Silkies

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Thank you I am new at raising silkies I am used to raising the normal every chicken. They are a unique Bird, The one with the six toes is over six months old.
 
Wow 150 I bet you fun have raising those guys. I know they have different personality. I only have four at the moment but my flock will grow. I enjoy incubating the eggs it is so much fun. I do have 8 Rhode Island reds, 6 barred Rock Bantams, 5 Dominique and 1 Turkey. My little farm and growing
 
yeah I do, half as per usual ( or more in my case) are boys and most have been sent off to 'the curry farm' to be raised on to be eaten, but I will keep a few to grow on myself and select a few for breeding, but alas you cannot keep them all. I agree and I love being able to give my girls the chance for mother hood, they do such a great job. I bet it is, especially when chicken math comes into play lol . Tho once you get to as many as I have ( approx. 117 atm) the feed bill starts to really climb, but its worth it to see them grow and play and squabble and do their chicken things, mine are all into bathing atm so there are bathing holes everywhere....
 
What kind of predators do you have to protect your flock from and how are you set up for it. So far I have not had that problem YET. The only issue I have is egg thieving. What is stealing my eggs even took my dummy eggs lol. The only eggs I loose is the ones I miss that day
 
Here our list of predators is short, Cats and dogs, hawks (out in the country this is a problem) stoats( also in the country) and hedgehogs, which are my main problem. Because of this the houses to my coops are all hedgehog proof and are closed off at night, especially because of the chicks who don't stand a chance. Most people don't realise or believe that hedgehogs do so much damage but they do and its problematic, they steal eggs, chicks and full sized birds by eating them from the inside out. Rats are also a problem but once again only in the country/ near water. I live on the edge of the city so I don't have the problem of rats, stoats or hawks, and my dog keeps all other dogs and cats especially away ( both of us hate cats) . egg thieving can start out as just that and esculate when there is no eggs left and they will go for the birds, It would be rats, stoats, weasels, hedgehogs, ferrits, foxes, snakes ive also heard badgers will steal eggs. If I was you I would look into it/ set up traps and make sure everything is predator proof, loosing birds is awful, especially when they are pets or they went slowly and in an agonizing way . If its taking Dummy eggs then its hungry, finding out what it is, is a must.

I don't set out dummy eggs I just have a large bucket of water, a club/ mag light torch and go out each night and check everything over, do a basic countup of the older birds, put the younger idiots that sit outside away and hope for the best.
 
I found the culprit that has been stealing eggs I found out tonight it is a possum. I guess I need to buy me a trap
 
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At least you know, good luck trapping it, chances are if you have one you have many.
 
I hope not I hope its just the one. Last night I walked out to building it was trying to get into the feed bin until I scacred it off
 
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