Silkie thread!

[blipit007]

I use wood pellets that have been wet down so they break up into small wood pieces. I use the deep litter method so it's about 4" deep. My coop floor is 6' x 6' and it takes three bags, (@ $3 per bag) to fill it up. I only need to change it once or twice a year so that is pretty cheap. When I do change it, it all goes into my compost bins. I don't have any smell no matter how much the chickens poop in there. I turn it maybe evert week if needed (mainly just under roosts) and the chickens do most of the turning themselves scratching around in there.

I am setting up my brooders the same way, covered in paper towels the first few days till the chicks understand what is food and what isn't, then just the deep litter afterwards. This will keep their smells under control since they will be in my house until they are old enough to go outside.

Great blog! How many chickens do you have in your 6x6 coop? I have a 4x6 coop with 2 nesting boxes hanging off the outside of the building (so not part of the 4x6") and have 5 LF and 1 silkie. I am getting eggs and hopefully will have 3 new silkie chicks in a month! Will this coop be big enough or will I have to re-home 2 of my LF?

Hot Pocket

Great photos! And I love the names! I have been thinking of names for my new additions that haven't hatched yet lol.

 

[Ashlikarope]

Great blog! How many chickens do you have in your 6x6 coop? I have a 4x6 coop with 2 nesting boxes hanging off the outside of the building (so not part of the 4x6") and have 5 LF and 1 silkie. I am getting eggs and hopefully will have 3 new silkie chicks in a month! Will this coop be big enough or will I have to re-home 2 of my LF?
Great photos! And I love the names! I have been thinking of names for my new additions that haven't hatched yet lol.

They all have characteristics. Dandy Lion used to look like a lady in the 80's then her tufts grew out just like a dandy lion. Casper was very quiet but very friendly so casper the friendly ghost. Truffle would try to steal chocolate thus truffle. Zathera watched the movie zathera with me it was her first film! Hot Pocket used to sleep in everyones pockets and she'd climb in them if she had the chance. and little baby Kathy she is the loudest most talkative baby ever so came forth Chatty Kathy.

 

[laseterlass]

Bruce Lee has new birds like her A splash named Po and the partridge Master Sheff I checked Bruce the other day She was thin in my opinion My chickens tend to be rotund I gave her a poof trim I hope it helps

 

[RockerHen]

Check out the feet of one of my 5 week olds!

Sorry for the dirty feet though. These guys have been pretty much free range since day 1 because they are being raised by the breeder flock in their coop and they can fit through the chainlink fence and run merrily about in the yard all day. I am willing to bet on this chick being a cockerel. I actually want some cockerels, as I seem to hatch out only pullets, so I hope he is. He has a dirty face at the moment from eating overripe peaches, so I left it out

 

[Jharper]

Check out the feet of one of my 5 week olds!

Sorry for the dirty feet though. These guys have been pretty much free range since day 1 because they are being raised by the breeder flock in their coop and they can fit through the chainlink fence and run merrily about in the yard all day. I am willing to bet on this chick being a cockerel. I actually want some cockerels, as I seem to hatch out only pullets, so I hope he is. He has a dirty face at the moment from eating overripe peaches, so I left it out

You should post a picture of his face! It will be hilarious!

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

Quote:
Originally Posted by BY Chicken Lady


I use wood pellets that have been wet down so they break up into small wood pieces. I use the deep litter method so it's about 4" deep. My coop floor is 6' x 6' and it takes three bags, (@ $3 per bag) to fill it up. I only need to change it once or twice a year so that is pretty cheap. When I do change it, it all goes into my compost bins. I don't have any smell no matter how much the chickens poop in there. I turn it maybe evert week if needed (mainly just under roosts) and the chickens do most of the turning themselves scratching around in there.

I am setting up my brooders the same way, covered in paper towels the first few days till the chicks understand what is food and what isn't, then just the deep litter afterwards. This will keep their smells under control since they will be in my house until they are old enough to go outside.


Great blog! How many chickens do you have in your 6x6 coop? I have a 4x6 coop with 2 nesting boxes hanging off the outside of the building (so not part of the 4x6") and have 5 LF and 1 silkie. I am getting eggs and hopefully will have 3 new silkie chicks in a month! Will this coop be big enough or will I have to re-home 2 of my LF?

Reply to
Blipit007

I have 9 chickens in this coop plus a large enclosed run. I have added a small brooder pin inside the run for my new babies until they can go in general population. I recently added 40 sq feet of Chunnel into the garden area next to the run.

I just hatched a new baby this morning in my incubator. Four more waiting to hatch any moment. 18 silkie eggs in my other incubator, plus three eggs from my own chickens. We plan to add on to tis run and build a second coop for my silkies. I think I am addicted to chickens!!

You might be right near the limit, but if you have a nice size run to go with it, it might work. Overcrowding can cause grumpy chickens.

 

[peepblessed]

Hi Silkie Friends!
I need some color help with these chicks. I ordered them from a breeder. She didn't mark the eggs, argh! The possible colors are blue,black,splash,white,porcelain and blue/partridge. Everyone was color separated. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated!
Chick #1


Chick #2


Chick #3 (White or Splash??)

I would say dark porcelain or light blue partridge. The white chick looks splash to me. My splash are born white and whites are usually born light yellow or light blue.

Check out the feet of one of my 5 week olds!

Sorry for the dirty feet though. These guys have been pretty much free range since day 1 because they are being raised by the breeder flock in their coop and they can fit through the chainlink fence and run merrily about in the yard all day. I am willing to bet on this chick being a cockerel. I actually want some cockerels, as I seem to hatch out only pullets, so I hope he is. He has a dirty face at the moment from eating overripe peaches, so I left it out

Wow! Awesome feet!!

 

[gooselady]

Hi all. I bathed my first chickens today. I lived and so did my Silkies! Ok, now to my problem. I've had these little cuties for about a week and they have brown stains on their vents and yellow on their feathers, looks like from the sun. I am wanting to start showing them this fall. My question is, what can I use to get rid of this yellow and the brown stain on the vents? Also my little hens have some really watery poop. What is good to stop that? How often should I bathe then while working on these stains so I won't damage their feathers? I used to groom and show dogs on a professional basis but this is a whole different ball game!! Help?!!

 

[MumsyII]

The eleven newly hatched Silkie babies are doing great. They got their first grass and dirt clod to scratch and peck in. It took a while for them to not be afraid of it and start eating the seeds on the grass and pecking at the dirt.




There are a couple of the chicks that stand out to me. One of them is the Dumpling chick. Another is one of the Bonney babies. These are the two Catdance pullets I brought home with a male. They were young and just getting to POL back in February.

This is Dumpling when I brought her home. She didn't have her name yet. She has curled feet but lays eggs well. She hasn't been able to hatch her own eggs though she has tried a couple times.




This is a chick from a Dumpling egg covered by my Catdance roo. I think it is the best looking chick in the batch so far.







Bonney got her name from her huge bonnet of a crest. I have three chicks out of her eggs. This isn't the best one but still a good chick.


Bonney has a nice cushion. Even when she was six months old.


Her chick does have a big bum too. Hah!

 

[RockerHen]

Wow! Awesome feet!!

Thanks! What cracks me up is that he has one big feather on each of his fifth toes that pretty much covers up the whole toe!

You should post a picture of his face! It will be hilarious!

Haha I'll try to get one. Pretty much all of my silkies faces look like it right now, they love their peaches.