Silkie thread!

[Sylvester017]

At the same time that I read this, a statement on Jeprody was that the discoverer of Uranus wanted to name it Kind George. Also, I was looking up a song today, and the artist was "Sylvester", and I"Sylvester" is on the forum today. lol

TeeHee - must be a good Biorhythm Day!

 

[Sylvester017]

Have been drawing since I posted last, would a scrap piece of plywood ( painted ) with one end buried a couple inches in the ground and the front help up by 2 legs work or would it be enough of a gap that a bird of pray could get in after them?? Was thinking if I do it that way it could run water off and give another place to get out of the rain, and out of the sun although they will get plenty of shade from the big coop and 3 pine trees as the sun moves. Rosemary, does that have to go in in the winter?
I have GP's, 2 of them and they are very serious about intruders of the 4 legged type. They helped a neighboring farmer with a Coyote problem he WAS having. Now he is looking for 2 of his own. lol
We only have 2 acres. Which we are running out of room fast. We are looking for someplace bigger. It would be great to NOT have to feed hay year round to the horses and goats.

Wow you've been busy! Chickens aren't fussy and any shelter is welcome to them. As long as the open front isn't too exposed to the aerial view of predators I don't see why it wouldn't work. Of course if you have termites like we do the wood in the ground would rot away pretty fast. Maybe prop the backward sloping end on cinderblock just a bit off the dirt. Cedar has a good wearability but I don't have that kind of $$. Any port in a storm for your flock will be appreciated by them. I know if I were a Silkie I'D LOVE you!

Rosemary bushes are considered herbs and I think the evergreen family? Not sure - we have mild So Calif winters and maybe only a week of frost so I never bring in ANY of my herbs. I sometimes try to shelter them on a 2nd shelf of a plastic set of shelving on the patio but I've never bothered with the Rosemary bush and it's hanging in there on 3 years and about 3 feet tall now. Thing never stops growing. One year the spider mites almost killed it but we sprayed with Max Home Defense and it revived after a slow comeback. My fault for not paying attention to it that first year we had it. All my Basil and Oregano are thriving outdoors year-round but not where the chickens can get to them. Those buggers will dig up ANYTHING. Right now I'm thinking about planting some corn under a wire raised bed so they can pick out the tender corn shoots. Chickens love tender sprouted grains and greens and a wire covered raised bed keeps them busy without pulling ALL the corn and sprouted grain out of the ground with their scratching or taking a dust bath in it. This is the first year I'm trying the raised bed idea if I can get to it before the heatwave days hit. If I don't make it this year there's always next year. Right now I'm busy growing cucumbers and other veggies for them so that takes a lot of time on top of our own human consumption garden.

I'd LUV 2 acres! We had 25 acres at one time but in retirement just too much to handle so we live in a canyon city neighborhood near the mountain but not on it. We lived a lot near wooded and rural areas but So Calif gets too many fires and after the last one which came within 2 blocks of our brand new home, we never bought rural again. We have an old remodeled little cottage in a city neighborhood with tons of zones and ordinances but I don't worry about fire and flood getting us, our property, or animals anymore. Had to give up space but we still manage to keep a little barnyard feel with the hens entertaining us - ha!

 

[Fancychooklady]

Not quite sure what constitutes a ' serious ' breeder , but we have 50 acres and my chooks occupy 2 of those acres. I've been breeding silkies for several years and I also breed Wyandotte and sussex.
Silkie eggs are significantly smaller than sussex and most people I sell to are looking more for a pet than a dual purpose bird. I have more than 30 Wyandotte and have never had a nasty one amongst them. Yes it does come down to temperament selection and common sense. If there is any argy bargy the perpetrator is removed and placed in the ' sin bin '. Once they are returned to the flock the pecking order will have changed. The theory of bigger animals picking on others is one I would have to disagree with. We have 8 horses over 16 hh and it is the 10 hh pony that bosses every one around. Meet Rosie

 

[subhanalah]

Not quite sure what constitutes a ' serious ' breeder , but we have 50 acres and my chooks occupy 2 of those acres. I've been breeding silkies for several years and I also breed Wyandotte and sussex.
Silkie eggs are significantly smaller than sussex and most people I sell to are looking more for a pet than a dual purpose bird. I have more than 30 Wyandotte and have never had a nasty one amongst them. Yes it does come down to temperament selection and common sense. If there is any argy bargy the perpetrator is removed and placed in the ' sin bin '. Once they are returned to the flock the pecking order will have changed. The theory of bigger animals picking on others is one I would have to disagree with. We have 8 horses over 16 hh and it is the 10 hh pony that bosses every one around. Meet Rosie

I know this is the silkie thread...but I LOVE these pictures of ponies and horses!

