Silkie thread!

[jas humbert]

Someone please help me figure out how to get my silkies to go in the coop at night! I have 3, 4 month old silkies and 11 LF. All the LF and 1 Silkie go inside at dark. The coop is not high off the ground. It's sitting maybe 1 ft off the ground on cinder blocks. I made sure the ramp wasn't too steep, I trimmed their feathers around their eyes. I don't know what else to do. The other 2 just snuggle up under the ramp and go to sleep. I would let them, but the run is only secured with chicken wire so I'm afraid they'll become a midnight snack if I don't lock them in the coop. Any suggestions?

Chickens are creatures of habit. A year or so ago I had the same problem. I just kept picking silkies up off the ground about dark and putting them in the coop and shutting the door. I'm thinking it took about 2 weeks or a little more of that until they were toddling in themselves. and one took a couple of days longer than the rest. Unless the bigger chickens are picking on them and they are afraid to go in because of the others, it shouldn't take too long. And once they get it, they will be fine. My silkies all sleep on the floor of the coop in a pile not on the very short roosts provided for them but they are happy and I honestly don't care much. They seem happy and they got thought the whole winter just fine.

 

[Traceaskew]

Chickens are creatures of habit. A year or so ago I had the same problem. I just kept picking silkies up off the ground about dark and putting them in the coop and shutting the door. I'm thinking it took about 2 weeks  or a little more of that until they were toddling in themselves. and one took a couple of days longer than the rest. Unless the bigger chickens are picking on them and they are afraid to go in because of the others, it shouldn't take too long. And once they get it, they will be fine. My silkies all sleep on the floor of the coop in a pile not on  the very short roosts provided for them  but they are happy and I honestly don't care much. They seem happy and they got thought the whole winter just fine. 

I hope they get it eventually! We've been putting them inside every night since they've been going outside at about 7-8 weeks old...so for at least 2 months! They sleep in a pile that includes the other 2 silkies and about 4 or 5 of the LF that sleep with them on the floor . The rest of the flock sleeps on the top roost with the rooster.

 

[Sylvester017]

To keep an LGD, is it true you will need to have your entire property fenced? I just lost a Silkie to a bobcat today. Getting really tired of losing animals to all the predators around here.

... And considering getting an LGD.

Some owners in rural areas find electric fencing successful. GL!

 

[chadmen2013]

We got 3 more partridge silkies. Hoping for all pullets lol. Does anyone have any adults they could share pictures of?

I have a two year old partridge silkie. She is named skunky nickname ducky for the way she squats when she sees someone. Its cute

/height/400[/IMG]

 

[Sylvester017]

I have a two year old partridge silkie. She is named skunky nickname ducky for the way she squats when she sees someone. Its cute/height/400

I love ALL Silkies but from the first start I always wanted the Partridges. They are a wonderful color for backyard ranging. I've had a White Leghorn that would eventually get dingy, yellowed, or stained and had to wait until next molt to see her bright white again. I have a Black Silkie and her beautiful Black feathers fade/turn dingy rusty in our hot brutal SoCal summers. I can't say enough about the wonderful and different colors in Partridge Silkies and their resistance to looking dingy or disheveled -- our girl always has the prettiest partridge wing feathers and I get delighted when I find one of her feathers to put in my Fedoras. The Partridge boys are the most fascinatingly colored of the Silkies IMO. The brilliant transition of colors throughout their feathers is breathtaking!

 

[Ezs Choukies]

One of my wifes Buff silkies setting on her anvil(one of our shop anvils, we run a blacksmiths shop)..pretty girl I think..

Love the composition of this pic! She's a beautiful shop companion! Not just a pretty face -- but GORGEOUS!!!

 

[deserteggs22]

I have a little silkie chick like this

What do I do?

 

[cutecowgirl084]

I have a little assortment of silkies my buff roo

and party hen

both 6months. But then I got 3 silkie chicks I'm trying to figure out. One looks like a splash Silkie girl,

a splash frizzle girl?,

and a black smooth Silkie???

I'm confused on the little ones. All three little girls are about 5-6wks.

 

[Ezs Choukies]

I have a little silkie chick like this

What do I do?

There is a thread started right here on BYC about splay leg (thread was started in 2008). They also have a link listed:
http://www.poultryhelp.com/spraddle.html
You can search for spradle leg or splay leg and it should come up for you.
Hope it helps, what a cutie!!

 

[Fancychooklady]

I have a little silkie chick like this

What do I do?

You need to address this ASAP. I use a bandaid .
https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry