Thread formerly known as Hatch day is today

[JulieNKC]

Quote:
Yes they are thank goodness. I would love to have some silkies but when i see my hens peck each other on the head I think nope it wouldn't be worth it to see one of the silkies mortally wounded . Maybe one day when my flock gets a bit smaller.

I do love silkies though. Today one of my muscovies grabbed ahold of one of my chickens tails and help on for dear life, the chicken finally broke free minus a few tail feathers but that is uaually the extent of the stuff that goes on here. You are so blessed to have an additional land to put ducks and chickens on, we have 51/2 acres but most is straight up with no possibility of additional coops. Mountain land is pretty but not too practical.

Mine are just normal craigslist silkies. They're cute and fluffy but not so much as the puffball show silkies I see on here. Mine can see and have no problems with my big girls. If someone starts bugging them they'll just jump up and get them right back. And if they're broody everyone else better stay far far away. I've lost 4 chickens and 1 duck to raccoons, but I haven't lost a silkie yet. They aren't as helpless as people like to make them sound. Or maybe only the puffball ones are.

They do make great broodies though.
This is my broody pile I had going on in June.

 

[QuackerJackFarms]

Quote:
Yes they are thank goodness. I would love to have some silkies but when i see my hens peck each other on the head I think nope it wouldn't be worth it to see one of the silkies mortally wounded . Maybe one day when my flock gets a bit smaller.

I do love silkies though. Today one of my muscovies grabbed ahold of one of my chickens tails and held on for dear life, the chicken finally broke free minus a few tail feathers but that is usually the extent of the stuff that goes on here. You are so blessed to have an additional land to put ducks and chickens on, we have 51/2 acres but most is straight up with no possibility of additional coops. Mountain land is pretty but not too practical.
edited to correct my bad spelling

I'm worried my big chickens aren't going to get along with my little ones. We'll see. I'm ready to separate them if I have too. It would just make my life alot easier if everybody got along!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
Yes they are thank goodness. I would love to have some silkies but when i see my hens peck each other on the head I think nope it wouldn't be worth it to see one of the silkies mortally wounded . Maybe one day when my flock gets a bit smaller.

I do love silkies though. Today one of my muscovies grabbed ahold of one of my chickens tails and help on for dear life, the chicken finally broke free minus a few tail feathers but that is uaually the extent of the stuff that goes on here. You are so blessed to have an additional land to put ducks and chickens on, we have 51/2 acres but most is straight up with no possibility of additional coops. Mountain land is pretty but not too practical.

Mine are just normal craigslist silkies. They're cute and fluffy but not so much as the puffball show silkies I see on here. Mine can see and have no problems with my big girls. If someone starts bugging them they'll just jump up and get them right back. And if they're broody everyone else better stay far far away. I've lost 4 chickens and 1 duck to raccoons, but I haven't lost a silkie yet. They aren't as helpless as people like to make them sound. Or maybe only the puffball ones are.

They do make great broodies though.
This is my broody pile I had going on in June.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/68502_p1050840.jpg

That is so cute. have you ever felt your silkies heads to see if they have the open skull? top of their head?

 

[JulieNKC]

Quote:
Mine are just normal craigslist silkies. They're cute and fluffy but not so much as the puffball show silkies I see on here. Mine can see and have no problems with my big girls. If someone starts bugging them they'll just jump up and get them right back. And if they're broody everyone else better stay far far away. I've lost 4 chickens and 1 duck to raccoons, but I haven't lost a silkie yet. They aren't as helpless as people like to make them sound. Or maybe only the puffball ones are.

They do make great broodies though.
This is my broody pile I had going on in June.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/68502_p1050840.jpg

That is so cute. have you ever felt your silkies heads to see if they have the open skull? top of their head?

No, but I will when I go lock them up tonight. Their crests aren't that huge, so if they do it must be a small hole. They didn't have any crest at all when I got them, they started growing theirs when they got to be ugly teenage chicks. Mine were hideous from about 4 weeks until they feathered all the way out.

 

[JulieNKC]

Quote:
Yes they are thank goodness. I would love to have some silkies but when i see my hens peck each other on the head I think nope it wouldn't be worth it to see one of the silkies mortally wounded . Maybe one day when my flock gets a bit smaller.

I do love silkies though. Today one of my muscovies grabbed ahold of one of my chickens tails and held on for dear life, the chicken finally broke free minus a few tail feathers but that is usually the extent of the stuff that goes on here. You are so blessed to have an additional land to put ducks and chickens on, we have 51/2 acres but most is straight up with no possibility of additional coops. Mountain land is pretty but not too practical.
edited to correct my bad spelling

I'm worried my big chickens aren't going to get along with my little ones. We'll see. I'm ready to separate them if I have too. It would just make my life alot easier if everybody got along!

How many big chickens do you have? How many little ones? Mine did pretty well, they stayed in seperate cliques for a long time, but didn't fight too bad. I keep new ones in a tractor in the run for a week or so before I let them out with everyone, so they've somewhat met by then and there's a bit less squabbling.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
I'm worried my big chickens aren't going to get along with my little ones. We'll see. I'm ready to separate them if I have too. It would just make my life alot easier if everybody got along!

How many big chickens do you have? How many little ones? Mine did pretty well, they stayed in seperate cliques for a long time, but didn't fight too bad. I keep new ones in a tractor in the run for a week or so before I let them out with everyone, so they've somewhat met by then and there's a bit less squabbling.

I have 3 LF chickens now and 1 game hen the rest are bantams, my 2 Orps are the worst for pecking, they are big and like to pick on the small hens.

 

[Miss Lydia]

If I can find someone close who has silkies I may try a couple pullets or see about getting some eggs for my bantams to hatch, they love to be broody.
The only time I hear problems is when everyone goes in for the night, then the 2 Orps think the one roost is theirs only and will run everyone else off of it.

 

[stillmecle]

what a day. So.... I can't talk anybody into any of my duck eggs?

I see.

I went to put them in for the night and they were already in bed. Robyn, buff, was sitting on the nest and she had so many eggs under her that they were falling out. I picked 3 up and just tucked them back under her. She didn't even care.
I got to see my horse and the goats today !!!

They were happy to see me I could tell. When I got to the fence and yelled for my horse he came running over to the fence and was whinnying at me. It was so nice to see him especially.

Baby duckies are doing great. Eating SOOOO much I didn't think duckies could eat that much. And if they don't have food in there, they let you know. I gave them a full plate of food before we left at 2:00. We got home about 7:00 and they had eaten all of the food, drank all of the water and was in there just peeping away for food. When they were done eating, I put water in the tub for them to play for awhile and I dropped a darn full roll of duct tape on where..... my hurt toe. I could not believe it. I cried and cried and cried.

QJ did your ducks hatch yet?

 

[JulieNKC]

Quote:
If I didn't have eggs in the incubator already...but if I hatch any from them I'm going to have more than enough ducklings to clean up after until it gets warmer out.

 

[QuackerJackFarms]

Julie:
I have 5 big chickens (red sex link, and black aust.) And then 10 little chickens.. (in my garage.)

My big chickens were pretty accepting of the new girls (the black australorps) when I brought them home. So I'm hoping it goes smoothly. We'll see.

SM: I would love some duck eggs. I'm looking for a place to put them right now... still looking...