Silkie thread!

[Teila]

They are so cute. I have some that are almost 9 weeks old and they look exactly like yours. My BA momma is still in the broody box with the silkie babies. I'm thinking I might have to go out there at night in the dark and just put them up on the roost together. It's definitely time. I've held off because we've had a good hard freeze the last couple of nights. The broody momma went up on the roost the other night when it was so cold but I didn't realize the chicks couldn't get up on the roost like regular chicks can do it. I put her and the silkie chicks back in the box for that night. They've all been back in there the last couple of days. So we built little steps for the silkies now and with the cold and letting them get used to the new steps we'll see. It's supposed to be warmer the next few weeks so I might do it. I'm new at silkie chicks and I've sort of changed how I do chicks in general. I'm always learning and trying to adapt and change things as I see a need. I might not interfere and just let the momma decide this time. Then when she goes up with the big chickens on the roost I will just put them up there if they haven't learned the steps yet.

Howdy Viollettt

These are also my first experience with Silkies, actually my first experience with chicks! Mumma has done such a wonderful job to date, I figured I would leave her to it with regards sleeping arrangements also.
I have a nesting box and small roost (not silkie friendly) at one end of their run and a much larger nesting box and roosts (silkie friendly) at the other end of the run. Before bubbies mumma used to roost in the small end with Aunty Dusty but since bubbies, I have been segregating them at night time, Dusty one end and Cilla & Co the other. They spend the day all together. I'm thinking of leaving the partition open at night now and seeing what they do. My only concern is if Cilla decides to go back to the smaller (higher) roost with Dusty, bubbies will want to go with her and not the larger area (with lower roosts) where they have been sleeping. If they do, I am going to have all of them fighting over space. I don't really know what to do. Was also thinking maybe I should leave it how it is until the bubbies are roosting and then open it up? I have not seen them go to bed before Cilla and they still follow her lead so maybe I should wait until they put themselves to bed before Cilla?

 

[silkiefive]

I feed poulin gamebird starter crumbles, and i'm also going to be trying rock n' rooster booster feed. The meat bird food may be fine. I give protein 21-22%. Also you don't needanything but your own feed for fermenting =) I used to add all sorts of stuff but then I read a blog about it and now i've been doing lactic fermentation. You add your feed, and any grains they like (I add rock n' rooster 5 grain scratch but you can get most of the ingredients anywhere) and fill it with water to a inch or two above the fed. Make sure you check it after an hour or so to make sure the food didn't expand over the water level, if it did add more water. Stir it at least twice a day and after a couple days voila! You just add in more food as you take food out. You want to use a glass or plastic container, but make sure the plastic is BPA free.

http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.com/p/fermented-feed.html

Thanks a lot PF, now I see the light, 20-22% protein and 1% or less calcium, thats what I can see in most meat bird starter food, isnt it? now I think I found the right food, and many many thanks for the FF info, believe me it really encouraged me to try it and gonna start to experiment for sure.

 

[PaintedFeathers]

Thanks a lot PF, now I see the light, 20-22% protein and 1% or less calcium, thats what I can see in most meat bird starter food, isnt it? now I think I found the right food, and many many thanks for the FF info, believe me it really encouraged me to try it and gonna start to experiment for sure.

Awesome glad I could help =)

 

[Urchin]

Howdy folks .. once again I can't help myself, I had to share bedtime pictures. 7 weeks old tomorrow; surely she will be teaching them to roost soon? lol

Oh, that's funny seeing her trying to set on such big chicks. What breed is momma?

 

[Teila]

Oh, that's funny seeing her trying to set on such big chicks. What breed is momma?

Howdy Urchin

Yeah, it is funny; she is such a good mum
She is a Bantam Black Cochin. She has the sweetest chickenality.
It is a becoming a drama that she has not taught them to roost. The coop she is in now is not the coop she roosted in before the bubbies. I was watching her tonight and she was trying to roost on the perch outside but the bubbies wanted to go to bed. It was right on dark when she gave up and took them into the coop to snuggle on the straw. There are two low perches in the coop suitable for silkies but I think she is not teaching them to roost on those perches because she has never used them?
It was very stressful for the bubbies because they obviously wanted to go to bed but she wanted to roost.

Does anyone else think that this could be the problem; her not having used those perches before? Any suggestions on helping her teach them or should I just leave her to it and hope she works it out?

 

[farmer boy]

well oh most no birds left had to get rid of them all my chickens and my ducks but on the bright side i get to keep my silkies but my friend is keeping them for me

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: You occasionally find silkied birds of other breeds. Silkied serama are not uncommon--I just got one for my grandaughter, and if you look on featehrsite (under silkies), you can find photos of birds of other breeds with silkied feathers.

But, I have no idea what the seller meant; best to ask them.

 

[ChickNmamma]

Quote: Take momma and babies and put them on the lower perch when its time to go to bed. Her not using it means she doesn't consider it a place to sleep - and by putting her on it she will accept it and teach the bubbies to roost. You may have to do it for a few nights until she and the bubbies get the idea.

well oh most no birds left had to get rid of them all my chickens and my ducks but on the bright side i get to keep my silkies but my friend is keeping them for me

I am sorry you had to get rid of them all. I am glad your friend is keeping your Silkies for you.

 

[BuckNBark Farm]

Howdy Urchin

Yeah, it is funny; she is such a good mum
She is a Bantam Black Cochin. She has the sweetest chickenality.
It is a becoming a drama that she has not taught them to roost. The coop she is in now is not the coop she roosted in before the bubbies. I was watching her tonight and she was trying to roost on the perch outside but the bubbies wanted to go to bed. It was right on dark when she gave up and took them into the coop to snuggle on the straw. There are two low perches in the coop suitable for silkies but I think she is not teaching them to roost on those perches because she has never used them?
It was very stressful for the bubbies because they obviously wanted to go to bed but she wanted to roost.

Does anyone else think that this could be the problem; her not having used those perches before? Any suggestions on helping her teach them or should I just leave her to it and hope she works it out?

Some Silkies don't like to roost. They like to make a "Silkie pile". Only 2 of mine like to roost. They are about 1.5 yrs old. My 8, 6, 5 months old like to pile. I did take all of the perches out except one. I'll try them out again soon. I imagine a Silkie pile is warm.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: I have plenty of silkies who prefer to pile and plenty who prefer to roost. I don;t know why some prefer one way and others the other. I put a couple of silkie and silkie cross mama hens with their brood into the coop with my moderns. There are several levels in that coop, but no ladders. One mama stays on the floor with one (sometimes two) baby; the other mama and babies are sometimes on a roost about 3' up and sometimes on one that is about 5' up.