Silkie thread!

[Sylvester017]

LOL! I just found out that my Silkies like to run in the rain. Here I am busting my hump to set up additional shelter from the rain and turn around to find my one Silkie pullet and two cockerels showering, preening, and having an all-around good time in the rain while the rest of my flock (Australorps and Barred Rocks) watch them silently from the safe, dry environment of the coop. I was so amused watching them that I forgot I was getting drenched standing out in the rain.

I used to shelter ALL my breeds from the rain until my Ameraucana breeder told me the rain water was good for the feathers. I never asked her why since she was always in a hurry. Anyway I still kept the Silkies cooped. One day the Black Silkie went running after the LF and headed straight for the puddles! She loved it. The Partridge Silkie has the good sense to stay in the coop until the showers stop but the Black Silkie gets soaked. If it's really cold I don't recommend letting the little fluff-balls get soaked to the skin. We paper towel dry our Silkies after their romp in the showers. If its a cold, windy, or heavy rain I don't let them out at all but very light intermittent sprinkly rain is ok if not freezy/windy. We don't let any chicken breeds out in the heavier downpours.

 

[DesertChic]

I used to shelter ALL my breeds from the rain until my Ameraucana breeder told me the rain water was good for the feathers. I never asked her why since she was always in a hurry. Anyway I still kept the Silkies cooped. One day the Black Silkie went running after the LF and headed straight for the puddles! She loved it. The Partridge Silkie has the good sense to stay in the coop until the showers stop but the Black Silkie gets soaked. If it's really cold I don't recommend letting the little fluff-balls get soaked to the skin. We paper towel dry our Silkies after their romp in the showers. If its a cold, windy, or heavy rain I don't let them out at all but very light intermittent sprinkly rain is ok if not freezy/windy. We don't let any chicken breeds out in the heavier downpours.

Rainwater is naturally soft water and is not only good for bird feathers (in moderation of course), but also a dog's fur and our own hair and skin. I know of one woman who collects rainwater for the sole purpose of washing her face and hair every day. Living here in the desert southwest, I and many of my acquaintances will water our gardens daily from a garden hose and get menial results, but one little shower makes our gardens lush.

Luckily it was only cool (about 50-55 F) in that morning drizzle, and then warmed up to be a lovely 70 degree sunny day by noon. I found my dampened Silkies sunbathing appreciatively...and quite drowsily...once the sun replaced the rain, and now they look great!

 

[Suzierd]

Mine really can't see all that well to make the best protectors from raptors flying over head.  In my opinion, no silkie is safe without over head protection outside.  However, I do have silkie roos that make GREAT protectors against ME!  ha!  When I walk in a pen, they are flat out determined I will not mess with their hens.  They can see my feet quite clearly.  

Totally agree! Love that guy in your avatar! Is he a gray or a light blue? Not sue how to tell the difference? Just recognized you on here from way back! Never see Peepsblessed anymore do you know if she's doing ok?

 

[missbecky]

Ok! Thank you very much!!!! I've been wanting a silkie, but we don't have much more room in the coop, and we need a rooster.

Come up to Kentucky... I'll give you one.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Totally agree! Love that guy in your avatar! Is he a gray or a light blue? Not sue how to tell the difference? Just recognized you on here from way back! Never see Peepsblessed anymore do you know if she's doing ok

Oh wow, it's so neat to see you here, Suzierd! My avatar is a Splash, and I have another Splash rooster very similar to him, but Floyd (my avatar) is the prettiest and my favorite boy. He's already done well for me this show season. I even commissioned Sigrid VanDort (author of Chicken Colours and Silkies) to sketch him, and it turned out amazing. Sigrid is an amazing artist! I do have Gray as well, and sometimes they can look sort of similar to splash(the boys, anway). They are different genetics, and based on partridge, but sometimes the hues can look similar. PeepBlessed is doing fine, I usually talk to her on another group. Hope you have been doing well!

