Silkie thread!

[BuckNBark Farm]

I just gave my Silkies their first sprouts. They went CRAZY over them! Which is good bc I wasn't sure how they'd react. They spend most of their time in an enclosed run (which is a barren wasteland) and most of my yard is still brown, so I thought they'd enjoy some food that is actually alive. Boy did they ever.

Does anyone else feed sprouts? I did lentils this time bc that's what I had in my cabinet. I sprouted more than enough for them and me. I like them in salads and stir fry- YUM, YUM!

That's how I initially tamed my Silkies- sprouts! They would all come rushing to The Hand That Issues Out The Sprouts.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

So, its finally warming up here in Va. I'm considering putting my chicks in the coop this weekend. I have 2 outside in my brooding hutch with a 60 watt bulb in their heat lamp. One of them is having a serious leg issue and I'm considering culling it. Its leg is almost completely turned out. Its been hobbling around for a while and I thought it might get better (as in maybe the other chick jumped on it and its leg got tweaked) but it just keeps getting worse.
To top it off, I just went and refilled their FF and I found the crippled chick basically eating its own toe. There's literally just a nub of a fifth toe left. There were also lots of the other chicks feathers scattered throughout the brooder and it was hiding in the corner like it was afraid (the other chick was afraid, not the hurt one). I think crippled chick has gone crazy. So, if I cull said crippled chick the other will be alone.
The lowest temp for next week is 37°F. The chicks will be 9 weeks old this week. The splash looks fully feathered. Crippled chick still has some fuzz hanging onto the ends of its new feathers. I'm not sure if I'm going to euth the crippled one or send it to my SIL to nurse. Either way, I'm just not sure if its too early to wean them from the lamp. That low temp is for the night. Day time temps are calling for mid to high 60s some days, as high as 78 on others. The rest of the nights are ranging from 41-60°. Thoughts? I'm getting ready to set my incubator up again, so I'll need that hutch soon anyway :/

 

[peepblessed]

Well, I was wrong... I checked under mama and counted 5 chicks. They are all blues and really cute. Mama stole one egg, so I took it back and added it to my incubator. The two left seems to be dead but not sure yet. I left them just in case. My other broody is sitting in 3 eggs and I might give her 3 more eggs from my incubator when they will be at the point of hatching. My "wanna be" broody ended up in my broody area and I added some hardware cloth on top of the pine shaving to make it uncomfortable. She was definitely unhappy, but it's ok, she will get over it in a few days, at least I hope lol.
Not silkie related, but we are getting 2 or 3 baby nigerian dwarf goats by the end of the month. We are so excited! I will have to bottle feed 2 of them, so if anyone has any tips, please share lol.

The hardware cloth is to allow cold air to circulate under them so be sure it's not packed down on the shavings.

For how many weeks though? Never had a silkie that laid longer than a month at a time before going broody

I had two that would lay for 2 weeks and go broody again.

My self-blue pullet has been laying for 4 mos. now and never been broody. But I have another that only laid for 3 weeks before going broody. I guess they are all different.

 

[DURR]

So, its finally warming up here in Va. I'm considering putting my chicks in the coop this weekend. I have 2 outside in my brooding hutch with a 60 watt bulb in their heat lamp. One of them is having a serious leg issue and I'm considering culling it. Its leg is almost completely turned out. Its been hobbling around for a while and I thought it might get better (as in maybe the other chick jumped on it and its leg got tweaked) but it just keeps getting worse.
To top it off, I just went and refilled their FF and I found the crippled chick basically eating its own toe. There's literally just a nub of a fifth toe left. There were also lots of the other chicks feathers scattered throughout the brooder and it was hiding in the corner like it was afraid (the other chick was afraid, not the hurt one). I think crippled chick has gone crazy. So, if I cull said crippled chick the other will be alone.
The lowest temp for next week is 37°F. The chicks will be 9 weeks old this week. The splash looks fully feathered. Crippled chick still has some fuzz hanging onto the ends of its new feathers. I'm not sure if I'm going to euth the crippled one or send it to my SIL to nurse. Either way, I'm just not sure if its too early to wean them from the lamp. That low temp is for the night. Day time temps are calling for mid to high 60s some days, as high as 78 on others. The rest of the nights are ranging from 41-60°. Thoughts? I'm getting ready to set my incubator up again, so I'll need that hutch soon anyway :/

My silkies are 10wks old and they've been with out a light since they were 8 weeks old. They should be fine. temps range in the low 40's here still at night and get up to the low 80's during the day. But they should be good as long as they have a cuddle buddy.

 

[Sanna]

Howdy. My chicks are 6 weeks old tomorrow I'm noticing some have more curved beaks than others. Seems like I've read of people determining sex by the beaks. Also, wondering if I need to trim so young? Can their beaks be curved too much to eat well? The pic I'm sending is a recent pic of curved beak. The other pic is when they were younger, but beak is pretty much the same. The ones with the curved beaks I've already named girl names, the others boys. It just worked out that way...

Porcelain has curved beak...
Lavender has not curved beak...

I had one with a beak like that and someone told me to trim it. Can't remember who...I guess it doesn't matter. Or to at least keep an eye on it incase it turned into something you don't want. I gently trimmed it with an emery board. Wasn't easy!

I just love silkies!!!!! There so adorable! I have a blue silkie and she's as calm as they come! .... Well I think it's a female... I'm not sure yet?? But I named her Chickie lol

First day home


1 wk old






1 month 3 wks

Chickie is very cute! It's hard to tell the gender before at least 3 months.

The hardware cloth is to allow cold air to circulate under them so be sure it's not packed down on the shavings.

Is that how you break a broody out of their broodiness?

 

[moomoodiddy]

alright yall i finally tried ff and my 4 week olds loved it... i put in acv, vit mix, rice, oatmeal, beans, garlic, olive oil, parika, and chick starter does this sound ok? i havent tried it with my adults yet

 

[SilkiesnFrizzle]

Do anyone have a color of Silkie Roo that seems a little more dominant? My 2 Partridge Roos seem to be more Alpha Male than my other Silkie boys and I have Buff, Black, White, Blue and Parti Boys, but the 2 Partridge seem more agressive then the others.

 

[PaintedFeathers]

alright yall i finally tried ff and my 4 week olds loved it... i put in acv, vit mix, rice, oatmeal, beans, garlic, olive oil, parika, and chick starter does this sound ok? i havent tried it with my adults yet

I wouldn't give rice, and make sure beans are COMPLETELY cooked or they are toxic. I wouldn't put the vitamins in the food, put them in an extra waterer. Add other whole grains like whole oats, black oil sunflower seeds, millet, flaxseed, stuff like that with nutrition. For the little ones I would use steel cut oats and grains that are smaller like the flaxseed and millet. Add the oil when you feed it, and make sure you at least let the mixture sit and ferment for 24-48 hours, the longer the better.

 

[moomoodiddy]

r the 2 partridge related it may jist be from their stock

 

[PaintedFeathers]

Do anyone have a color of Silkie Roo that seems a little more dominant? My 2 Partridge Roos seem to be more Alpha Male than my other Silkie boys and I have Buff, Black, White, Blue and Parti Boys, but the 2 Partridge seem more agressive then the others.

I think it's just their personalities, all roo's are different.