The evil things will go stand on their treadle feeder step when the birds manage to get in. Then they wait until the little bird takes the bait and flies down to grab food. Silkie then jumps off the treadle.
I had weights on the lids that silkies can just open because of too intelligent rats...
Responded to a question in the byc facebook group about ugly coops. I don't think mine is very pretty.
This is my set up. All 5 pens open to a courtyard for safe "free ranging". It's on the west side so the walls stay tarped year round as I found it keeps it cooler inside.
Back of pens...
You'll get leaky blue chicks. Black to partridge produces leaky black chicks. 1 copy of the blue gene from the splash parent to make for blue chicks.
Breeding those chicks back to partridge will give half leaky chicks and half partridge. May not have good markings but will be partridge.
Any...
No. It's almost default chicken color. Wild type partridge just doesn't have the proper lacing. Other genes can modify it. That's how you get wheaten. Genes can also cover and change it.
Actual white silkies are recessive white and normally partridge underneath. Black silkies are extended black...
I toss broken eggs where mine can get them. They fight over them but never touch eggs in the nest unless one breaks. Never had signs of one becoming an actual egg eater. Friend of my Mom's did and taught the rest of the flock to do so. I suggested trying some extra protein first but that didn't...