Silkie thread!

[DDNONIN2016]

Lucky! Wish I could have a smiley stash. I can't figure out a way to use the moving smileys on a iPad.

Suzierd I love your avatar....looks so much like my buff pullet I have to smile everytime I see it. So cute !!!!

 

[Fur N Feathers]

His mom is Bonnie and his dad was Clyde. He is really sweet too. Any ideas? I was kinda thinking of a plain man name,,,,or? Coby? Clipper? na

How about Gunner or Bullet sticking with the Bonnie and Clyde theme?

 

[aoxa]

Thank you for the help Aoxa That chick is about the same size as my large fowl Welsummer chick. Very pretty chicky, though. Thank you for sharing. =) Also, I recently read this article, very interesting and somewhat creepy in my opinion. Now I'm scared to pet her little head, which is a bummer, because she really likes it. =/ http://www.browneggblueegg.com/Article/HoleInHead.html

Well in that case maybe I will keep doing it. I'm extremely gentle with her, a heck of a lot more gentle than her pecky-peck sisters are, anyway! Naughty little things. I keep scolding them, but they only stop long enough to turn and give me that "indignant" look. She gets them back though, because the second they turn away she's pecking their little bottoms. There were other questions I have, sorry: - how far up from the bottom of the coop floor should roosts be for Silkies? - what should their measurements be? - Anything specific that Silkies need that other breeds don't need? We have an awesome chicken coop on order - but I think it's mainly made for standard sized chickens in regard to the roosting....not sure if I need something different for smallies like Silkies? Lastly - is there ANY way to sex a Silkie before it lays an egg or crows? =( I did the wing feather test and they're sporadic in length (some are long, some are short, etc) but I heard you can't use that for Silkies. I'm nervous, because we can only have hens. I don't want to love her too much and then have to say goodbye. Thank you so much

1. 
   This is my roost in the silkie coop. 20% of them use it. The rest sleep in a fluffy pile on the ground.
2. Measurements? Like full grown? They are between 3 & 3.5 pounds full grown (hens)
3. Not really.. Silkies are more prone to be caught by predators, as they can't see above them, and in some cases can hardly see at all.
4. The standard chickens will show her/him how to do things. If she/he is the only silkie, she will roost with the big ones if she can make the jump.
5. No way to sex them unless you vent sex them, and I don't. I wait until they are between 8-12 weeks to guess.

 

[DDNONIN2016]

Well in that case maybe I will keep doing it. I'm extremely gentle with her, a heck of a lot more gentle than her pecky-peck sisters are, anyway! Naughty little things. I keep scolding them, but they only stop long enough to turn and give me that "indignant" look. She gets them back though, because the second they turn away she's pecking their little bottoms.

There were other questions I have, sorry:

- how far up from the bottom of the coop floor should roosts be for Silkies?

- what should their measurements be?

- Anything specific that Silkies need that other breeds don't need?

We have an awesome chicken coop on order - but I think it's mainly made for standard sized chickens in regard to the roosting....not sure if I need something different for smallies like Silkies?

Lastly - is there ANY way to sex a Silkie before it lays an egg or crows? =( I did the wing feather test and they're sporadic in length (some are long, some are short, etc) but I heard you can't use that for Silkies. I'm nervous, because we can only have hens. I don't want to love her too much and then have to say goodbye.

Thank you so much

I asked some of the same questions not too long ago and aoxa was a huge help on all so maybe she will chime in here for you. I have roosts for my silkies at different levels but at 4 months they prefer to sleep in a puppy pile on the floor. I am in Ohio so will probably provide a heat lamp in the coop if it gets down too cold ... say below 20. My run is covered because they love to go out and play in the rain and I dont want them doing that when its too cold out.
As far as sexing I am entirely too new at this to help altho I am sure I have mine figured out. I know what you mean about getting attached to them. Its hard not to with those precious little faces. Fingers crossed for you that your favorite is a girl

 

[Suzierd]

Suzierd I love your avatar....looks so much like my buff pullet I have to smile everytime I see it. So cute !!!!

Thank you, that's my sweet little Lucy I just love her. When she sees me coming she puts her head low and forward wings up and back and runs to me fast as she can lol. It's so funny looking.

 

[aoxa]

I asked some of the same questions not too long ago and aoxa was a huge help on all so maybe she will chime in here for you.  I have roosts for my silkies at different levels but at 4 months they prefer to sleep in a puppy pile on the floor. I am in Ohio so will probably provide a heat lamp in the coop if it gets down too cold ... say below 20. My run is covered because they love to go out and play in the rain and I dont want them doing that when its too cold out.
As far as sexing I am entirely too new at this to help altho I am sure I have mine figured out. I know what you mean about getting attached to them. Its hard not to with those precious little faces. Fingers crossed for you that your favorite is a girl

They really don't need a heat lamp at all. Their fluffy pile is enough to keep them toasty warm Keep them dry and they will be fine.

 

[sheeshshe]

Ahhh. I always wondered why my silkie ( my first one that lives with the LF hens) never roosted with the others. I always thought she felt like the odd one out She always wanted to sleep on the floor

My chicks do the same. Good to know!

 

[DDNONIN2016]

Thank you, that's my sweet little Lucy I just love her. When she sees me coming she puts her head low and forward wings up and back and runs to me fast as she can lol. It's so funny looking.

Awwwww ....

 

[aoxa]

Awwwww ....

My silkies skip when they run

 

[DDNONIN2016]

They really don't need a heat lamp at all. Their fluffy pile is enough to keep them toasty warm

Keep them dry and they will be fine.

Thanks makes me feel better. I am so afraid of heat lamps in the coop anyway. Thanks for all your help.