Silkie thread!

[peepswiththepoof]

Quote:
This is perfect! Just what I was searching for...thanks for the "recipe!"

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Right now I am mixing waterfowl pellets with turkey/gamebird starter/grower (about 50/50) and then adding a mix of black oil sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, wheat & oats. I'm out of it now, but usually have calf manna in the mix, too. Once in awhile I'll give some pigeon mix as well.

 

[sadies chicks]

I posted this in the "Managing your Flock" section and got no replies so here goes....I have 4 silkies and live in Oregon where it rains. ALOT (except for this weekend, where we had 80 degree weather!! oh man it was fantastic!!!).

Issue: my silkies feet get terribly muddy from the constant rain and I am thinking of trimming their feet feathers. Is there a certain way I need to do this? are there general guidelines I need to follow? Obviously not trimming them too close to the folicle, but anything else?

thanks!!!

 

[Gordonhillfarm]

You can wash their feet in warm soapy water and rinse them well if you want to keep their feathers intact .~~~~ Tammy

 

[ThePolishPrincess]

Switched all of the birds onto Flock Raiser today!

Silkie girlies dove for it. Hopefully feathers will begin to molt in at a better rate...

Also happy to add that I switched out the plastic water tray and replaced it with one of the pop-bottle waterers. Having much more success keeping those beards dry.

 

[HoP]

I have a question. I have a white silkie and black silkie. I got them both the same day and they were hatched the same day. My white one is growing very large, where my black one is still little..they are both 8weeks. Any reason for this?? I am convinced my white one is Mr...but that remains to be seen. They are both healthy, in fact the little black one is very bossy and is more protected by my Buff Orpington who is 9 weeks and towers over her.
Also, it seems my EE is pecking the black ones tail feathers as they are blunt. At first I thought she was preening the black one, but not so sure any more.

Are there different silkie breeds that grow to different sizes?? Thanks I am new at this.

 

[HoP]

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I live here in Portland too..I read here to use sand in their run and my two silkies feet are staying clean..just a thought. Even when its been raining

it comes right off once they go to their coop.

 

[Teresaann24]

I have been reading what everyone has wrote on what they feed their silkies. I also feed pellets and notice I have alot of chicks having a hard time zipping from eggs I just chalked it up to the vaulted skulls. Now reading this maybe its the pellets So I am wondering what is Flock raiser? Does it come in mash or pellets or both? How much protein%?

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

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Flock raiser is a ration designed for a wide variety of poultry/waterfowl. Protein percentage will vary by the brand, but is typically lower than feed specifically for chickens. Best advice is to READ THE LABEL and find the brands that are locally available that work best for the birds you have. The more specifics they list, the better. I REALLY get angry when a label says something like "grains." I want to know WHICH grains, and in what order (listed first by the one with the most volume to last the one with the least).

There are only a very few brands of poultry feed that have a nation-wide distribution.

Pellets, crumbles and mash are merely the physical form of the feed, and have no bearing on the nutritional content. That said, a chick cannot eat pellets, and depending on the size, may not be able to eat crumbles. These are physical limitations that will disappear as the bird grows. There is usually least waste with pellets, less with crumbles and most with mash.

 

[mycitychickens]

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I have the same problem with both my pairs of silkies. I have a white and black pair that are 13 weeks and a white and black pair that are 10 weeks. In both pairs the white silkie is much larger than the black silkie. I noticed this before when I had another pair of white and black silkies. Do black silkies just run small?