The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[chickiemomy]

are silkies tough? I know nothing about them - but they seem delicate - appearance - wise. Ptarmgans are in the Okanogan wilderness too I think. They are beautiful birds, aren' t they?

 

[aoxa]

This made me laugh! Hah! My chickens eat all that too and worse. I ate apple seeds as a kid. I drank from the hose. I didn't wear a helmet when I was racing my cow pony bare back hell bent for home. None the worse for any of it. My chickens eat the green tops of my onions too! I survived my childhood on the farm and no chickens of mine have dropped dead on my little piece of ground from anything they are eating. My chickens eat all the fallen apples they can get in my orchard before the squirrels and deer get to them first.

Bahaha.

Susan has even fed them the dreaded avocado! I nearly killed her before I realized they were fine. They avoided the skin and pit and ate the good stuff.

We gave them potato peeling too. Nope.. Never lost a chicken. I think since it was such a small part of their diet, it didn't affect them.

We actually gave them everything you would put in a compost pile except things I knew they wouldn't eat (like citrus peelings).

I'm going to have trouble speaking in past tense. Please bear with me

 

[aoxa]

are silkies tough? I know nothing about them - but they seem delicate - appearance - wise. Ptarmgans are in the Okanogan wilderness too I think. They are beautiful birds, aren' t they?

Tough how? With weather yes.

Not with much else. They do not do well in mixed flocks (for the most part). They are not good free rangers (for the most part).

 

[farmerfogg]

I am wanting to re-home my rooster. He has given my 5 hens bare backs and wants to mate them continually. The only ointment I have on hand is bag balm. I spread a thick layer on the other day. I just think he needs more hens to make him happy.
Can anyone advise me on the best way to go about this?

 

[delisha]

I am wanting to re-home my rooster. He has given my 5 hens bare backs and wants to mate them continually. The only ointment I have on hand is bag balm. I spread a thick layer on the other day. I just think he needs more hens to make him happy.
Can anyone advise me on the best way to go about this?

How old is he? Young cockerels under a year can be hard on pullets. This time of year they are coming into high testosterone. That should temper down soon. He might need one more hen. When they are two they are perfect for breeding, however sperm count also drops as they age. If he is tearing skin it is time to remove those spurs.

 

[pcappy2]

FF question, My chicks just aren't all fluffy with FF. they look kind of dirty with all that FF all over them. I raised up the feeder but that didn't seem to help. Anyone else notice this? Does it have any effect on there feathers?

 

[Mumsy]

are silkies tough? I know nothing about them - but they seem delicate - appearance - wise. Ptarmgans are in the Okanogan wilderness too I think. They are beautiful birds, aren' t they?

Yes. Silkies can tough it out in cold weather. Chicken varieties that have rose, pea, and walnut combs such as Silkies fare much better in cold weather than single comb breeds. The original Red Jungle fowl of the tropics from which most domesticated chickens come has a single comb. But other jungle-y type varieties such as Sumatra, Maylay, Aseel, Shamo, Cubalaya, and others have pea combs. Chickens can adapt to extremes of temperature if given enough opportunity to do so. It only takes a few generations to breed hardiness into most varieties.

Aoxa is right about not being very suitable in mixed flocks. They can't take constant pecks to the head and larger hens and especially roosters can stomp on them pretty hard.

 

[delisha]

My silkie chick is mean. He.she spend all day picking on other chicks feet. My poor cochin and marans have no feather left on there feet.




He/she does not want to stand up for me taking this picture. He had nice feathers on his feet too but now they are almost gone. Split wing too..darn..is split wing a cull?

 

[delisha]

FF question, My chicks just aren't all fluffy with FF. they look kind of dirty with all that FF all over them. I raised up the feeder but that didn't seem to help. Anyone else notice this? Does it have any effect on there feathers?

Makes them nice and shinny!! These guys are on FF..all nice and fluffy..and shinny!!

 

[countrygirl74]

are silkies tough? I know nothing about them - but they seem delicate - appearance - wise. Ptarmgans are in the Okanogan wilderness too I think. They are beautiful birds, aren' t they?

I just had to laugh when I read this today... I know you are asking about toughness, hardy-wise, but this morning I was thinking "tough" as one of our silkie roos thinks he is the toughest roo on the planet. My big EE roo and black silkie roo are nice but the little red silkie roo "Snuffleupagus" or "Snuffy" is a little brat! He makes us laugh but wow can he bite! If you put your hand down by him he grabs on and tries to pull your skin off - not just a peck, he twists and turns. I wear gloves so I can handle it and push him down to the ground until he stops. He's like an owl and still reaches back to bite. I hold him there for a while until he stops protesting and then when I let him up I chase him around the coop. I am hoping this will teach him a lesson... anyone else have experience with bratty silkie roos? Let me know if there's something better I should be doing.