Silkies - They’re simply SPECTACULAR!

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

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

Not imported, locally grown

 

[kurby22]

Ugh, silkies can be real dummies! We just had a major downpour outside and I went to check on the birds and found my Olandsk Dwarfs, Hedemora, and MF underneath their coops trying to stay dry...and Sia and Cher and Bella just drenched out in the open So, they are all in my guest bathroom tub with a heat lamp to warm them up and help dry them off. Was a short downpour but very WET. Hopefully that was the last of the really heavy rain.

 

[LynnaePB]

I don't even know how many chickens I have now. I was just talking over the phone to my father the other day and he asked how many I had. My answer was over 100 but below 200.....I think.

I'm glad we are out in the country and don't have to worry about numbers too much. The feed gets a bit much cost wise though. I'm really glad we started buying from the local feed stores, they are only charging around $14 or so for a 50 lb bag where tractor supply (large chain store) charges over $20 per bag now. We feed starter/grower for the extra protein and not having excess calcium so that is a bit more than layer would be (the laying girls get oyster shell on the side). Ours go through about 5-6 bags a week. We'd have about a third less of the number we do now if boys were easier to rehome.

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.

Aww welcome to keeping chickens! Silkies spoke to me right away as well. It's hard not to be drawn to something so adorable.

The babies sound so cute! I'm sure if you get the chance to get pictures sometime everyone here would love to see them too! I bet the polish are just adorable as well, they are such a pretty breed.

Dyer and Obion counties have had cases...

Ah yeah just saw that! So I guess TN does have some cases in wild birds. Those counties are on the other side of the state from us but even if they weren't I'm not too worried. All the birds right now are in covered pens so I think they'll be safe.

Ugh, silkies can be real dummies! We just had a major downpour outside and I went to check on the birds and found my Olandsk Dwarfs, Hedemora, and MF underneath their coops trying to stay dry...and Sia and Cher and Bella just drenched out in the open So, they are all in my guest bathroom tub with a heat lamp to warm them up and help dry them off. Was a short downpour but very WET. Hopefully that was the last of the really heavy rain.

Oh goodness yes I hated this behavior of theirs when we used to have them in an open run with just netting over. It was mostly just the girls that would do it but every time a rain started I'd be running out and putting silkies under cover as fast as I could....I got drenched every time but at least they didn't get too terribly wet usually.

I am so grateful all the pens are covered now, it makes them a lot lower maintenance.

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Yall I'm sure this isn't normal but I can't help but feel like my two horny toad cockrels are rapin lil Zoe.
She would not come to me to go to bed tonight...she stood on other side of the stairway til I coaxed her out and before I could get around to the other side of the coop Grayson was already mounted.
He got distracted when I opened coop door and got off...she just sat there head in the corner and not moving flat as could be.
Then he went right back, then Joey did it to her before I could get her to come over so I could sit her on the roost!
I'm makin a bachelor pad if its the last thing I do tomorrow and they aren't going in the coop anymore!

 

[LynnaePB]

Yall I'm sure this isn't normal but I can't help but feel like my two horny toad cockrels are rapin lil Zoe.
She would not come to me to go to bed tonight...she stood on other side of the stairway til I coaxed her out and before I could get around to the other side of the coop Grayson was already mounted.
He got distracted when I opened coop door and got off...she just sat there head in the corner and not moving flat as could be.
Then he went right back, then Joey did it to her before I could get her to come over so I could sit her on the roost!
I'm makin a bachelor pad if its the last thing I do tomorrow and they aren't going in the coop anymore!

Oh I'm so sorry! Some boys are like that. They just want what they want and they don't care if the girl isn't wanting it too. Some time in a bachelor pen to help those raging hormones calm down will hopefully help. Those hormones can really make little monsters out of them sometimes!

Sometimes they'll do the same thing to other boys in the bachelor pens. That drive is just strong.

Good luck with those two! Lots do eventually get better with time.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Ugh, silkies can be real dummies! We just had a major downpour outside and I went to check on the birds and found my Olandsk Dwarfs, Hedemora, and MF underneath their coops trying to stay dry...and Sia and Cher and Bella just drenched out in the open So, they are all in my guest bathroom tub with a heat lamp to warm them up and help dry them off. Was a short downpour but very WET. Hopefully that was the last of the really heavy rain.

Yes, my Silkies do the same thing! This is why I have covered runs.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Yall I'm sure this isn't normal but I can't help but feel like my two horny toad cockrels are rapin lil Zoe.
She would not come to me to go to bed tonight...she stood on other side of the stairway til I coaxed her out and before I could get around to the other side of the coop Grayson was already mounted.
He got distracted when I opened coop door and got off...she just sat there head in the corner and not moving flat as could be.
Then he went right back, then Joey did it to her before I could get her to come over so I could sit her on the roost!
I'm makin a bachelor pad if its the last thing I do tomorrow and they aren't going in the coop anymore!

I had to do the same thing with Eko when he was about four months old. I ended up putting him in the tractor by himself but next to the others so they could still see each other. He didn’t seem to mind it too much. He was in there for about a month before I put him back with the girls again and since then he’s been a good boy. For the most part anyway…

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Well I'm definitely takin Grayson to the auction in KY next Saturday....I don't need 2 roos (ain't even supposed to have any roos but I didn't know that before getting all hooked into this ) and no one has even asked bout hum the past week or shown interest so idk...he's really pretty.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

So I sent DNA testing out 8 days ago on the little Hanabi baby as well as the fluffiest, lightest blue Silkie chick which is my daughter’s favorite.
Used the eggshell for the Cochin cross as I was able to see it hatch and tried for the first time using blood from a clipped toenail on the Silkie. This one hatched early in the morning and I did not witness the hatch, so I wasn’t sure which eggshell it came out of.
Both are female! So happy and of course we are keeping them now!


I really love IQ Bird Testing if anybody wants to do DNA testing at some point.
I have now tried all three methods; feathers, eggshell and now blood. They have a fairly quick turnaround time and excellent customer service. They did raise their prices recently, so only really worth it to do on birds you are planning to keep.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Well I'm definitely takin Grayson to the auction in KY next Saturday....I don't need 2 roos (ain't even supposed to have any roos but I didn't know that before getting all hooked into this ) and no one has even asked bout hum the past week or shown interest so idk...he's really pretty.

Did you post an ad on craigslist for him or something similar? With really great photos? It did take me one time two months to sell one of my cockerels.