Broody silkies (chickens, really) tend to pluck the feathers from their breasts to line their nests. They also tend to molt while brooding or raising their babies. Breaking a brood does not necessarily stop the molting or breast plucking. My guess is that if she is still plucking her breast feathers, she will go broody again soon. There is no attacked photo. Some vets will see chickens, some will not. Call ahead.
What field did the professor get HER degree in?Although they won't be joining the big flock for some time, I put the three four-week-old silkies out to free range with the six-to-ten-week-old birds under supervision. The older birds just looked at them and sometimes got too close for the chicks' comfort. Those brave little chicks pecked at the older pullets, but the older pullets just walked off again. I have in the coop three six-week-old silkies (Thunderhead, Cottonball and Pinto) and one ten-week old one (Professor Fluffles). Pinto and Cottonball ignored the chicks as completely as most of the egg laying pullets, Thunderhead pecked one of them on the head, but got pecked back. The Professor hung around them, followed them as they foraged by the chicken yard and always stayed within a foot of them. The four of them seemed to enjoy each other's company. It was so cute.
Cheddar photobombed this one.The temporary fence there keeps them from wandering into the garden. One less direction that needs to be guarded.
Jazz following Professor Fluffles. White Flame and Lou are in the front.
The Professor just watching as the chicks foraged. He's a sweetheart of a chicken. Loves to be held. "He" is used loosely since we don't know for sure yet.
A chromosome. One copy in each of a pair of chromosomes. Many genes per chromosome, many chromosomes per bird (39 pairs for a chicken).
I just about did a happy chicken dance but didn't dare, there were people watching. I can't act all looney when I'm supposed to be the barn manager/assistant trainer/instructor. I might lose my credibility.Happy chicken dance!
It is amazing that tiny little things make such a difference. It doesn't take much to amuse me anyway.Isn't it amazing what little things can make people happy? If somebody had told you a year ago you would be so excited about sand.. you wouldn't believe them.
I am glad you found it! And yes, get somebody with some machinery to help.
I have decomposed gravel on my hill I want to put under the coops - but I can't get in there with anything except a shovel.. and its a hillsideMove a little - wait and see what moves... wish I could get a tractor in there.
I don't know about being funny, I might be a little bit crazy instead.
I did ask if this sand was clean before moving it. Apparently it is screened and cleaned. As someone who doesn't know anything about these things, what could happen if the sand was not screened and cleaned?
Great names!The Professor's a girl. Oh, that's funny! That chick has been displaying a lot of boy behavior. I wasn't going to be surprised if she crowed one of these days. I got a tomboy.
Oh yeah ... when my daughter named her, she defended the name to my skeptical oldest son as appropriate for a boy or a girl because girls can be professors, too.The Professor's half sibling Doctor Puffles is currently in our brooder. We have some very educated silkies.
My White Silky was bred to a White Showgirl (Avatar). The one chick I kept; began laying at 6 months & was 1wk into being Broody when she turned 7 months. My other Silkies didn't lay eggs until 8 months.
