Silkie thread!

[DanielE1990]

What happes when you cross a red and black silkie; or red and buff? Any pics?

 

[CrazyChookLady5]

its been a while since i've been on here.
thought i'd post a few pictures of my chickens, they are about 7 and a halfish weeks. does anyone wanna help me sex them?










the pictures arn't very good pictures for sexing.

 

[Sylvester017]

I just saw a huge coon about a hundred yards in the tall weeds standing on its back legs looking at my chickens! Yikes! I think that was the biggest one I have ever seen. And it's the middle of the day, seen it at 1:30 it must be feeding little ones. I will deffently be locking them up before I go to work. Now I'm nervous.

Coons are the worst predator on my list. They can get big as goats in our neighborhood. What I hate about them is not that they kill for food - but like some dog breeds they just kill for the frenzy of the attack and many times don't eat or take the chickens for food - just shred them till they're dead or pull off their legs through poultry wire - a good reason not to use flimsy poultry wire but sturdier 1/2 inch or 1/4 inch expensive hardwire. Coons are diggers and have fine manipulative paws so hardwire, complicated locks, and paver stones around the coops/pens are needed to discourage their crafty advances.

 

[subhanalah]

Coons are the worst predator on my list.  They can get big as goats in our neighborhood.  What I hate about them is not that they kill for food - but like some dog breeds they just kill for the frenzy of the attack and many times don't eat or take the chickens for food - just shred them till they're dead or pull off their legs through poultry wire - a good reason not to use flimsy poultry wire but sturdier 1/2 inch or 1/4 inch expensive hardwire.  Coons are diggers and have fine manipulative paws so hardwire, complicated locks, and paver stones around the coops/pens are needed to discourage their advances.

opposable thumbs...need I say more! How the heck do you spell that word?

 

[Fancychooklady]

There are several possibilities .

These are all black / red progeny .

 

[Sylvester017]

The thing I'm surprised about is that though I know a black snake will eat eggs, and chicks, I never thought one would try to kill something it could never swallow.
One thing was for sure and that was it was intent on constricting and killing the rooster.
We're on the lookout now and have placed the roosters in a another spot until we can find the perpetrator.
As much as I hate to have to, I'm going to have to get rid of the snake because it's just a matter of time until he comes back.

That experience of yours tells me it's time for some (expensive yes!) hardwire to protect your flock from sneaky little wild birds, snakes, rats, mice, possums, coon paws, weasels, foxes, coyotes, etc.


Quote:
Read in another post where a chickeneer used mothballs inside pantyhose/knee-highs to hang outside the coop to ward off snakes - said it was foolproof. We don't have a wild snake problem but I'm thinking of doing it for any idiot neighbor that irresponsibly has a pet snake or boa constrictor escape. Someone else's animal is THEIR pet but it's a predator in YOUR yard!

 

[Suzierd]

Coons are the worst predator on my list.  They can get big as goats in our neighborhood.  What I hate about them is not that they kill for food - but like some dog breeds they just kill for the frenzy of the attack and many times don't eat or take the chickens for food - just shred them till they're dead or pull off their legs through poultry wire - a good reason not to use flimsy poultry wire but sturdier 1/2 inch or 1/4 inch expensive hardwire.  Coons are diggers and have fine manipulative paws so hardwire, complicated locks, and paver stones around the coops/pens are needed to discourage their crafty advances.

Well said! I don't like to kill most things but I told my husband if he sees it coming back around my coops to shoot it. Hope it doesn't come back.

 

[Suzierd]

There are several possibilities .

These are all black / red progeny .

You post the best pictures I've seen, just beautiful!

 

[subhanalah]

Well said! I don't like to kill most things but I told my husband if he sees it coming back around my coops to shoot it. Hope it doesn't come back.

if it knows what's good for it!

 

[Sylvester017]

Hello everyone! I'm new to silkies & crazy over them !! So sweet! I have 4 8 week old silkies & am looking to add some more!. The ones I've found nearby are only few days old .Can they go in w/ the others during the day (in the run)? Guessing they still need light at night as temps at night are around 70?? We raised our red sex links from teeny chicks would silkies be similar or need diff attn...any advice is greatly appreciated .

This is just me but I wait until chickens reach comparable sizes before mingling. I would also quarantine new chicks before introducing into an established brood. I'm sure you'll get lots of opinions now that you've asked LOL. A good thing is that all the birds are the same breed. It's more problematic when people mix bantam breeds with LF breeds. Enjoy your babies!