Silkie thread!

[kabhyper1]

So Graysons comb is getting very purple. It's not as red as the pic in person, but it was always dark until the last couple of weeks. He is five months old. Is it normal for lighter splash silkies to have purple combs?

 

[Suzierd]

My Grayson has changed! A very pretty porcelain.

 

[kabhyper1]

My Grayson has changed! A very pretty porcelain.

thanks! I think he is splash,he has a lot of dark splotches. The brown on him is lighting and dirt lol.

 

[Suzierd]

thanks! I think he is splash,he has a lot of dark splotches. The brown on him is lighting and dirt lol.

Oh ok, lol a very pretty splash!

 

[KristyAnn]

I'm just using dirt and sand in a 4x4 garden box. I was going to use ash & DE but decided against these since what I've been doing for 3 years is working w/ no ill effects. Were you the one who had trouble w/ their chicks getting respiratory problems from ash? Someone on BYC had issues so I decided to leave well enough alone in my yard. However, if ash works for you or others, go for it. We all do what we think best for our cuties, right? My Silkies like to use the middle of my backyard to dig their way to China. You can't see them in the hole - just the dust cloud rising from it LOL They're gonna miss it when I put my new garden box in that spot.

I've heard of that method you use. I haven't used it I think primarily because the ashes are more accessible, but no, no respiratory issues from ash. Not yet at least. I throw in the coup with the ash some fresh dirt. They seem to love it and it goes hand in hand. The only issue I can recall respiratory was when winter started. It was my Roosters first winter and he stayed out the coup at night instead of going in with the gals like he usually does. He got all the girls sick and I had to give them a steam tent treatment to fight it off and they got better. That garden box idea sounds good though I may consider using the childrens old plastic pool so they'll stop digging up my corn, wheat and greens.

 

[Sylvester017]

UPDATE!! After 8 silkie eggs and 5 of them coming out with leg problems, only 1 survived. I also hatched 9 Rhode Island Reds and they all came out perfect. Not sure what is going on with the silkies but is inbreeding possible. The hen we got the eggs from was purchase with a rooster as adults so I'm not sure what is going on with them.

I hope someone w/ hatching knowledge about Silkies gets back to you. Can't remember who on this thread had issues w/ their incubator not keeping the correct humidity levels which can cause leg and other problems w/ Silkies. It's possible it is a genetic issue but incubators are notorious for hatching problems w/bantams. That's why I wish someone could use my Silkie broodies as BOTH of them have gone broody setting empty nests now! It'll be weeks before they stop!

 

[Sylvester017]

I've heard of that method you use. I haven't used it I think primarily because the ashes are more accessible, but no, no respiratory issues from ash. Not yet at least. I throw in the coup with the ash some fresh dirt. They seem to love it and it goes hand in hand. The only issue I can recall respiratory was when winter started. It was my Roosters first winter and he stayed out the coup at night instead of going in with the gals like he usually does. He got all the girls sick and I had to give them a steam tent treatment to fight it off and they got better. That garden box idea sounds good though I may consider using the childrens old plastic pool so they'll stop digging up my corn, wheat and greens.

Hi - I have to keep a 2' rabbit fence roll surrounding my raised garden beds to keep the girls from digging there and it also keeps the stray cats from jumping over to use my beds as litter boxes - not to mention I have an Ameraucana that chases cats and wild birds out of the yard just for fun!

I almost got a plastic kiddie pool w/accompanying cover to use as a dust bath. I figured the cover would keep the cats out at night. But it was such an ugly bright neon green so I went with the raised garden box instead and cover w/ a plastic sheet after dusk. If I ever get ambitious - NOT - I can make a wire mesh cover after we finish building our coop add-ons.

 

[omas biddies]

Beautiful my favorite are the white and black
I am getting my first eggs in a week
Any tips on hatching
Are they different from chickens,ducks

 

[Sylvester017]

Beautiful my favorite are the white and black
I am getting my first eggs in a week
Any tips on hatching
Are they different from chickens,ducks

Hi - it might be time-consuming and tedious but I think I've read some incubator tips previously on this Silkie thread. Hey, there's only 4000+ pages to read LOL - But really, Happy Hatching!

 

[Fancychooklady]

There is a very informative article on everything you need to know about incubating in the learning centre at the top of the page.