Silkie thread!

[jas humbert]

HowFunkyisyourchicken: : How often would you suggest I worm them? I think I'm just doing preventive. I have no reason to believe they have worms.

 

[Sylvester017]

HowFunkyisyourchicken: : How often would you suggest I worm them? I think I'm just doing preventive. I have no reason to believe they have worms.

I do mine between 3 to 4x a year when they are not laying, molting, or brooding. That turns out a short window of time and I have to keep separate treatment schedules for each hen because they don't all lay, molt, or brood at the same time to be able to do them all at the same time. Once a year I take fecal samples to the vet's ofc to make sure there's no worms or cocci in the poop and/or treat them accordingly. I use Poultry Protector on the hens and coop every one to two months as preventative and have never had a lice/mite issue (Poultry Protector is organic and an effective enzyme able to be used as often as necessary even on chicks - read the label for instructions). It's really safe and one that is FDA approved.

 

[abbevilleoz]

I do mine between 3 to 4x a year when they are not laying, molting, or brooding.  That turns out a short window of time and I have to keep separate treatment schedules for each hen because they don't all lay, molt, or brood at the same time to be able to do them all at the same time.  Once a year I take fecal samples to the vet's ofc to make sure there's no worms or cocci in the poop and/or treat them accordingly.  I use Poultry Protector on the hens and coop every one to two months as preventative and have never had a lice/mite issue (Poultry Protector is organic and an effective enzyme able to be used as often as necessary even on chicks - read the label for instructions). It's really safe and one that is FDA approved.

Which wormer do you use?

 

[Shadow920]

I need some advice from experts who have been at this loner than I have. I have 6 silkie pullets- they will be 6 months old next week. Im feeding nonmedicated chick crumbles and recently started adding black oil sunflower seeds. I feed as treats but they get quite bit plus a few handfuls of mealworms. They are not often free range but I pull greens- grass and weeds- for them twice a day. I thought I would not start layer crumbles until at least one of them started laying. I add wormer to their water once a month or so. Am I missing anything they need?

i don't know if it's a neccesity but you can give chickens almost any food scraps that you don't eat. the number one thing you don't want to give them however is avacado. it is poisonous to chickens. i lost two Rocks before i found that out. i'd avoid straight choclate too just in case. but i give my chickens choclate cereal all the time. scraps just add a little more weight that corn alone won't.

 

[jas humbert]

Thank you Shadow 920. . I do feed scraps- mostly old bread and vegetables and salad past their prime.. .My 18 year old Sheltie gets most of the meat scraps. Thanks for the warning about the avocado, I didn't know that. But we seldom have any of those left over and I don't think I've ever tossed any to them.

I have 4 LF hens right now and the 6 younger silkie pullets. I have extra calcium out for the LF and I haven't decided whether to switch everybody over to layer feed after the younger girls are laying. No hurry I guess. I was unsure at first whether to put the silkies with the big girls but I'm pleased the whole bunch seems to be melding into one flock. The big girls are a little bossy over food but it seems to be more of pecking order thing. They will chase one of the silkies of a few steps so they can eat first but no extended chasing and I see no signs of pecking or missing feathers. I started with 11 silkies and I think they overwhelmed the 4 big girls. Now.I've gotten rid of roosters and a couple of pullets I wasn't as crazy about and am down to 6 pullets I really like. I have 3 separate food and water containers and lots of hiding places and a 32 x 14 pen and everybody seems to get along okay. The showgirl is the boldest and she started eating along with the big hens and has persuaded the others to come along and eat with the big girls. Once in a while one of them get chased off but they come right back.I love silkies and want a bunch more. So I need toa sk another question:

I gave my best silkie cockerel to a friend who has considerably more space and chickens than I do. Would it work if in the spring I sent my six girls over to her place to visit the roo for a week ? They should be 9 or 10 months old by then. Will he breed them for a week or so then I can bring them home and can collect eggs for another week or two and try to hatch them?

 

[QueenMisha]

i don't know if it's a neccesity but you can give chickens almost any food scraps that you don't eat.  the number one thing you don't want to give them however is avacado.  it is poisonous to chickens.  i lost two Rocks before i found that out.  i'd avoid straight choclate too just in case.  but i give my chickens choclate cereal all the time.  scraps just add a little more weight that corn alone won't.

x2 but remember no raw potato or onion either! And avoid feeding them any part of tomatoe plants, like the leaves, etc. The tomatoes themselves are fine.

And fatty things, meat, and dairy should only be given in limited amounts.

 

[jas humbert]

I'm so excited. I got my first silkie egg this morning. It's most likely from little Dandelion, my avatar. She squatted for the for the first time this morning. and when I went to the box a found a little egg. Here is her little egg along side a welsummer and a wyandotte egg. No too bad for a first egg. Hopefully they will get a little bigger in a few months like the big girl's eggs have as they matured.

.

 

[abbevilleoz]

Congrats

. I haven't got my first Silkie egg yet but from the pics I've seen that's a great first egg for her breed!

 

[silkiecuddles]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1070716/beautiful-silkie-hen-needs-a-new-home-dallas-tx

someone's rehoming a silkie hen in TX

 

[jmdarrow]

Lol not sure what you mean by brokenness... I assume you mean "broodiness" but autocorrect got ya? I would do all moving and rearranging right now. It'll make them more settled in by the time you are ready to breed them, and will ensure that you don't accidentally produce chicks from other males, since hens can produce eggs fertilized by other males for two, three, even four weeks after they are separated. Plus, some may go broody sooner than others - once they are laying age, Silkies might choose to sit any time of the year, rain or shine. Although it is more common in spring.

There will be some fighting, but since they are Silkies and have been raised together, it shouldn't be terrible. Make sure there are plenty of hiding places and feeders/waterers in the pad for newly transferred boys to access.

haha yes autocorrect got me. I thank you for your advise. I didnt realize that they could reproduce like that. Changes will occur tomorrow for sure.