Silkies - They’re simply SPECTACULAR!

[chickengr]

What do ya'll think this little one is? Pullet or Cockerel?

my lucky guess is pullet. I think cockerels have their combs closer to their nares.

 

[chickengr]

Yes, this is what i am thinking... poor girls finally have a morning routine they enjoy (they line up at the door waiting to go play) but even if i don't see a hawk, i swear i can hear them close by. I let them out for a minute this morning, but i couldn't relax so i sent them back inside. I might get them treats instead, they'd be just as happy!

Interestingly, my neighbor says she saw a Mexican Eagle a couple days ago above our street. Gorgeous bird btw, but that is substantially larger than the Coopers Hawk. Too much "Discovery Channel" for my comfort!

can you make them a small covered run?

 

[Obsessed With Silkies]

How old?

3 months

 

[AngBantamLuv]

can you make them a small covered run?

Well they have a pretty large covered run that they live in, but they really enjoy getting out to eat grass and find bugs. A medium chicken tractor might work, but I'm not sure they'd cooperate enough to get inside of it.

But.. you're making me think of chunnel ideas

Pic is current setup, so space def isn't an issue.

 

[AngBantamLuv]

Just hatched out so project showgirls!

Pics

 

[Obsessed With Silkies]

Well they have a pretty large covered run that they live in, but they really enjoy getting out to eat grass and find bugs. A medium chicken tractor might work, but I'm not sure they'd cooperate enough to get inside of it.

But.. you're making me think of chunnel ideas

Pic is current setup, so space def isn't an issue.
View attachment 3622398

That's such a cute run!

 

[AngBantamLuv]

That's such a cute run!

Thank you the raised bed herbs have grown in more, and i want to add something pretty/edible (maybe passion fruit) that can grow up on the hardware cloth. I love those pretty country/english garden scenes around the chicken coop, but i need heat/drought tolerant plants in this climate (central tx).

The guy that built it makes the cutest chicken coops. He even has special short coops for silkies (thankfully mine learned to fly-hop up the tall ramp). He added extra nest boxes to this one since it could theoretically hold close to 20 chickens. But of course they all want to sit in the same nesting box, depite there being 8 to choose from

 

[MROO]

Yes, this is what i am thinking... poor girls finally have a morning routine they enjoy (they line up at the door waiting to go play) but even if i don't see a hawk, i swear i can hear them close by. I let them out for a minute this morning, but i couldn't relax so i sent them back inside. I might get them treats instead, they'd be just as happy!

Interestingly, my neighbor says she saw a Mexican Eagle a couple days ago above our street. Gorgeous bird btw, but that is substantially larger than the Coopers Hawk. Too much "Discovery Channel" for my comfort!

Ouch! We have bald eagles, here. They don't generally bother my chickens (I think it's too closed in here for them) but I still don't let my little dog out without my moose-dog in attendance, as well. No use taking chances!
There's a coop article that loosely describes a flexible, portable run that might help you. The description is near the end of the article. I'm going to try it, myself. I know my birds will appreciate the return of yard-time.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/dusty-divas-coop.76576/

EDIT to add: I use an extra large dog kennel with the bottom tray removed to acclimate my littles to the run. It's not big enough for everyone, but I can put a few grown bantams at a time in there. I don't take them out to move it around, but I DO have to be careful not to squish toes when I do it ... theirs OR mine!

 

[Nero70002]

My 3 silkies are in here! 5-6 weeks old
Perry the Platypus
View attachment 3447069
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/new-chicks.1565550/page-2#post-26669014

Sadly raccoons got to Perry the platypus and cumulus cloud around a month ago. Starburst is of course a rooster as I had thought (my siblings always doubt me).
Here’s the last pics of the silkie hens and a pic of starburst (he’s kinda ugly ngl). He crows like 5 times 5 times a day, and he sounds like he’s getting stepped on even though he’s almost 28 weeks old/6 1/2 months old. He’s gotten uglier after this pic, it was 2 months ago.

Starburst and Perry the Platypus

Cumulus cloud and Perry the Platypus

The rest of the alive chickens plus perry

Bee is the only one to have laid an egg yet. She laid one June 19 and then stopped for a week or two. Now she lays regularly.

Bee

Apparently she has blue earlobes

First egg

 

[Hinotori]

3 months

Boy then. Comb looks too big and colored for a young pullet. My hens with the biggest combs look like that. Doesn't look like streamers coming in on the back of the head, but I'd wait a month to see of they develop.

Give is a picture in a month and much more accurate guesses.