Silkie thread!

[Sylvester017]

@MamaPoult -- It's amazing how your gorgeous White Silkies stay so WHITE! I had a White Leghorn but her pretty white feathers would get dingy and yellow from free-ranging. We had to wait until molt before we saw pretty white feathers on her again.

Because of that Leghorn we never obtained an all-white Silkie for fear of dingy yellowing from free-ranging, dirt baths, or mud! Also, we figured white was too obvious for aerial predators to target.

We live by freeway trees where Cooper's hawks nest every Spring and the hawks visit our yard! Since Cooper's catch running prey with their talons while in flight we erected 3 pop-up canopies around the chicken yard to deter hawks' flight space. When I once observed a Mourning Dove fly into a neighbor's Banana Tree to escape a flying hawk it gave me the idea to obstruct flight space in our chicken yard with canopies, trees (much taller now), and even some dog houses for the chickens to hide under:

 

[MamaPoult]

@MamaPoult -- It's amazing how your gorgeous White Silkies stay so WHITE! I had a White Leghorn but her pretty white feathers would get dingy and yellow from free-ranging. We had to wait until molt before we saw pretty white feathers on her again.

Because of that Leghorn we never obtained an all-white Silkie for fear of dingy yellowing from free-ranging, dirt baths, or mud! Also, we figured white was too obvious for aerial predators to target.

We live by freeway trees where Cooper's hawks nest every Spring and the hawks visit our yard! Since Cooper's catch running prey with their talons while in flight we erected 3 pop-up canopies around the chicken yard to deter hawks' flight space. When I once observed a Mourning Dove fly into a neighbor's Banana Tree to escape a flying hawk it gave me the idea to obstruct flight space in our chicken yard with canopies, trees (much taller now), and even some dog houses for the chickens to hide under:
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Oh thank you so much! You know I really didnt expect them to stay so white. Your pics are so pretty! It looks warm there! My brother is absolutely in love with leghorns and so am I we would love to see any pics of her if you have any! Sorry about your hawk visits. The ravens try to stalk my chickens but they tend to scare pretty easily! Beautiful pics and plants thanks for sharing!!

 

[Sylvester017]

@MamaPoult -- You have Ravens? Wow! Those must be huge. We only have regular Crows but we LOVE Crows here! Crows are very territorial and will chase off our chicken hawks. Yet the Crows NEVER bother our hens or feed. The Crows will sit atop our telephone poles above our chicken yard but NEVER have bothered our hens or their feed. We LOVE our Crows YAY!!!

Our young White Leghorn year of 2012. She became a wonderful egg-layer but after a couple years we re-homed her with our friend who wanted a laying hen while we wanted to expand with other varieties. As a youngster she was very white but would eventually turn dingy. I love Leghorns but they need to be with other Leghorns or egg-layers. I didn't like having just one Leghorn because she didn't like when our flock dynamic changed when we added different breed birds. My Mom raised only White Leghorns and now I know why. Legs get along best in a flock of their own breed IMO.

 

[MamaPoult]

@MamaPoult -- You have Ravens? Wow! Those must be huge. We only have regular Crows but we LOVE Crows here! Crows are very territorial and will chase off our chicken hawks. Yet the Crows NEVER bother our hens or feed. The Crows will sit atop our telephone poles above our chicken yard but NEVER have bothered our hens or their feed. We LOVE our Crows YAY!!!

Our young White Leghorn year of 2012. She became a wonderful egg-layer but after a couple years we re-homed her with our friend who wanted a laying hen while we wanted to expand with other varieties. As a youngster she was very white but would eventually turn dingy. I love Leghorns but they need to be with other Leghorns or egg-layers. I didn't like having just one Leghorn because she didn't like when our flock dynamic changed when we added different breed birds. My Mom raised only White Leghorns and now I know why. Legs get along best in a flock of their own breed IMO.
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She is beautiful! I live in Alaska so our ravens are pretty big! Sorry for not responding were on pretty different time zones so it was really late here! My brother will love that your mom only raised white leghorns! He claims they have the best personality. Did your girl have a name? She sure was adorable! I bought some a few years back but ended up giving them away because they got bullied. I had 3 white and 2 browns. Thank you for the pic again she is such a cutie!