Here is my treasured artwork shipped to me across the Pond by Sigrid: (I put the Hawkeye Silkies across it so it would be harder to steal)

 

[Fancychooklady]

Oh wow, it's so neat to see you here, Suzierd! My avatar is a Splash, and I have another Splash rooster very similar to him, but Floyd (my avatar) is the prettiest and my favorite boy. He's already done well for me this show season. I even commissioned Sigrid VanDort (author of Chicken Colours and Silkies) to sketch him, and it turned out amazing. Sigrid is an amazing artist! I do have Gray as well, and sometimes they can look sort of similar to splash(the boys, anway). They are different genetics, and based on partridge, but sometimes the hues can look similar. PeepBlessed is doing fine, I usually talk to her on another group. Hope you have been doing well! Here is my treasured artwork shipped to me across the Pond by Sigrid: (I put the Hawkeye Silkies across it so it would be harder to steal)

Lovely.

 

[Suzierd]

Oh wow, it's so neat to see you here, Suzierd! My avatar is a Splash, and I have another Splash rooster very similar to him, but Floyd (my avatar) is the prettiest and my favorite boy. He's already done well for me this show season. I even commissioned Sigrid VanDort (author of Chicken Colours and Silkies) to sketch him, and it turned out amazing. Sigrid is an amazing artist! I do have Gray as well, and sometimes they can look sort of similar to splash(the boys, anway). They are different genetics, and based on partridge, but sometimes the hues can look similar. PeepBlessed is doing fine, I usually talk to her on another group. Hope you have been doing well! Here is my treasured artwork shipped to me across the Pond by Sigrid: (I put the Hawkeye Silkies across it so it would be harder to steal)

Good to see you too!

sush a beautiful Roo and I love the drawing! Glad Beepblessed is doing well. What do you think this color is on this young cockerel?

 

[nayeli]

Lovely.

Love the artwork!

 

[Sylvester017]

Rainwater is naturally soft water and is not only good for bird feathers (in moderation of course), but also a dog's fur and our own hair and skin. I know of one woman who collects rainwater for the sole purpose of washing her face and hair every day. Living here in the desert southwest, I and many of my acquaintances will water our gardens daily from a garden hose and get menial results, but one little shower makes our gardens lush.

Luckily it was only cool (about 50-55 F) in that morning drizzle, and then warmed up to be a lovely 70 degree sunny day by noon. I found my dampened Silkies sunbathing appreciatively...and quite drowsily...once the sun replaced the rain, and now they look great!

Rainwater being naturally soft is probably why my Silkies look so full and fluffy in the morning after drying out from the previous day's rain!!! We don't even feed tap water to our birds because of the fowl chlorine odor and who knows what other chemicals the local water district has to use because of the State drought. I researched that chlorine and fluoridation can actually affect egg shell quality so we use filtered water for their drinking. People think I'm crazy for giving clean water to the chickens but I don't feed them soy or GMO either because it affects the reproductive system (egg laying is related). It's a wonder any of my garden seeeds sprout from our tap water here but I can't afford to water all the raised beds with filtered water! Don't know how I still managed to get nearly 2-lb tomatoes last year with just tap water? Probably the lime treatments we gave them.

 

[DesertChic]

Rainwater being naturally soft is probably why my Silkies look so full and fluffy in the morning after drying out from the previous day's rain!!! We don't even feed tap water to our birds because of the fowl chlorine odor and who knows what other chemicals the local water district has to use because of the State drought. I researched that chlorine and fluoridation can actually affect egg shell quality so we use filtered water for their drinking. People think I'm crazy for giving clean water to the chickens but I don't feed them soy or GMO either because it affects the reproductive system (egg laying is related). It's a wonder any of my garden seeeds sprout from our tap water here but I can't afford to water all the raised beds with filtered water! Don't know how I still managed to get nearly 2-lb tomatoes last year with just tap water? Probably the lime treatments we gave them.

OMG! You sound like me! We harvest rainwater for my garden and plan on increasing our rainwater harvesting this year since I want to expand the garden, and we've already begun planning the addition of a water harvesting system on our new coop so the chickens get to drink rainwater as much as possible. My current flock actually prefers the rainwater to tap water. I also don't feed soy or GMO, canola, or even corn to my chickens. After spending fifteen years researching nutrition and seeing what's been done to alter corn I just can't bring myself to eat it anymore, not feed it to my pets/chickens.