Silkies - They’re simply SPECTACULAR!

[kurby22]

Funny enough, gas prices are still in the $5 range here. We have two Walmarts here, one in Hilo and one in Kona, both over an hour from me. I use Walmart.com sometimes, bought my brooder plates that way. With free shipping pretty competitive with Amazon, but they charge extra to ship feed.

I recently sold two of my layer hens as part of my flock reduction. They were big girls and ate the most and I was not emotionally attached to them. We were also getting more eggs than we needed. Fun to give eggs to friends and others, but at what cost?
I have already noticed the feed is lasting longer. I was going through a 50 lb bag a week. Sold two of my Silkie hens as well to a friend. I currently have 13 adults, 2 juveniles and 3 chicks, as well as 13 eggs in the incubator due to hatch on Saturday. 2 more of the hens are for sale. Not planning to keep any of the chicks, well maybe the Hanabi baby and one of the Blues to keep her company...
Since the Silkie girls are all broody now, this really is my LAST hatch for awhile.

That is great, I'm rather surprised that you guys are still lower than us! And I guess I have underestimated the reach of Walmart haha. I am also impressed that you have under 20 chickens! I used to be that person too...hahaha...now it's closer to 35 chickens... I will probably have to sell a couple of the Polish chickens and may end up rehoming one or two of my rooster boys. But we DEFINITELY have too many eggs Gonna start betting the neighbors to take them

 

[kurby22]

That's greed.. not the economy, not production declines, not storms or any other excuse.

UH HUH!

 

[LadiesAndJane]

That is great, I'm rather surprised that you guys are still lower than us! And I guess I have underestimated the reach of Walmart haha. I am also impressed that you have under 20 chickens! I used to be that person too...hahaha...now it's closer to 35 chickens... I will probably have to sell a couple of the Polish chickens and may end up rehoming one or two of my rooster boys. But we DEFINITELY have too many eggs Gonna start betting the neighbors to take them

I try to keep it under 20. We have a rather small yard, filled with chicken coops, tractors, pens... One neighbor lives very close. They do not seem to mind the chickens and get eggs once in awhile. I clean the coops/runs daily to keep smell/flies down.
I am trying to bring the flock down to a manageable size so my daughter can take care of them when I am not home.
If I had room and time I would surely have many more!

 

[chickengr]

I pay $30 (AU) for 20kg bag chick starter, and that's the cheapest one available.

do you import corn, wheat, etc.? I know nothing about australia.

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

The buck comes first!

Here is the link for verified chicken infections:
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ou...pai-2022/2022-hpai-commercial-backyard-flocks

And here is the link for verified wild bird infections:
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ou...vian-influenza/hpai-2022/2022-hpai-wild-birds

I'm not allowing my chickens out of the run, and it is roofed, which should keep them safe.

Thank u for sharing those!
Yeah I guess it is all bout the $ unfortunately.

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

I am new to chicken keeping, but the first time I saw a silkie, I KNEW it was the chicken for me.
Do you guys ever just see something and know that is your destiny? I felt the same way when I saw my house. Just a feeling of rightness and like it was calling my name.
I felt that way about silkies too.

So anyway, my babies are just about 4 weeks old. They just started getting their little head poofs. So cute! My Polish had head poofs at hatch, so it's been a bit of a difference. The Polish are way bigger than the Silkies too. But they get along great! I know it's a bit early for pecking order, but I think one of my silkies will be the top hen...assuming she is a hen.

Welcome to the world of amazing little fluffy babies!
Yeah I thought silkies was gonna be my jam but looks like satins are more for me though I have both!

 

[chickengr]

That's greed.. not the economy, not production declines, not storms or any other excuse.

exactly. as for animal feed, all the ingredients are last season's, so why do they rise prices now? a lot of people will butcher their animals so they will remain with feed to eat it themselves.

 

[AngBantamLuv]

Funny enough, gas prices are still in the $5 range here. We have two Walmarts here, one in Hilo and one in Kona, both over an hour from me. I use Walmart.com sometimes, bought my brooder plates that way. With free shipping pretty competitive with Amazon, but they charge extra to ship feed.

I recently sold two of my layer hens as part of my flock reduction. They were big girls and ate the most and I was not emotionally attached to them. We were also getting more eggs than we needed. Fun to give eggs to friends and others, but at what cost?
I have already noticed the feed is lasting longer. I was going through a 50 lb bag a week. Sold two of my Silkie hens as well to a friend. I currently have 13 adults, 2 juveniles and 3 chicks, as well as 13 eggs in the incubator due to hatch on Saturday. 2 more of the hens are for sale. Not planning to keep any of the chicks, well maybe the Hanabi baby and one of the Blues to keep her company...
Since the Silkie girls are all broody now, this really is my LAST hatch for awhile.

20 seems like a great number to me! I was stressing being over my limit w 10.. but these 2 boys seem to be doing ok w the flock and Minnie is still the only one crowing! She has moved it to 7:30am though!

Fred is really growing on me.. now when I go peek in the coop, he runs inside and chit chats with me through the window. He and Pebbles are inseparable. They sleep and hang out together all day, it's pretty cute.

Betty, the polkie, who really seems like a great satin candidate, seems to consider herself a silkie. Barney, Bambina and her enjoy sitting in a storage bin I put in the run. Wilma is either on her own, or hangs with them. Funny she doesn't want to hang w the other 2 polish much.

 

[chickengr]

I am allowed to have 30 chickens. I have 12 silkies, a mixed flock of 14, 4 bantam cochin, 11 juveniles, 5 ducklings, 7 goslings - just ordered 4 meat chickens.

all bantam cochin, 4 leghorns and 3 silkies will leave soon and 1 silkie + 1 araucana roo should arrive soon. I put a 5 meter long tin roofing sheet next to their run so nobody can count them from the street, lol.

 

[Arelwood]

I am allowed to have 30 chickens. I have 12 silkies, a mixed flock of 14, 4 bantam cochin, 11 juveniles, 5 ducklings, 7 goslings - just ordered 4 meat chickens.

all bantam cochin, 4 leghorns and 3 silkies will leave soon and 1 silkie + 1 araucana roo should arrive soon. I put a 5 meter long tin roofing sheet next to their run so nobody can count them from the street, lol.

I'm allowed to have 6. I figure if a couple of them look alike it will be harder to count. I think I could get up to 8 before anyone would notice. I really like your idea of hiding them from view! Mine should be relatively well-hidden behind my privacy fence, but a little more can always be done.