Silkie thread!

[aoxa]

BEAUTIFUL cochin boy! I love the partridge color scheme 

My avatar is a hen - Ginger

Titus is not quite colored correctly, but a gorgeous guy and will be used to further my girls for next year :

Thank you! He is huge, and insists that he is a duck and not a chicken, but whatever floats his boat

Ginger is gorgeous! The body reminds me of a boy - and the colour a girl. She is beautiful though She looks like she's an alpha hen.

I love Titus' colour. He's stunning!

 

[aoxa]

Beautiful color

Thank you

 

[BuckNBark Farm]

One of two times I've given a bath. She was not amused ! -Pam

 

[peepblessed]

Question. I have five silkies. Some are females and some males, none of them are of laying age so I don't know how strong a mothering instinct would be at this point. I am getting 10 lav orpington chicks soon. I am debating whether to set them up inside the house or outside-- with the brooder lamp of course. I was wondering if the silkies would be likely to play mommy to these chicks if I placed them so that they could not just roam free but the silkies had access. I am guessing not, that they will act just like any other chickens and peck them, but I thought I would ask just the same.

It will not likely work. Sorry....

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Question. I have five silkies. Some are females and some males, none of them are of laying age so I don't know how strong a mothering instinct would be at this point. I am getting 10 lav orpington chicks soon. I am debating whether to set them up inside the house or outside-- with the brooder lamp of course. I was wondering if the silkies would be likely to play mommy to these chicks if I placed them so that they could not just roam free but the silkies had access. I am guessing not, that they will act just like any other chickens and peck them, but I thought I would ask just the same.

Well, I once had a 4 month old PQ silkie pullet take over and brood a tiny chick--long before she ever started laying. It was adorable, but I would not expect that to be common.

 

[aoxa]

Well, I once had a 4 month old PQ silkie pullet take over and brood a tiny chick--long before she ever started laying.  It was adorable, but I would not expect that to be common.

I have the same experience with a 5 month old cockerel!

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

On a number of occassions I've have pullets go broody before or as soon as they start laying (silkies)
I've had brahma and brahma mix cockerels who have taken over babysitting smaller younger chicks on two occassions now. Right now I have a 3 month old brahma mix cockerel who is the guardian of 7 silkie chicks that are all a month or younger, he lets them all crowd with him and tries to cover as many as he can at night, and even gives the boy call for food, etc...

 

[Sanna]

So cute! I normally am not a fan of unbearded, but she's adorable!

Marble is a nice little hen for a non-bearded PQ bird.

She's the first chick I ever hatched all by myself! lol When Marble hatched, she looked like a partridge chick with the stripes and the dots. My old roommate said "Oh my God, it looks like a marble!" lol And the name sort of stuck..

awwwweeeeee!!! I washed my buff silkie she had a egg break and she really actually seemed to enjoy it, who would think a chicken would enjoy a bath??? lol

I wish my chickens would enjoy a bath. They're all so dramatic. Especially my rooster!

Maybe it's because I don't bathe them often..?

 

[LaPetiteFarmer]

I have a little one who has a splayed leg and i tried the bandaid technique but the poor chick cannot even stand with it. I don't know what else i can do. Do you have any advice to fix it?

 

[aaggjg]

It is unusual for a non-alpha hen to crow. Not unusual for two hens to fight, but I have had hens and cockerels fight, too. As for pelvic bone spacing, are they flexible enough and widespread enough for an egg to be laid? You already know that I believe he is a cockerel.

I know you do I'm like the defiant 5 year old who asks the other parent when they don't get the answer they want

As you suggested, I picked Tiger up and well the pelvic bones are close together..... 1 small finger can fit between them. I didn't know to see how pliable they are so I will investigate that tomorrow.... Then I picked up the known younger girls that the young cockerel is trying to mate, to compare pelvic bones and theirs are close together too but they are 2-3 months younger.

I know you said Tiger screams boy .... Why do you say that??? I'm trying to learn but these silkies are really challenging!!