 

[chick rookie]

Wow you've been busy! Chickens aren't fussy and any shelter is welcome to them. As long as the open front isn't too exposed to the aerial view of predators I don't see why it wouldn't work. Of course if you have termites like we do the wood in the ground would rot away pretty fast. Maybe prop the backward sloping end on cinderblock just a bit off the dirt. Cedar has a good wearability but I don't have that kind of $$. Any port in a storm for your flock will be appreciated by them. I know if I were a Silkie I'D LOVE you!

Rosemary bushes are considered herbs and I think the evergreen family? Not sure - we have mild So Calif winters and maybe only a week of frost so I never bring in ANY of my herbs. I sometimes try to shelter them on a 2nd shelf of a plastic set of shelving on the patio but I've never bothered with the Rosemary bush and it's hanging in there on 3 years and about 3 feet tall now. Thing never stops growing. One year the spider mites almost killed it but we sprayed with Max Home Defense and it revived after a slow comeback. My fault for not paying attention to it that first year we had it. All my Basil and Oregano are thriving outdoors year-round but not where the chickens can get to them. Those buggers will dig up ANYTHING. Right now I'm thinking about planting some corn under a wire raised bed so they can pick out the tender corn shoots. Chickens love tender sprouted grains and greens and a wire covered raised bed keeps them busy without pulling ALL the corn and sprouted grain out of the ground with their scratching or taking a dust bath in it. This is the first year I'm trying the raised bed idea if I can get to it before the heatwave days hit. If I don't make it this year there's always next year. Right now I'm busy growing cucumbers and other veggies for them so that takes a lot of time on top of our own human consumption garden.

I'd LUV 2 acres! We had 25 acres at one time but in retirement just too much to handle so we live in a canyon city neighborhood near the mountain but not on it. We lived a lot near wooded and rural areas but So Calif gets too many fires and after the last one which came within 2 blocks of our brand new home, we never bought rural again. We have an old remodeled little cottage in a city neighborhood with tons of zones and ordinances but I don't worry about fire and flood getting us, our property, or animals anymore. Had to give up space but we still manage to keep a little barnyard feel with the hens entertaining us - ha!

Wow you've been busy! Chickens aren't fussy and any shelter is welcome to them. As long as the open front isn't too exposed to the aerial view of predators I don't see why it wouldn't work. Of course if you have termites like we do the wood in the ground would rot away pretty fast. Maybe prop the backward sloping end on cinderblock just a bit off the dirt. Cedar has a good wearability but I don't have that kind of $$. Any port in a storm for your flock will be appreciated by them. I know if I were a Silkie I'D LOVE you!

Rosemary bushes are considered herbs and I think the evergreen family? Not sure - we have mild So Calif winters and maybe only a week of frost so I never bring in ANY of my herbs. I sometimes try to shelter them on a 2nd shelf of a plastic set of shelving on the patio but I've never bothered with the Rosemary bush and it's hanging in there on 3 years and about 3 feet tall now. Thing never stops growing. One year the spider mites almost killed it but we sprayed with Max Home Defense and it revived after a slow comeback. My fault for not paying attention to it that first year we had it. All my Basil and Oregano are thriving outdoors year-round but not where the chickens can get to them. Those buggers will dig up ANYTHING. Right now I'm thinking about planting some corn under a wire raised bed so they can pick out the tender corn shoots. Chickens love tender sprouted grains and greens and a wire covered raised bed keeps them busy without pulling ALL the corn and sprouted grain out of the ground with their scratching or taking a dust bath in it. This is the first year I'm trying the raised bed idea if I can get to it before the heatwave days hit. If I don't make it this year there's always next year. Right now I'm busy growing cucumbers and other veggies for them so that takes a lot of time on top of our own human consumption garden.