 

[Sylvester017]

@MamaPoult -- TY for your kind comments. Yes, our White Leghorn was a real sweetie! We named her Bela (prounouced Bay-lah which in our language means "white"). She was added to our first two bantams (Silkies) and they felt very safe around her. They felt so safe around her that when we later added other chicken breeds to the flock, our Silkies took refuge around her to keep safe from bullies in the flock.

Silkies following the Leader Bela!

Bela was 4-1/2-lbs but she layed L/XL eggs which IMO is why prolific egg-layers have shorter lifespans. I read a research article that said White Leghorns were immune to the West Nile Virus so were caged in research to test Leghorn blood where WNV mosquitos might be prevalent. Also another article said 45% of White Leghorns develop ovarian cancer and are used for human ovarian cancer research. Plus White Leghorns throughout Leghorn history have been used for cross-breeding to enhance egg-laying abilities in other breeds (Plymouth Rocks, Hybrids, etc). It's a fact that the egg industry recycles their Leghorns and Hybrids at about 1 to 2 years old because the poor hens are exhausted (and not treated very well) that they die early from over-laying and poor environment conditions.

Bela got cranky at almost 3-yrs-old when we expanded the flock w/ Blue Breda, Blue Wheaten Ameraucana, Buff Leghorn, and Cuckoo Marans. Bela did not like the Marans -- she constantly sparred w/ the Marans who bullied the Silkies. We re-homed all Leghorns including Bela to our friend who wanted egg-layers, the Bredas were too inbred and died young, the Ameraucana was beautiful but not vaccinated as a chick and died from Marek's.
Later we expanded to other breeds like more Silkies and Dominiques which surprising to us we found Doms were great flockmates. In fact, the Dom pullets submitted to the older Silkies and the Silkies dominated the flock! Our Doms (and our Breda) layed the same small/med egg sizes as our Silkie eggs so bantam Silkies lay a pretty decent-size egg.

And Silkies and Breda can fill up an egg skelter just as fast as any other breed

Alaska must be one solid snowpack right now. How long have you had chickens? Any roos? Our suburb ordinance restricts us to 5 hens/no roos. Sadly, many cities around us restrict poultry altogether ???

I mean, barking dogs and yowling neighborhood cats at night when we're trying to sleep is more annoying than poultry that sleep all through the night and don't even squawk when a firecracker, fireworks, or sirens, interrupt the night. Our hens sleep in torpor all through the night and they're great daily for turning over the soil, eating insects and weeds, lay us breakfast, and their fertilizer is great for the garden beds!

They're just as friendly and cuddly as puppies too if they're socialized.

 

[MamaPoult]

@MamaPoult -- TY for your kind comments. Yes, our White Leghorn was a real sweetie! We named her Bela (prounouced Bay-lah which in our language means "white"). She was added to our first two bantams (Silkies) and they felt very safe around her. They felt so safe around her that when we later added other chicken breeds to the flock, our Silkies took refuge around her to keep safe from bullies in the flock.
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Silkies following the Leader Bela!
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Bela was 4-1/2-lbs but she layed L/XL eggs which IMO is why prolific egg-layers have shorter lifespans. I read a research article that said White Leghorns were immune to the West Nile Virus so were caged in research to test Leghorn blood where WNV mosquitos might be prevalent. Also another article said 45% of White Leghorns develop ovarian cancer and are used for human ovarian cancer research. Plus White Leghorns throughout Leghorn history have been used for cross-breeding to enhance egg-laying abilities in other breeds (Plymouth Rocks, Hybrids, etc). It's a fact that the egg industry recycles their Leghorns and Hybrids at about 1 to 2 years old because the poor hens are exhausted (and not treated very well) that they die early from over-laying and poor environment conditions.

