Silkie thread!

[rnchick74]

Just wanted to give an update this morning on my 2 new Silkie chicks that I got last night! I'm loving the premier 1 heat plate - they snuggled down under that & not a peep was heard! We had horrible thunderstorms all night & they slept through them.

This morning I got them out from under it & showed them the nipple waterer again & they both drank like champs. Then I showed them the food & they ate great!

Things are going well so far. No pasty butt, normal poops all over the place. I will try to take more pics later today!

 

[blipit007]

Sounds like your a good mama. Good luck with them both! Cant wait to see photos.

 

[TOOCLOSE]

My favorite hen. Her biggest fault is that she's constantly broody! It is rare to see her like this, fully feathered and somewhat clean (she's a bit orange from the new sand I put down), as she will get as dirty as possible and keep her crest and beard and foot feathers worn to nubs as she free ranges and scratches around with her foster chicks. So far this year she's raised 4 turkeys and is now in the process of raising 4 easter eggers.

Lordy! Gorgeous girl! I've had hens like this too! The best way I found to break them a lot of times of being broody was to keep their eye feathers trimmed way back. If they can see everything they are more willing to move around more. A hen that can't see well is happy to just keep sitting in one place or go as far as the food/water. That was always my hens problems. I've actually seen hens run smack into trees because they couldn't see for the feathers in their eyes. Another thing I'm always worried about is the feathers sticking them in their eyes. It causes such bad pain and discharge to their eyes. If I don't catch it first, the kids will let me know they have an annoying eye feather by constantly scratching at their eye or turning their heads onto their wings and rubbing their eye on it. That's when the kid is handed to hubby/Dad and mom grabs the hair clippers! LOL The hold on them has to be tightened to keep them still after the first eye is cleared of feathers. It's like they are saying; "I can see! Put me down - I see stuff to eat!" LOL

TC

 

[rnchick74]

Sounds like your a good mama. Good luck with them both! Cant wait to see photos.

Thanks! They are adorable!

 

[TOOCLOSE]

Yes TC, I caught onto you back when LOL!

I know the booties, bandages, tapes work to straighten out chick toes, splayed leg, but didn't know crooked/crossed beak could be fixed. There's a lovely Silkie roo photo with a crossed beak on the Silkie thread that is being given away as a pet because it can't even hold on to mate, poor thing. I wonder if anyone on this thread knows of your method as it seems there are a lot of Silkies born with crossed beak and only gets worse as they mature. Your method makes sense to straighten the jaw since as it grows it seems to get worse. A wire brace or something to keep it straightened as the juvenile grows makes a whole lot of sense and at roost time - it gives a good overnight undisturbed brace setting! There's no correcting of deformities after the chicken matures but a lot of deformities should be corrected to the best of our ability while the bones and body of the chick is still growing.

Shew! I can stop sweating and worrying now! Sylvester understands the way I am!

I had a small tiny Silkie hen a couple years ago that would NOT stop picking at her feet! I checked and rechecked her feet! Nothing there. Washed her feet and even sprayed for bugs! NO change! So I only had one thing left to do about it! I've posted the pic for y'all! As you can see? She was NOT a happy hen about it! But dang she was precious wearing those little pink baby socks! My little Ethyl! She's sadly passed on now to the Rainbow bridge! She might have been tiny, but had a voice to raise the dead! My grand daughter would spend the night with us and she'd sit on the couch watching movies with Ethyl snuggled in a hug!



TC

 

[rnchick74]

 

[TOOCLOSE]

Baby chicks are just the best! And I've never seen one colored like this either! The yellow body with the white feathers! It looks like it's wearing it's super hero cape!

TC

 

[rnchick74]

Baby chicks are just the best! And I've never seen one colored like this either! The yellow body with the white feathers! It looks like it's wearing it's super hero cape!

TC

I think the white is just artifact from the flash/lights. The are both buff colored all the way through

 

[TOOCLOSE]

Baby chicks are just the best! And I've never seen one colored like this either! The yellow body with the white feathers! It looks like it's wearing it's super hero cape!

TC

I have to ask! How long are their ankle feathers? The feathers on the back of their legs!

TC

 

[rnchick74]

I have to ask! How long are their ankle feathers? The feathers on the back of their legs!

TC

I had to go look! On the bigger chick (thinking it's name will be Brownie) - they are a good 1/4 - almost 1/2"; the smaller chick (think it's name will be Cocoa or Coco) they are almost a 1/4".

Now you have me curious...what is the significance of the length of the ankle feathers? Their feet feathers are longer.