Silkie thread!

[Fancychooklady]

Hi everyone! I want to know if I could feed this to my Silkie and other chickens. Also I want to know what kind of caterpillar it is and if it's a "good" kind that doesn't hurt anything. It's longer then my pinkie finger and has a horn.

As a rule of thumb, the more colorful and fuzzy a caterpillar is, the more likely it is to sting. The ' spitfire ' comes in many forms. Yours looks like a sphinx caterpillar .

 

[SkinnyDragon23]

As a rule of thumb, the more colorful and fuzzy a caterpillar is, the more likely it is to sting. The ' spitfire ' comes in many forms.

Yours looks like a sphinx caterpillar .

My best guess is that that is a White Lined Sphynx caterpillar, like this http://static.uglyhedgehog.com/upload/2012/9/7/thumb-1347045549845-white_lined_sphinx_moth_2.jpg

 

[lightchick]

Quote: OK. So, I think I'm going to let it go because I like that kind of moth.

 

[Fancychooklady]

OK.  So, I think I'm going to let it go because I like that kind of moth.

Wise choice my friend, let the chooks catch their own.

 

[K Epp]

Thank you. I have heard of this, but haven't found it in my local stores yet. How long do you keep them on the game bird starter?
I feel like my silkies are too skinny. Under all that gorgeous fluff I can feel Brest bones on a few. (Not all of them) They are always stuffing their face so I know their eating, just not sure the typical chick starter is working for all of them. I am so in love with these babies that I want them to be as healthy and happy as I can.

I heed the game Bird Starter/Grower exclusively until they are feathered out and big enough to go into the bantam coop outside. When they ho out there it is mixed half and half with 3 grain scratch. They get to free range when I'm home and there are no hawks out and about. The scratch is 6% protein. I took my LF layer flock off layer pellets because I have several roos and didn't want to over do them on the calcium. I get more than enough eggs to eat and sell. I've been pleased with the results in my silkies and other breeds as well. I feed the same thing to my ducks, turkeys and goose too. Truth be known they will pic almost all the seed out before they eat the crumbles.

 

[Rainier]

I just noticed today something about the new babies.

Two of the buff's look like they have a cotton ball on the tops of their head but the white and other buff do not. I would guess that it is a breed thing, or is it an age thing? They all had their egg tooth when we got them on Friday (4 days ago).

You can kinda of tell in the pictures. It's hard to get pictures of them at this age because they are speedy racer lol

 

[Fancychooklady]

I just noticed today something about the new babies. Two of the buff's look like they have a cotton ball on the tops of their head but the white and other buff do not. I would guess that it is a breed thing, or is it an age thing? They all had their egg tooth when we got them on Friday (4 days ago). You can kinda of tell in the pictures. It's hard to get pictures of them at this age because they are speedy racer lol

It's known as ' vaulted skull ' .

 

[Rainier]

It's known as ' vaulted skull ' .

Thanks for the reply. My oldest daughter said the chicks are like her .. to much brain to contain lol

She has Chiari Malformation Type 1 and had brain surgery last summer.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Thanks for the reply. My oldest daughter said the chicks are like her .. to much brain to contain lol

She has Chiari Malformation Type 1 and had brain surgery last summer.

Lol, not that far wrong. I've had several hatch and haven't experienced any problems. Just need to treat them like a newborn with a soft spot, don't drop them on their head.

 

[Uzair Ahmed]

What If I cross a Bearded White Silkie Hen (Walnut) with a Bearded Black Silkie Male (Single Comb)?
Colorwise what type of chicks will i get by this?