Bela got cranky at almost 3-yrs-old when we expanded the flock w/ Blue Breda, Blue Wheaten Ameraucana, Buff Leghorn, and Cuckoo Marans. Bela did not like the Marans -- she constantly sparred w/ the Marans who bullied the Silkies. We re-homed all Leghorns including Bela to our friend who wanted egg-layers, the Bredas were too inbred and died young, the Ameraucana was beautiful but not vaccinated as a chick and died from Marek's.
Later we expanded to other breeds like more Silkies and Dominiques which surprising to us we found Doms were great flockmates. In fact, the Dom pullets submitted to the older Silkies and the Silkies dominated the flock! Our Doms (and our Breda) layed the same small/med egg sizes as our Silkie eggs so bantam Silkies lay a pretty decent-size egg.
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And Silkies and Breda can fill up an egg skelter just as fast as any other breed
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Alaska must be one solid snowpack right now. How long have you had chickens? Any roos? Our suburb ordinance restricts us to 5 hens/no roos. Sadly, many cities around us restrict poultry altogether ???

I mean, barking dogs and yowling neighborhood cats at night when we're trying to sleep is more annoying than poultry that sleep all through the night and don't even squawk when a firecracker, fireworks, or sirens, interrupt the night. Our hens sleep in torpor all through the night and they're great daily for turning over the soil, eating insects and weeds, lay us breakfast, and their fertilizer is great for the garden beds!
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They're just as friendly and cuddly as puppies too if they're socialized.
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Your chickens are gorgeous! I've had 4 roos in total, at the moment I have 8 hens 1 rooster and a breeding pair of blue slate/bronze turkeys. Myold silkies layed pretty good size eggs too! I like Bela it's such a pretty name! My girls are

Elizabeth, Racheal, Maxinne, Blacky, Inky, Dian, Rock and Frosty.

Rooster is. Ty

And turkeys are Bronny and Jenny.
Sorry about your chicken limitations that is not ideal. Your egg rack sure is white! Mine is full of chocolate brown, light brown and white with speckels from my Jenny. Your girl sounds like a superstar!

 

[Sylvester017]

@MamaPoult -- TY again for your kind comments! I see you love your birds as much as we love ours! Our Lord has made such magnificent creatures for us and Himself to enjoy!

Your roo is stunning! Is he a mix or a Wellie or ? Such a gorgeous boy! Wish I could have a Silkie roo but we're not zoned. The hens make enough racket when they lay an egg so I don't want to add a crowing roo to disturb neighbors

Is that a Dominique or a Barred Rock in your last photos? We are very partial to the Dominique breed and discovered in the early 1900's that Dominiques were both solid White as well as Cuckoo-patterned and they had both straight combs and rosecombs. One group of chicken fanciers claimed the STRAIGHT-comb cuckoo-patterned Dominiques as Barred Rocks and cross-bred them with other breeds to make them much bigger and better egg-layers removing broody tendencies. The remaining faction of fanciers then claimed the remaining ROSE-combed cuckoo-patterned birds as "Dominiques" and bred their original mid-size shape and broody capabilities. Unfortunately, later 1900's hatcheries started cross-breeding their Dominiques for better egg-laying and meat qualities so getting Dominiques today means we have to go to private breeders for old-time-quality Doms.

There's nothing wrong with cross-bred birds -- it's just that we're restricted to 5 hens/no roos so I look for private breeders whenever obtaining new birds cuz we don't have the luxury of having a large variety of poultry like ducks, geese, guinea keets, turkeys, etc. I grew up on a farm so I miss farm animals. I just thank God we have at least our little flock to enjoy. No other city adjoining ours allows livestock as backyard pets!

