Spring Chicks!

[ShrekDawg]

Btw yes I know I don’t actually have the room and can’t. But I wish.

Honestly kind of tempted to build another coop and get some.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I shouldn’t be allowed near feed stores lol

 

[Ladybird CA]

Your coop looked big enough for more. Although I’m not too good at keeping track of the sqft per bird thing.

Silkies maybe for their small size? Should be at least two if you decide to go with them though so they can keep each other warm in winter since most of them don’t roost.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Your coop looked big enough for more. Although I’m not too good at keeping track of the sqft per bird thing.

Silkies maybe for their small size? Should be at least two if you decide to go with them though so they can keep each other warm in winter since most of them don’t roost.

It probably would be, I know people have a lot more chickens than I do in the same space or smaller, but my last coop before we built this one was way too small and I had problems so now I’m paranoid about the size LOL plus most of the feather footed breeds are huge and take up more room than a normal chicken lol although I could always add some more leghorns or sex links... they don’t take up much room... hmmm... lol

It’s 4 ft by 8 ft so 32 sq ft.

Plus I have 7 other birds so it’ll be 12 total.

Although the nest boxes are external and we made them huge so I guess that adds some square footage to the coop? So maybe it can hold some more.

Silkies could be good! Although do they get picked on by the bigger birds?

I kinda wanna have a separate bantam coop hah they’re just so cute!!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I would not mix silkies with standard breeds. Silkies are cute, but they come with more maintenance. They are more prone to external parasites, and hens go broody constantly.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I would not mix silkies with standard breeds. Silkies are cute, but they come with more maintenance. They are more prone to external parasites, and hens go broody constantly.

I didn’t realize they were that much more work! That’s a pain!

 

[ShrekDawg]

The chicks are already 3 weeks old today and they are getting so big!

And yes I know I need to clean the brooder lol they also keep kicking all the shavings out the front door

Gonna add more a bit later today. But it’s too hot to clean the coop right now. It’s like 80+ degrees today.

Gonna get some good pictures later though but just snapped these for now while I changed the water ha

 

[Ladybird CA]

I had silkies and standards together without problems but the standards were raised by silkies.

It's usually crested breeds that get external parasites like lice. You can get rid of them if they have access to dusting or you can use seven dust on them.

They do go broody a lot. You can break the broodiness by keeping them on wire until they stop being broody but hens that go broody live longer and are less prone to dying from being eggbound. Sex links I've heard don't live more than 3 or 4 years usually. I did like mine though, they weren't flighty like leghorns can be. Although I had a leghorn too and she wasn't very flighty either.

A bantam coop would be cool if you decide to go for that!

Cute chicks!

 

[ShrekDawg]

The chicks are so grownup already! went to check on them tonight and they were roosting for the first time! usually they have been very reliable about putting themselves to bed and being UNDER the “mama heating pad” when I check on them every night. Well tonight they were all perched on top of it! Guess they might be ready for a roost bar already!! Guess they don’t need their “mama” anymore.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I had silkies and standards together without problems but the standards were raised by silkies.

It's usually crested breeds that get external parasites like lice. You can get rid of them if they have access to dusting or you can use seven dust on them.

They do go broody a lot. You can break the broodiness by keeping them on wire until they stop being broody but hens that go broody live longer and are less prone to dying from being eggbound. Sex links I've heard don't live more than 3 or 4 years usually. I did like mine though, they weren't flighty like leghorns can be. Although I had a leghorn too and she wasn't very flighty either.

A bantam coop would be cool if you decide to go for that!

Cute chicks!

So sorry! Completely forgot to reply!! Thank you for all the info!!