I'd LUV 2 acres! We had 25 acres at one time but in retirement just too much to handle so we live in a canyon city neighborhood near the mountain but not on it. We lived a lot near wooded and rural areas but So Calif gets too many fires and after the last one which came within 2 blocks of our brand new home, we never bought rural again. We have an old remodeled little cottage in a city neighborhood with tons of zones and ordinances but I don't worry about fire and flood getting us, our property, or animals anymore. Had to give up space but we still manage to keep a little barnyard feel with the hens entertaining us - ha!

Well maybe I wont do Rosemary, just looking for something to bring in the bugs for the kids ( but cant stand spiders) as we are not going to be free ranging this year. First time ever. but getting too many different pens with different breeds, today I am researching Cochin's ( LF ) and figuring out space and housing to keep them healthy and happy. The Cochin's are DH's ideal. He wasn't all that cracked up about my chickens, but he spoils me and if I really want he gives, so when I got a free Cochin Roo last fall he fell in-love hard!!!! He walks around with DH and DH will just talk to him and hold and pet on him, sometimes I have to remind him we have work to do... lol
Then we had an illness that came with some other free chickens and it wiped out our whole flock ( no more free chickens on this place it broke both our hearts to have to cull the ones that weren't sick yet. But vet said they were carriers so had to go too.
Now our ground is safe again and we are starting all over, Some old breeds some new breeds, like the Silkies and the Cochins, I also have Wyadottes that are new to us and welsummers, Blk. Jersy Giants, Lt. Brahmas, and ISA Browns and my favorite of the layers " EE's "
We had to gut the laying coop so we have to rebuild basically. but the chicks won't be going out till first of April so we got time.
I'm glad we don't have all those fires, we have some flooding sometimes but not here. We have some lakes on the place that int supposed to be here sometimes but that's it. We have friends that is still fighting with FEMA over the last flood. and they just want to move and start over.
but in gen. we aren't hit with all that thank God.
I still have to get my RIR and Red Sex-links, and a few Leghorns, to get my flock back up to par, my customers call and e-mail me every week wanting to know when I will be back up and running again, they don't understand that chicks don't lay eggs... lol
I guess I need to shut up and stop bugging you, it's just nice to be able to hold a conversation with someone that aint rude or judgmental, or that tells me my EE's are Mutts and why would I want a mutt????? blah blah blah...... So thank you for all the help and Awesome ideals.
Hope all you poultry adventurers are grand.
If I can ever help you with something feel free.........

 

[Fancychooklady]

Silkie surrogate momma with king George's babies ( coronation sussex ).

 

[bantambury]

I have decided my boy eggy must go today. He has been over mounting marshie like crazy and even mounted my 10 week silkie chick! Marshies back is almost bare and i know there are hen saddles but the bigger problem is that once eggy attempted mounting marshie today she tried to get away and was unwilling. Then my jap roo came up to eggy and began flogging him as if he didnt want him to mess with poor marshie anymore.

This rooster is out of hand for me....marshie is the inly other silkie in the coop of three hens and im just scared to come home one day to find one if my roosters dead.

 

[subhanalah]

[...]
 I guess I need to shut up and stop bugging you, it's just nice  to be able to hold a conversation with someone that aint rude or judgmental, or that tells me my EE's are Mutts and why would I want a mutt????? blah blah blah...[...]

Hybrid vigor! Strengthens the flock genetics (the pretty eggs are just a perk!)

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Bantambury- the likely problem is that there are just too many roosters for the amount of hens you've got. Looking at that last pic you posted I see at least 2 (and that buff chicken with the black tail in the bottom right corner, is that a rooster too?). Anyway, you should pick one and get rid of everyone else. I've noticed when I have more than one boy, they have a tendency to "gang bang" my lesser dominant hens, leaving them with bald heads and bare backs. The one cockerel probably isn't the only one responsible for her chicken pattern baldness is what I'm getting at. Good luck to you.

 

[BuckNBark Farm]

TeeHee - must be a good Biorhythm Day!

King George- not "Kind" George- lol.