Silkie thread!

[MumsyIII]

(not my silkie but mine look just like that) and they just started laying! there super shy of me! anyone know how to cure this? also, I cant tell them apart! AND I CANNOT name them! they look so similar, please help?!

I have lawn chairs set up in strategic positions around my pens and barn yard. I sit with my coffee out there in the morning or evenings with a glass of wine and drop small treats at my feet calling softly to them. It takes some time but now they all have much less fear and freely move around my feet, on my feet, under my chair and some will take goodies from my hands. When you take time every day to observe your birds you will notice they each have quirky personalities or traits that make them just slightly different from each other. The gait of their walk, the shape of crest or cushion. I leg band all my adults so can also tell that way from a distance. If you start spending a lot of time around them starting as chicks, they see you as less of a threat. Mine all see me as the food lady.

I have well over a hundred silkies and certainly do not name them all. I do name my breeding trios. I keep ten per color variety per pen. Lots of times I just call the hens "Little mommy" or the males "Big Daddy". Even though they do have official names and numbers in the breeding records.

 

[kyexotics]

(not my silkie but mine look just like that) and they just started laying! there super shy of me! anyone know how to cure this? also, I cant tell them apart! AND I CANNOT name them! they look so similar, please help?!

We had a white pair of twin gals we named SnowFlake...Whichever was on the left when looking at them was Snow, the other Flake!

After about 3yrs, one, we deemed Flake, had trouble maintaining her hennish figure so it became easier to attach names to each!...

 

[judy mclean]

So long as you catch it early she will heal. The best thing to do is separate her from the others because it's only a matter of time before they notice it and start pecking at it. There are several causes, overly large eggs, laying too early, calcium deficiency and under weight hens are the most common.
Be sure to clean the clocoa inside and out with an antiseptic wash, let it dry , then apply a hemaroid cream that doesn't have pain relievers ending in ' Caine '
Here's an article with pics .

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/04/prolapse-vent-causes-treatment-graphic.html

yeah I noticed he led a really big egg even had blood on it thank you so much

 

[Adorkable]

(not my silkie but mine look just like that) and they just started laying! there super shy of me! anyone know how to cure this? also, I cant tell them apart! AND I CANNOT name them! they look so similar, please help?!

If they are pet quality or hatchery silkies and can see well (don't have a huge crest) it may be hard to get them to be friendly. I notice the ones with big crests seem to be a lot more friendly and I think it might be because they can't see too well lol. You can try using chicken scratch by putting a little in your hand and extending it out to them to see if they'll eat it from your hand. If they won't take it you can throw a few pieces of it in front of you. Keep doing this until they get close enough and eventually start eating out of your hand. This has worked for me before. Also if you have exterior nestboxes you can try and open the nest boxes slowly and genlty if they are in there trying to lay an egg. They might run out screaming, but keep doing it everyday and eventually they will get used to it and you can try petting them in there. That's also a nice way to start that has worked for me. Good luck.

You can try and look for differences between the 2 like try and see if one might have a larger or more visible comb, or more feathered legs, or a larger/fuller crest, or fluffier tail, or bluer earlobes or something of the like.

 

[Bryam]

Is it better to bring a roaster to the hens cage, or the hens to the roasters cage to mate them? The roaster is not mine. FYI

 

[Fancychooklady]

Is it better to bring a roaster to the hens cage, or the hens to the roasters cage to mate them? The roaster is not mine. FYI

One word. BIOSECURITY ! Any bird coming in contact with your flock should be quarantined for at least 4 weeks. This rooster could be a carrier of any disease, which means that he may not show any symptoms. Swapping and exchanging birds between flocks is very risky.

 

[silkiecuddles]

Does this guy look pure silkie? We were told he was a partridge. His 3 babies in the past with a white silkie have all looked like a light partridge. They all had nice crests and beards like the mama

 

[flyladyrocks]

This is not the happy post I wish I was writing! After 6 weeks of illness last Monday we FINALLY got our silkies a full month after we planned (meanwhile I just have been drooling over all of yours. My 11 year old DD has been waiting a year for her silkies. A year ago someone told her they were giving her silkies, strung her along all summer and backed out. So last Monday she got her 4 silkies. Since she is a Frozen fan she named them Anna, Elsa, Olaf and Arendale. (I also got a Sizzle and showgirl and 3 Polish).

Of all the chicks to have a problem it would end up being one of her silkies and on Mothers day when we were gone all day. This AM Anna was lethargic and just not right. We hand fed and watered her (water with probiotics and honey) and went to church. She did move while we were gone. We hand fed and watered her again and left for 6 hours. She is still alive but it is hard to keep her awake for long enough to get a few drops of liquid in her. She is on my chest covered with a piece of flannel. She stirs a little here and there and peeps a little on and off but mostly sleeps. Every 10-15 min. I rouse her and try to get a sip and bite down her. Any advice is greatly appreciated.
We've had a busy week constructing (way behind b/c of all of us getting sick) so I have not had a chance to post pictures of the crew. Right now I'm on my phone so I'll just post this pic of our little sweet Anna

 

[Fancychooklady]

This is not the happy post I wish I was writing! After 6 weeks of illness last Monday we FINALLY got our silkies a full month after we planned (meanwhile I just have been drooling over all of yours. My 11 year old DD has been waiting a year for her silkies. A year ago someone told her they were giving her silkies, strung her along all summer and backed out. So last Monday she got her 4 silkies. Since she is a Frozen fan she named them Anna, Elsa, Olaf and Arendale. (I also got a Sizzle and showgirl and 3 Polish).

Of all the chicks to have a problem it would end up being one of her silkies and on Mothers day when we were gone all day. This AM Anna was lethargic and just not right. We hand fed and watered her (water with probiotics and honey) and went to church. She did move while we were gone. We hand fed and watered her again and left for 6 hours. She is still alive but it is hard to keep her awake for long enough to get a few drops of liquid in her. She is on my chest covered with a piece of flannel. She stirs a little here and there and peeps a little on and off but mostly sleeps. Every 10-15 min. I rouse her and try to get a sip and bite down her. Any advice is greatly appreciated.
We've had a busy week constructing (way behind b/c of all of us getting sick) so I have not had a chance to post pictures of the crew. Right now I'm on my phone so I'll just post this pic of our little sweet Anna

There are several causes for early chick mortality. How old is your chick? Heat is very important , check the vent area for pasting and what does the poop look like ?
This article has a chart with the heat - age ratio required . Without more details it's hard to help you. General lethargy and sleepiness fits coccocidiosis.

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/03/baby-chick-basics-what-you-need-to-know.html

 

[kyexotics]

One word. BIOSECURITY ! Any bird coming in contact with your flock should be quarantined for at least 4 weeks. This rooster could be a carrier of any disease, which means that he may not show any symptoms. Swapping and exchanging birds between flocks is very risky.

We no longer let people pet ours for this reason...Even when we sell them, you can pet what you bought...Baby ducks are the biggest draw for touching, in our experience, we now keep them in enclosed cages when we're out selling them...