The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[aoxa]

I have Silkies from three different breeders using three different strains. All the birds in my barn range in age from 10 weeks to 10 months. Four I hatched from Sheryl Butler line. Two came from M Best, and three now from Catdance. The three I have now have very small Walnut combs. The wattles are almost invisible on the Catdance birds. They are very heavily bearded. The Catdance roo has the best comb and beak for any male silkie I've ever owned.

I love his streamers!

 

[armorfirelady]

Aoxa that def would be some great chicken tv !!

Thank you Mumsy. I can see the comb on him now. It must be hard if you decide to trim those guys when the combs/wattles are so hard to see lol

 

[aoxa]

Aoxa that def would be some great chicken tv !!

Thank you Mumsy. I can see the comb on him now. It must be hard if you decide to trim those guys when the combs/wattles are so hard to see lol

I don't trim, but if you want to trim the beard, wetting them down is the best way to see the wattles. Even still they should be very tiny.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

The chicken TV is a cute idea.

I got my first two eggs this morning.

 

[delisha]

The chicken TV is a cute idea.

I got my first two eggs this morning.

 

[Mumsy]

Aoxa that def would be some great chicken tv !!

Thank you Mumsy. I can see the comb on him now. It must be hard if you decide to trim those guys when the combs/wattles are so hard to see lol

If I think the crest or muffs may cause problems with eye infections, I will most definitely trim. My breeders are never going in a show pen. I want the best fertility and health I can get from them. When I have Silkies to show they will taped and penned separately.
One of the things I do when their eyesight is completely obscured is place the food and water containers on a slightly elevated surface and I never move them from the spot. At feeding time I talk to them and tap tap tap the food dish. The new hens are the heaviest crested Silkies I've ever had and they are only six months old. This morning they both came right to the front of the pen and pecked around until they found the feed dish. The roo is already at home and needs no guidance.

I had a lengthy discussion with Karen of Catdance about this very subject. She and I are on the same page about this. She will trim her breeders without hesitation if it means better health and fertility for her breeder flocks. Show birds or sale birds are left fully crested. While touring her breeder pens where the sale eggs come from, I saw a Black roo and then the Shorty Polston roo in a white pen taped up. Karen uses painters tape on the roos held together in a top knot. She said it does come off and she reapplies when she must. She says the painters tape doesn't pull out as many feathers as other methods. I agree with her about helping the roos find the business end of the hens. Her farm is a breeding facility. The focus there are not show barns.



This is Catdance Black pen where the BLK marked eggs come out of. One of the roos is taped up. One of my crummy pictures because I was shaking the camera.



This is a White pen in that same barn. My roo 'Fluffy Dragon's' dad is in here. He was taped and some hens were trimmed. He ducked his head right when I took the picture.

Sorry. I never give short answers. Kind of rambled on here. Bottom line is yes. I trim when it seems necessary. I hold them in my lap under good lighting and use small manicure scissors. I'll tape show birds when I have them.

 

[Pullet Surprise]

The chicken TV is a cute idea.

I got my first two eggs this morning.

Congratulations!

The chicken TV looks so fun...if they would use it!

 

[Pullet Surprise]

Mumsy: So very much enjoying the pics of the Silkies!

 

[armorfirelady]

Sally congrats on the first eggs. I know how excited I was in December when mine started laying. I didnt think they would EVER start lol.

Thank you Mumsy for the pictures and clarifications. I do enjoy the information you are posting about the silkies

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Sally congrats on the first eggs. I know how excited I was in December when mine started laying. I didnt think they would EVER start lol.

Thank you Mumsy for the pictures and clarifications. I do enjoy the information you are posting about the silkies

Thanks, my children were really excited too. But my son would not touch his fried egg I made. He kept saying he wanted it to grow up into a chicken.
And of course after getting those lovely but tiny eggs, I could only wait about an hour before going out to look for more. It looks like I will have to wait till tomorrow for more fresh eggs.