The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[taylynnp]

Good question LG. I want to add that I DO have a rooster so I'd be interested in input to LG's question and also in the case of having a rooster around as well. My ONE light colored SFH with a crest is the bottom of the pecking order. She doesn't stand up for herself at all, and they all target her. She stays to the perimeter of everything and always flees away from everyone. Finally quit trying to get on the roost with the others and has taken to sleeping in a nest box. (When I go out to be sure doors are shut I remove her from the box and put her on the roosts after it's too dark for them to attack her.) I've wondered if it is the difference in appearance, the crest, etc. Which has made me wonder if a silkie would be treated the same way.

Pretty SFH. I keep thinking about a silkie as well. I have large fowl Buckeyes with two cockerels in the flock. I'm hoping we'll have some broodies next year but a silkie might be extra insurance. Plus entertaining if they don't get picked on. Buckeyes are good natured, not known as pickers put if the other chicken looks too different it may be too much temptation. Maybe I need to wait until we build a bigger coop with breeding/broody areas.

 

[aoxa]

Pretty SFH.

I keep thinking about a silkie as well. I have large fowl Buckeyes with two cockerels in the flock. I'm hoping we'll have some broodies next year but a silkie might be extra insurance. Plus entertaining if they don't get picked on. Buckeyes are good natured, not known as pickers put if the other chicken looks too different it may be too much temptation. Maybe I need to wait until we build a bigger coop with breeding/broody areas.

If the silkies grow up with large fowl chickens, they are less likely to be picked on. If grown out with only silkies, you may have an issue with bullying.

Silkies do not typically roost. You have to be careful they don't pile up under the roosts or you will have some messy silkies..

 

[Leahs Mom]

Under the roost...what in the world makes them want to pile there?

Aoxa... for some reason my rooster does NOT protect Miss Gray. She has always run from him and every time he comes her way she's "outta there".

Strangely enough, the ONE sfh that hatched with my current broody is Miss Gray's. You'd think that would win her some points with the man.
Miss Gray's kiddo (but mamma is a hatchery red)...Maybe the "man" thinks it belongs to the mamma...her kid...he seems to favor the reds and the Little BA.

 

[aoxa]

Under the roost...what in the world makes them want to pile there?

Aoxa... for some reason my rooster does NOT protect Miss Gray. She has always run from him and every time he comes her way she's "outta there".

Strangely enough, the ONE sfh that hatched with my current broody is Miss Gray's. You'd think that would win her some points with the man.
Miss Gray's kiddo (but mamma is a hatchery red)...Maybe the "man" thinks it belongs to the mamma...her kid...he seems to favor the reds and the Little BA.

Well skittish birds are great when you have predator issues. They are fast and always on their toes.

She sounds like a loner.

 

[Sally8]

I'm not a big fan of Silkies either, primarily because I'm treating them differently and it's more work. They are in a coop by themselves. A couple of the mixes do roost but mostly don't. They were raised with the bigger ones and they would be fine except my BCM is a very large roo and I've seen him mate with the Silkie. He's tooooooo big and hurts them. I have a Silkie mix and a sizzle that I've recently learned that they were roo's. They don't crow but I saw them trying to mate with my 2 hens that just hatched eggs in the last few months. The girls just put them in their place as they must not be ready. But they are so cute.

How many eggs at a time has anyone had a Silkie sit on. I wouldn't want any more silkies but was thinking of the BCM eggs. Cecilia had 6 eggs and hatched 5 out, Harper had 3 and hatched 3. Both because I monitored the number of eggs. I had 2 others laying eggs in the same nest every day and would remove those eggs daily.

 

[aoxa]

I'm not a big fan of Silkies either, primarily because I'm treating them differently and it's more work. They are in a coop by themselves. A couple of the mixes do roost but mostly don't. They were raised with the bigger ones but my BCM is a very large roo and I've seen him mate with the Silkie. He's tooooooo big and hurts them. I have a Silkie mix and a sizzle that I've recently learned that they were roo's. They don't crow but I saw them trying to mate with my 2 hens that just hatched eggs in the last few months. The girls just put them in their place as they must not be ready. But they are so cute.

How many eggs at a time has anyone had a Silkie sit on. I wouldn't want any more silkies but was thinking of the BCM eggs. Cecilia had 6 eggs and hatched 5 out, Harper had 3 and hatched 3. Both because I monitored the number of eggs. I had 2 others laying eggs in the same nest every day and would remove those eggs daily.

Are you asking for LG eggs they can handle?

A silkie can sit on up to 12 bantam eggs and half that many large fowl eggs. Depending on her size.

The most a silkie has hatched by herself was 12. She's a silkie mix... but almost the same size as a silkie, and she had large fowl eggs as well.


Actually wait.. All she had was LF eggs. She's a good girl.

 

[Sally8]

Are you asking for LG eggs they can handle?

A silkie can sit on up to 12 bantam eggs and half that many large fowl eggs. Depending on her size.

The most a silkie has hatched by herself was 12. She's a silkie mix... but almost the same size as a silkie, and she had large fowl eggs as well.


Actually wait.. All she had was LF eggs. She's a good girl.

Yes, that's what I was asking. Cecilia actually had 15 eggs under her at one time but some were peeking out here and there. (I'd like her to hatch out 6 more in the spring., the same with Harper to try for BCM pullets.) That's when I candled them to see if they were fertile or not, I marked them and didn't let her have more than 6. She handled them very comfortably. It's amazing what wonderful mothers they are. I'd like to find some Buff Orpington eggs then too. Thanks.

 

[aoxa]

Yes, that's what I was asking. Cecilia actually had 15 eggs under her at one time but some were peeking out here and there. (I'd like her to hatch out 6 more in the spring., the same with Harper to try for BCM pullets.) That's when I candled them to see if they were fertile or not, I marked them and didn't let her have more than 6. She handled them very comfortably. It's amazing what wonderful mothers they are. I'd like to find some Buff Orpington eggs then too. Thanks.

If you are not a fan of the Silkie for your flock, I love the mixes. They are just as broody, and seem to handle life as a chicken more comfortably. Tina and her sister Gertie both roost, and Tina is the one that took on a hawk trying to take one of her chicks. She had the hawk screeching. I was impressed.

Tina has Barred Plymouth Rock in her blood. Gertie has Naked Neck with Ameraucana background. I like the personality of Tina better. She ranges the furthest, and is very high up in the pecking order.

 

[armorfirelady]

A broody might be safer to......you can't put as many eggs under a broody like you can an incubator

If I get a broody next year I'd be happy to hatch out chicks for you, I just can't keep them obviously lol Maybe having a legal limit is a good thing for me

 

[Leahs Mom]

Well skittish birds are great when you have predator issues. They are fast and always on their toes.

She sounds like a loner.

That's absolutely true of this girl. She and my other sfh pullet seem to be the most "overhead pred" aware. Fast, agile, good at hiding.

Just wish the roo would take her a little more under his protection. It's almost as if he sees how the others treat her and he does the same.