Silkie thread!

[B J Hopkins]

To all who helped me, little Chance is walking! He is the black one closest to his mommas head. She isn't predjudice lol. None of them are actually her chicks. He still has his hobbles on until tomorrow since he is still wobbly.

So glad he's doing much better. Soon you'll not be able to tell there was ever a problem!

 

[B J Hopkins]

I like the small ones. I wish I could have some Serama sized silkies.

LOL, that is REALLY small!

 

[Fur N Feathers]

LOL, that is REALLY small!

I know right!!! My silkies are probably just average for the most part, but my 3 month old silkies are twice the size of my Seramas. I have bred the two together though. It will take me YEARS!

 

[Fancychooklady]

This little girl hatched 8 blue laced red Wyandotte . Before long they will be bigger than her but that won't bother her, she will love them anyway.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Partridge Silkie

 

[cheeseandfoody]

Hi one of my fertile eggs got squashed and when I took it out there was a feathered chick inside but stihl some yolk. Anyway it absolutely stank! I think it was from infection. Will poop on a fertile egg infect it if It does what should I do? Please help

 

[I<3MyChickens-Jewel&Flash]

Anyone have a hen to regime? Looking to add a black hen to add to my small flock...for my blue silkie hen and splash silkie rooster. I'm in cincy Ohio Monroe, Oh specifically

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...0200257075904240_960488554_n.jpg&size=959,540

 

[sacramento]

MY BABY CHICK IS HATCHING TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[TeddyBearSilkie]

Before I bought my first chicken I thought I had found someone to slaughter them for me through the feed store (I was buying straight run chicks). Right after I bought them, the feed store owners said, no, that person now only slaughters for the 4H Club kids. I am not sure I would have ever bought any chickens if I had thought I would have to do it myself. I asked around everywhere, knowing I would have a bunch of cockerels that no one would want. I couldn't find anyone to do it for me (I would have paid a LOT for someone else to do it!).

I joined a BYC thread specifically for people like me, to help us do it right and help us get through it emotionally. (It's called Processing Day Support Group~HELP us through the Emotions PLEASE!) I ended up slaughtering my first Silkie when my (expletive) Dachshund got into the fenced back yard and tore up four little cockerels. That Silkie was destined to be slaughtered and was badly hurt, so it was easy to do. One of the four, my absolute favorite that I intended to keep, died that night. The other two survived, one the Silkie I still need to slaughter and the ugly little frazzle Cochin that is so ugly he is adorable and will live.

I didn't think I could ever do something like slaughter a chicken, but I did and I'm proud of myself for being able to do it. Philosophically, if I am going to eat meat it behooves me to give that meat the best life possible and as quick and stress free a death as possible. Factory farming is not any kind of a life or death for a chicken.

I have always known the cockerels had to be slaughtered by someone. When I found out I didn't have someone to do it, I asked around. One solution suggested to me was to just kick them out of the pen and let "nature" take its course. I was astounded someone could do that to a little cockerel they had lovingly raised but didn't have the backbone to slaughter it themselves, instead leaving it to the foxes, hawks and raccoons to do their dirty work, which is not likely to be a humane death, that's for sure.

The frazzle (that's when it carries two frizzle genes) Cochin is a really ugly bird. I have two of them, a cockerel and a pullet. The feathers are horrible--thin, brittle, sparse. Some of the feathers are just the shaft, so are like wire. The feathers break. I don't think the bird has a nice temperament, but I've read that it is common in the double frizzles. They are also small.

As soon as I separated the pullets from the cockerels there was peace and all the cockerels got along well. The two left still do. The little frazzle Cochin will tidbit for the Silkie cockerel. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them. I had intended to put the cockerels back in with the pullets, but they are quite happy in my back yard.

You might put your cockerels in a crate/box that is low for the night. I understand they cannot crow unless they can stand up and stretch out their neck.

You are one tough cookie jajeanpierre. There have been times when I've considered getting dual purpose chickens and learning how to process them, but I'm not there yet. I agree, caged factory farming is not a life for a chicken.

I'm still learning all the interesting chicken terms. A frazzle seems quite interesting. I bet it has a hard time staying warm though.

I've considered a bachelor coop and the box, but for now I'm going to just see how it goes. Thanks for all the suggestions and comments! It's nice to hear other people's experiences with chickens.

 

[sacramento]

How long does it take for a baby chick to hatch through the shell and out of the egg? Thanks