Sulmtalers Thread

[Scampb7574]

This will be their first summer. I have had other large heavy feathered birds that did fine. I designed the coop/run for hot weather. They also get spoiled with a mister, foot spas, frozen water bottles and fans!

 

[Sylvester017]

This will be their first summer. I have had other large heavy feathered birds that did fine. I designed the coop/run for hot weather. They also get spoiled with a mister, foot spas, frozen water bottles and fans!

We did the frozen cubes in the Brite Tap waterer, water misters in the shade under a pop-up canopy, several shady lean-to shelters, lawn furniture, and 5 dog houses to snooze/hide in, watered-down soil to dig in, cold produce like watermelon and cantaloupe, electrolytes in drinking water, chicken vitamins, etc etc, but still lost 2 girls. Usually we only get 2 to 4 weeks of 100o+ temps but last year our 90 to 100o+ temps started end of May and continued steadily into September without a break. Only our two old Silkies have managed to survive the last 6 yrs of State-declared drought here.

6 years ago we didn't have to water our yard


Last year was our brutal worst dry hot summer ever!

 

[cutipatooti]

I have a few sulmtaler chicks from GFF. Not sure if I'm going to keep them or not. Can you all tell me what you like about yours? I had a few before and found the to be more on the flighty side. Also I have both the Wheaton and gold duck wing varieties. Is it possible to breed just the gold duckwing variety or will I always end up with some wheaten chicks? Also weren't the gold duck wings called silver wheaten? How come some of the silver/gold duckwing sulmtalers don't have the gold wing patch? Thanks

 

[Scampb7574]

We did the frozen cubes in the Brite Tap waterer, water misters in the shade under a pop-up canopy, several shady lean-to shelters, lawn furniture, and 5 dog houses to snooze/hide in, watered-down soil to dig in, cold produce like watermelon and cantaloupe, electrolytes in drinking water, chicken vitamins, etc etc, but still lost 2 girls. Usually we only get 2 to 4 weeks of 100[SUP]o[/SUP]+ temps but last year our 90 to 100[SUP]o[/SUP]+ temps started end of May and continued steadily into September without a break. Only our two old Silkies have managed to survive the last 6 yrs of State-declared drought here. 6 years ago we didn't have to water our yard Last year was our brutal worst dry hot summer ever!

I'm sorry

 

[Scampb7574]

I'm sorry you lost yours. Hope I don't suffer the same fate.

[/IMG]

 

[Scampb7574]

 

[Scampb7574]

I built under a big mesquite tree.

 

[Scampb7574]

I'm sorry

 

[Sylvester017]

@Scampb7574
Love your setup for chickens and love the dog! Beautiful breed.
I hope we don't have another brutal summer. I went outdoors today to do yard work and took one of my Silkies w/ me to keep me company and "help" me dig for earthworms LOL! It felt like 80o but forecast said upper 70's - the Silkie made sure to stay in the shady spots while we puttered in the dirt. I like keeping chickens w/ me when I do yard work - they are more pets than utility. A fluffy Sulmtaler would've died in our heat today. Isn't this supposed to be winter? We lost a very fluffy sweet Ameraucana last summer and all she did was sit in wet dirt and pant all day while the Silkies kept toodling around. That's when I made the decision not to get overly fluffy breeds of chickens any more. I really like the fluffy breeds but Silkies are the only breed so far to tolerate my humid climate.

This is the sweet Blue Wheaten Ameraucana that we lost - way too fluffy/dense.


Partridge Silkie - 6 yrs old - Silkies are fluffy but not dense




Black Silkie - 5 yrs old


New Cuckoo Breda pullet w/ the two old Silkies

 

[FaerieChicken]

Good evening!
We have ordered 1 doz hatching Sulmtaler eggs. We are new to the breed and can't wait to see how they turn out.
Does anyone have any suggestions on rearing and culling?
How long do the hey take to butcher? I couldn't find any info on approx weight/weeks.
We would like to keep a roo and some hens, if we get a good ratio of course, but want to keep them for more personal use for table birds.
TIA