Silkie thread!

[kimmerjo]

My new babies!!! Any idea what color they will be when they grow????

 

[chick rookie]

You are providing a nice space for 6 Silkies. My eyes are not the best to see details in your pics but you seem to have plenty of room. My greatest concern in your rural type location is predator proofing everything both from the ground and the air. You got plenty of space but spend the bucks on solid good fencing that can't be dug under and put up some overhead netting. Place a couple low to the ground open lean-to areas for the Silkies to dive under from flying predators. I have two lean-to's about 12 inches tall and 4 feet wide for the Silkies to hide. A couple rose bushes is what my chickens snoozed under until we put up the 2 shelters. If you get snow think about a snow-proof roofed area with a 2 or 3-sided shelter for those winter months the Silkies need shelter out in the open when they don't want to spend their whole day in the coop. I've seen people plant a tree in the center of their open pen areas and then net over the pen around the tree trunk. However if you have squirrel problems, or have raccoons or opossums that seems like not the best solution as those critters are brutal to chickens and can use the netting and tree to shimmy down to the pen. Just think secure, secure, secure. Nothing more heartbreaking than to discover your flock torn to shreds because of security issues. Also predators are no longer nocturnal as they once were. Encroachment on their environment has caused them to be bold daytime predators as well now. Just my 2 cents - Smiles

Didn't think about the lean-to's I'll do that is 2 enough? danger from the air is really all I have to worry about due to the LGD's I have now living outside. After a coon attack on my layers I turned the dogs lose, not had a problem since. Thank God. Will have a snow free area before next winter, Have one for my layers too they love it. I might plant a rose bush, it would bring in bugs as well as give a hiding place. Great ideals, Thanks!!

 

[SilkiesForEver]

Lost my Silkie cock today.

He was the best man, so courteous to his hens. I think he was getting on in years.

 

[Sylvester017]

Didn't think about the lean-to's I'll do that is 2 enough? danger from the air is really all I have to worry about due to the LGD's I have now living outside. After a coon attack on my layers I turned the dogs lose, not had a problem since. Thank God. Will have a snow free area before next winter, Have one for my layers too they love it. I might plant a rose bush, it would bring in bugs as well as give a hiding place. Great ideals, Thanks!!

I have a small backyard so I space the lean-to's about 20 feet apart and I'm working on a 3rd. Nothing fancy - just two cinderblocks under each end to hold up a plank of board and a brick on each end on top of the plank so it doesn't blow away in the wind. Chickens aren't fussy but I know they like the lean-to's which are either along the fence or against a building - they like the security of buildings and fence walls for some reason which is where my old Rose Bush was (against a fence). I'm nursing some dwarf trees like Pomegranate and Lemon trees in pots to put out in the yard - no avocado or soft fruit trees because I don't want mice, rats or squirrels. I don't want to plant my dwarfs in-ground because we are constantly changing the landscape and the dwarf containers are easily moved around. The containers harbor spiders and insects so the chickens love to check them out every day. Right now one Silkie likes to sit in the shadow of a tall Rosemary bush container close to the bedroom wall.

We added a cheap Walmart pop-up canopy for shade (buried each leg about 1-foot into the ground to anchor) and when it rains the dust-bath area stays dry. Besides shade for the birds the canopy is used over a 4x4 foot raised garden bed with dirt and a little sand but mostly dirt that stays dry and they sift through on a rainy day. My Silkies - one stays in the coop when it's pouring but one likes to splash through the puddles with the big girls and looks like a drowned rat by end of day. She has enough sense to fluff herself dry towards dusk and then she's nice and fluffy clean next morning. All 4 chickens love to sleep in the nestboxes rather than the open coop floor or the perch. It's daily straw cleaning but if they're happy, we're happy The main thing is we know they are secure in the coop. A couple stray large dogs broke into the yard and tried to get at the chickens in the coop when we first got them. Thank goodness it was a secure coop but we have since realized that double gating is a good secure way to keep out negligent neighbor's animals. Your dog idea is excellent. Two working or guard dogs is best because they work in tandem to circle predators. Even two Chiquaquas will circle enemies although they aren't intimidating enough but think they are LOL! Wish I had the space of land you have - I miss my folks' farm.

 

[bantambury]

Lost my Silkie cock today.

He was the best man, so courteous to his hens. I think he was getting on in years.

awe! poor guy! he was beautiful!

 

[SilkiesForEver]

Quote: He certainly was. He'll be missed by both his hens and his food people.

 

[Sylvester017]

Lost my Silkie cock today.

He was the best man, so courteous to his hens. I think he was getting on in years.

I hate losing a sweetie too. Do you know how old he reached?

 

[Sylvester017]

He certainly was. He'll be missed by both his hens and his food people.

Not to get too far off topic but do you breed Bredas? And do they mix well w/ Silkies?

 

[BuckNBark Farm]

Lost my Silkie cock today.

He was the best man, so courteous to his hens. I think he was getting on in years.

So sorry

-Pam

 

[SilkiesForEver]

Quote: I'm guessing he was close to six years old. He was such a good old man. Wiser than a hawk too.