Silkie thread!

[alamb1]

Hey silkie peeps. I'm working on my new coop and run. We're going to use sand. The kinds we have available are masonry sand, concrete sand, and white beach sand. Will any of these work? Thanks for all your help!

 

[nikkichiki]

I have a question.... What are the benefits of using sand for my silkies' bedding?

 

[Jharper]

I have a question.... What are the benefits of using sand for my silkies' bedding?

Dirt baths?

 

[Laci7210]

So I gave Marbles a bath today! I wanted to see if she has some "fluf" potential. She is 12 weeks old today. Let me know what you think? Photo overload! She got real tired afterward and wanted to nap. Comb, or lack there of? Her is the best "pose" I could get out of her... she doesn't get it yet, wants to stretch up and look for her friends. So a better view out the window is of course on the Pit Bull... Tajah was like woah! I got a little bit of Johnson & Johnson Baby Shampoo in her eye, and I think that is what the swollen spot you see here. Because she didn't have that before... I hope she will be ok. Now to play. Pants My favorite shot. And of course, like my horse always does, after a bath, lets roll in the dirt!

Love the picture of your silkie on the pit bull!! Too cute

 

[ChickNmamma]

Hey silkie peeps. I'm working on my new coop and run. We're going to use sand. The kinds we have available are masonry sand, concrete sand, and white beach sand. Will any of these work? Thanks for all your help!

I know you do not want to use beach sand - it contains salt which is bad for chickens.

I am not sure on the other two - some people say to use play sand, some people have been using the coarse sand available at rock and gravel places. Talk a look at the masonry sand and the concrete sand and see which is coarser.

 

[alamb1]

I know you do not want to use beach sand - it contains salt which is bad for chickens.

I am not sure on the other two - some people say to use play sand, some people have been using the coarse sand available at rock and gravel places.  Talk a look at the masonry sand and the concrete sand and see which is coarser.

Thank you so much!!

 

[alamb1]

I

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I know you do not want to use beach sand - it contains salt which is bad for chickens.

I am not sure on the other two - some people say to use play sand, some people have been using the coarse sand available at rock and gravel places.  Talk a look at the masonry sand and the concrete sand and see which is coarser.
[/quote
I just talked to the supplier and she said the concrete sand is the most coarse and its a river sand. Is that what most people use?

 

[ChickNmamma]

I have a theory on "Chickens and baths". I have noticed a lot of people say their chickens want to sleep after a bath - or they are "grumpy" or they "sulk" for a day. They also warn about chickens drowning because they won't keep their head up and will put it down in a sink full of warm water and die.

I think if you look at chickens in the wilds - you will find there is only one time when they are held and rubbed and warm and wet - that is when they are being attacked by a predator. Chickens are prey animals - so they have developed a mechanism to deal with being eaten alive - they go into shock so they don't feel anything. It may also help for survival because some predators won't eat unmoving "bodies" so it may have helped some to survive the initial mauling. So when you first bathe a chicken - it will fight -- and when it looses it will go into shock.

After being bathed a few times the chicken will stop doing this (they have learned they survive it), but the first few times are very traumatic on them - so I would treat them for shock and they will recover more quickly. Electrolytes in the water, sugar water, etc... and give them a chance to recover.

 

[ChickNmamma]

I
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Yes - River Sand is perfect!

 

[JenS9]

Typically you can tell sooner with lower quality birds. And sometimes you can tell earlier than others.

I'll have to get some new pics of mine and see if anyone can tell anything. I have one that I REALLY want to be a girl, so I'm sure she'll be a boy. LOL