Silkies - They’re simply SPECTACULAR!

[Hinotori]

This gives me some hope. Although now I’m questioning 2 that I *thought* were girls based on combs starting to grow in bigger. So I bit the bullet and order DNA testing for those two.

I feel like I’m in denial about them because if they’re boys it means I’ll have only gotten 2 girls out of 10 chicks (yikes!). I’ll know for sure in about a week!

One year out of 29 chicks I got 6 girls. Another hatch of 7 was all male.

 

[Elliemae1984]

One year out of 29 chicks I got 6 girls. Another hatch of 7 was all male.

Oh wow! Suddenly my 20% doesn’t seem so bad lol.

The hard part (once I get confirmation on these 2) will be to decide on which boys to get rid of. One of the ones I’m questioning is my only paint and I’m OBSESSED with it…but wondering how difficult it is to keep a paint pen

 

[Hinotori]

Oh wow! Suddenly my 20% doesn’t seem so bad lol.

The hard part (once I get confirmation on these 2) will be to decide on which boys to get rid of. One of the ones I’m questioning is my only paint and I’m OBSESSED with it…but wondering how difficult it is to keep a paint pen

I haven't done paints. I know a few on here have so they would be the ones to ask.

 

[NCchickentender]

I got 4 paints just shy of 6 weeks. I've got 6 more paints, 3 chocolate and one that is supposed to be a paint but looks chocolate that are 8 days younger than the first ones.

I've been keeping them all together inside at night and they go out for the day. I made a little covered play pen with a brooder plate inside a cardboard box attached. I was wondering if it's okay to have a waterer with probiotics and electrolytes always out for them, plus clean water? Or should it be weekly?

I love watching them play and get stronger! According to all the chest-bumping and posturing, I have all boys. lol

So, the inside brooder is getting crowded now and I decided the 4 oldest can stay outside tonight (oh Lort! Help me!) It's going to get down to 40degrees. They'll be ok, right?

 

[Elliemae1984]

I have my first mouse in the new coop

I saw it on my ring cam, wheeling around the coop, making himself at home. I have an area I can set up a trap (inaccessible to chickens) and the stored food is in critter proof green buns, but wondering what else I can do to get rid of him.

If I hung the feeders, how high can a mouse jump up to it (I’m assuming pretty high)…

I have only had hens before this - will silkie roosters ever take on a mouse? Mine seem to be giving him his space and welcoming him in lol.

 

[Elliemae1984]

I got 4 paints just shy of 6 weeks. I've got 6 more paints, 3 chocolate and one that is supposed to be a paint but looks chocolate that are 8 days younger than the first ones.

I've been keeping them all together inside at night and they go out for the day. I made a little covered play pen with a brooder plate inside a cardboard box attached. I was wondering if it's okay to have a waterer with probiotics and electrolytes always out for them, plus clean water? Or should it be weekly?

I love watching them play and get stronger! According to all the chest-bumping and posturing, I have all boys. lol

So, the inside brooder is getting crowded now and I decided the 4 oldest can stay outside tonight (oh Lort! Help me!) It's going to get down to 40degrees. They'll be ok, right?

Not sure what the right answer is, but I only provide supplemented water once a week (max) and do clean water the rest of the time.

 

[AngBantamLuv]

I have my first mouse in the new coop

I saw it on my ring cam, wheeling around the coop, making himself at home. I have an area I can set up a trap (inaccessible to chickens) and the stored food is in critter proof green buns, but wondering what else I can do to get rid of him.

If I hung the feeders, how high can a mouse jump up to it (I’m assuming pretty high)…

I have only had hens before this - will silkie roosters ever take on a mouse? Mine seem to be giving him his space and welcoming him in lol.

I would imagine as soon as one takes an interest, the others will play keep away with it!

Are you seeing the mouse during the day? If it's at night, i think the chickens wouldn't wake up to know about it. But also a mouse won't jump as high as a rat, hanging will probably work for the food. Do you mean just a little off the ground, or up high overnight?

 

[Elliemae1984]

I would imagine as soon as one takes an interest, the others will play keep away with it!

Are you seeing the mouse during the day? If it's at night, i think the chickens wouldn't wake up to know about it. But also a mouse won't jump as high as a rat, hanging will probably work for the food. Do you mean just a little off the ground, or up high overnight?

I’ve only seen one little guy at night tonight (or right before bedtime when they’re all settling in and half asleep). I don’t think they’ve noticed it yet.

I was thinking of hanging at a height that the silkies can still eat (not removing / raising at night) - right now I have the feeders sitting on the floor. But since they’re short little chickens I’m not sure if it’ll be high enough to deter the mouse.

 

[chickengr]

animals are not like people. when I lived in zone 7b I had dogs, cats and mice sharing my central heating room in winter. it was attached to the house with a small opening for animals. dogs and cats slept on a pallet and mice underneath. with better weather even my dogs chased mice.

 

[Hinotori]

My silkies kill rats. Mice wouldn't stand a chance.

They kill the red winged blackbirds that try to steal their food, too. They have treadle feeders with a small weight on the lid to keep the rats of NIMH out. Silkies are just heavy enough to open them. If a blackbird flies down to grab food, the silkies hop off. That lid slams down pretty hard. It happens too much for it to be accidents.