Here's the names we've gone through in 13 years: Trumpet, Violet, Mini, Bela, Trish, Taffy, Buffy, Shellby, Danni, Phaedra, Xena, Ichabod, Gemma, Charlotte, Kaylah, Tova, Opal, Jewlz, Dana, Amber, Suzu, Ginny, Keiko, Betta, Mika and it's amazing how they learned their own names when we called

 

[MamaPoult]

@Sylvester017, you're so welcome thank you too! Our Lord is definitely very kind to give us these cute little creatures to take care of! I love your names, how sweet❤. Thanks for the compliment about my boy Ty, he is a full Copper Maran and my hen ,Rock, is a Cuckoo Maran mix of sorts. I originally thought she was a barred rock so that's where the name comes from. That is so intetesting about Dominiques! They are very pretty, I would like to have some one day! I'm also glad that you have your little flock it sounds like they are your little babes! Totally understand about crowing! I used to have a silkie roo, Bandit, but he was very mean unfortunately. Thank you Lord we have chickens to entertain us!!!!

 

[Sylvester017]

@MamaPoult -- We've had a Cuckoo Marans hen and a Cuckoo Breda hen and visitors would mistaken them for Barred Rocks or sometimes as Dominiques.

Cuckoo Breda are very different from standard size or other Cuckoo breeds -- Breda have NO comb and instead have a pointed CREST of feathers atop their head, they have WHITE ears meaning they lay white eggs, they have long VULTURE HOCKS, FEATHERED legs and long TOE feathers, & they have a VERY TALL stature unlike regular slump-posture breeds.

CUCKOO BREDA -- "H.R.H. Charlotte, Princess of Cambridge" (her full name - teehee)

H.R.H. -- young "Char" at 7 months -- look at her vulture hocks and statuesque stance!

BLUE BREDA -- "Phaedra"

OUR CUCKOO MARANS -- had a regular straight comb --"Tish" came to us from an owner who was breeding her so her back shows mating baldness, poor baby. The first 5 eggs she layed for us we gave to our friend to hatch. My friend said the eggs were fertile and 2 females/1 male Cuckoo Marans hatched for our friend!

While living in our flock for a few short weeks Tish's back healed but she was a big bird and bulled our two Silkies. Our Leghorn "Bela" had conflicts with "Tish" so we gave "Tish" to our friend who had just regular size hens in her flock and no bantams so "Tish" stopped her bullying behavior.

DOMINIQUE birds are Cuckoo-patterned but are distinctly different from Cuckoo Breda, or Cuckoo Marans, or Barred Rocks where Dominiques have a ROSE COMB that hugs the skull and the comb has a LEADER tapering and pointy at the back of the skull.

DOMINIQUE -- "Jewlz" was a sweetie as were all 4 total Doms we've owned

DOMINIQUE -- "Dana" moulting and resting in the shade of a tree -- this pic shows the pointed LEADER at the back of her comb:

I posted this pic of "Bela" to show how big and floppy White Leghorn combs can become. Leghorn combs are huge and floppy so Bela's comb covered one whole side of her head so that one eye or the other was constantly obstructed. After seeing the horrifying length of White Leghorn combs we decided not to get any more White Legs, plus their white feathers would stain dingy or yellow from dust baths, mud, etc. My Mom raised only White Legs because they seemed to flock best with their own breed. And they are sweet birds so far as our experience goes. But huge floppy or straight comb birds can easily get frost bite. That was another reason for us not to get any birds with combs. Most of our subsequent chicken breeds had rose or walnut or no combs at all so we didn't have to worry about putting vaseline on straight combs during freezing temps.

Anyway, these are birds we had in the past. It was nostalgic to go back more than a decade to bring up these old photos!

 

[Sylvester017]

This is our "KEIKO" - a Non-bearded Moorhead Partridge chick is turning out to be our favorite personality bird -- naturally sociable, unafraid, outgoing little girl. And funny too -- DH calls her Miss Hoover because she eats so fast and doesn't leave one crumb behind!

KEIKO photo bombs a lot too!

Chicks move around so fast it's a miracle to get any still photos.