Silkies - They’re simply SPECTACULAR!

[Hinotori]

Well they have a pretty large covered run that they live in, but they really enjoy getting out to eat grass and find bugs. A medium chicken tractor might work, but I'm not sure they'd cooperate enough to get inside of it.

But.. you're making me think of chunnel ideas

Pic is current setup, so space def isn't an issue.
View attachment 3622398

That's a really nice set up

 

[AngBantamLuv]

Sadly raccoons got to Perry the platypus and cumulus cloud around a month ago. Starburst is of course a rooster as I had thought (my siblings always doubt me).
Here’s the last pics of the silkie hens and a pic of starburst (he’s kinda ugly ngl). He crows like 5 times 5 times a day, and he sounds like he’s getting stepped on even though he’s almost 28 weeks old/6 1/2 months old. He’s gotten uglier after this pic, it was 2 months ago.
View attachment 3622555
Starburst and Perry the Platypus
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Cumulus cloud and Perry the Platypus
View attachment 3622613
The rest of the alive chickens plus perry

Bee is the only one to have laid an egg yet. She laid one June 19 and then stopped for a week or two. Now she lays regularly.
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Bee
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Apparently she has blue earlobes
View attachment 3622625
First egg

Beautiful egg!! And I've never seen the Hawaii state quarter! How cool!

So sorry about Perry and Cumulus

 

[AngBantamLuv]

Ouch! We have bald eagles, here. They don't generally bother my chickens (I think it's too closed in here for them) but I still don't let my little dog out without my moose-dog in attendance, as well. No use taking chances!
There's a coop article that loosely describes a flexible, portable run that might help you. The description is near the end of the article. I'm going to try it, myself. I know my birds will appreciate the return of yard-time.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/dusty-divas-coop.76576/

EDIT to add: I use an extra large dog kennel with the bottom tray removed to acclimate my littles to the run. It's not big enough for everyone, but I can put a few grown bantams at a time in there. I don't take them out to move it around, but I DO have to be careful not to squish toes when I do it ... theirs OR mine!

Thank you for that link, looking at it now.

Besides the coopers hawks, we have the red shouldered hawk, turkey vultures, black vultures (they won't wait for things to be dead before poking away), and whatever is in migration (like the Mexican Eagle), then skunks, racoons, opossums (caught a young one who got in one night! Close call), coyotes, snakes etc.

The coop and run are mostly secured, except for some settling on the ground that has the coop leaning slightly away from the run. I'll have to shim that to make it flush again (now would be a good time since the ground is hard ).

 

[AngBantamLuv]

Let's see if you guys can view this.. totally what im thinking of for a chunnel, but with plants growing over/around it.

https://m.facebook.com/video.php/?video_id=575725764749195

 

[MROO]

Thank you for that link, looking at it now.

Besides the coopers hawks, we have the red shouldered hawk, turkey vultures, black vultures (they won't wait for things to be dead before poking away), and whatever is in migration (like the Mexican Eagle), then skunks, racoons, opossums (caught a young one who got in one night! Close call), coyotes, snakes etc.

The coop and run are mostly secured, except for some settling on the ground that has the coop leaning slightly away from the run. I'll have to shim that to make it flush again (now would be a good time since the ground is hard ).

Sounds like my place - a little bit of everything,, minus the Mexican Eagle! I live very close (as the vulture flies) to a good-sized dam and a lot of forested preservation land, so we get a lot of birds of prey - and those blasted black vultures! I haven't had too many issues with snakes, but the neighbors had a serious rat problem (professionally exterminated, thank heavens!) I dug a trench around my coop and run, filled it with dry concrete mix, then hosed and mixed it til it set. So far, it's proved a pretty effective barrier. The dogs tend to keep anything out of the main yard.
My main "predator" is coccidiosis. Apparently, my yard carries a very heavy load, so no matter how often I clean, I'm fighting that battle WAY too often. Corid is my friend! Which brings me back to a Silkie question. My Silkies seemed much more susceptible to the little buggers than the Nankins and standards, and the Silkie crosses were next. Has anyone else had an issue with Silkies picking up "nasties" more readily than other breeds?

 

[AngBantamLuv]

Sounds like my place - a little bit of everything,, minus the Mexican Eagle! I live very close (as the vulture flies) to a good-sized dam and a lot of forested preservation land, so we get a lot of birds of prey - and those blasted black vultures! I haven't had too many issues with snakes, but the neighbors had a serious rat problem (professionally exterminated, thank heavens!) I dug a trench around my coop and run, filled it with dry concrete mix, then hosed and mixed it til it set. So far, it's proved a pretty effective barrier. The dogs tend to keep anything out of the main yard.
My main "predator" is coccidiosis. Apparently, my yard carries a very heavy load, so no matter how often I clean, I'm fighting that battle WAY too often. Corid is my friend! Which brings me back to a Silkie question. My Silkies seemed much more susceptible to the little buggers than the Nankins and standards, and the Silkie crosses were next. Has anyone else had an issue with Silkies picking up "nasties" more readily than other breeds?

I've only ever had to give supplements to my silkies and polkie for wry neck, but that had me thinking overall weakened immunity, so i too did a couple corid treatments when they were young. Im sure the birds in the area contribute to the ongoing coccidiosis issue you have, especially with migratory birds leaving surprises. Once it cools off, I'll re-treat them all.

You may see a Mexican eagle soon enough. They've even been found in Canada in the last several years. Their migration path is increasing, since they love the heat.

 

[Egg Snatcher]

Pics

Will definitely try to get some! Had me some more hatch out yesterday! And some white silkies

 

[Goldenwahintofboss]

Has anyone crossed polish and silkies? I am hatching out two sets of eggs from each next. Wana know if I should try and breed them as crosses.

 

[GregnLety]

Has anyone crossed polish and silkies? I am hatching out two sets of eggs from each next. Wana know if I should try and breed them as crosses.

@Ponypoor Has this mix that hatched a few months ago and they are gorgeous.

 

[Egg Snatcher]

Here they are!
My project

And two of the silkies