look for waiting for an egg or a crow.  

 

[KMHunter]

I just got my babies home. Out of 10 that went into lockdown only 4 hatched. one blue one pipped then quit. I guess that happens. Disappointing but I am ready to hatch more!
I have already got more eggs coming!

The babies are soo cute! Pictures coming soon!

So I have shown them the water, and the first hatched seems to have gotten it. The others born yesterday and today are still trying get their legs under them.
I think they will get it with the other one doing it. But what about food?
I tapped in it with my finger and as of yet they are not interested. When should I worry? And what should I do?
Any ideas to get them eating in the near future?

Thanks!
Kim

 

[SilverSilkie]

So, it is possible that the blue silkie below may turn out to be regular blue or even a blue partiridge? She has a bit of brown on the left side of her head.

B/B/S with dark yellow-orange around the eyes or forehead indicate they are gold based.
The most plausible reason for that "red" leakage is the missing of melanisers.
Also impure e-allele (E/eb) and/or Columbian restrictors like Co, Mh?, Db?...

Since "E" is Dominant over "eb" (in E/eb) it should turn out as a Blue with some gold leakage in hackles & wingbow, more when a male less when a female.