@MischasMomma The chicks are really growing and looking so beautiful!! Are they noisy at all? Have you been able to sex them yet?
Backyard Chickens?
- Thread starter Dragonborn
- Start date
They're really not very noisy! I have my theories on most of them but I'm not positive yet... especially the silkies. I'm pretty sure all the other ones are hens, it's the silkies I'm confused by at the moment. I'll try to get some head shots of each one later this afternoon so you guys can see and give me your feedback!
Any idea on girls and boys? And any eggs yet? We need update pictures!
No eggs yet! I'm pretty sure I have 5 girls and 2 boys... my pics I took says file too large so I have to play with resizing (or screenshot them all lol) I do have a favorite though... I promised I wouldn't pick favorites but I named her Martha (she's the one that was guaranteed to be a female) and currently the only one with a name. She is also super friendly, likes being held and runs to me as soon as I get to the coop. The rest of them will run to me, but martha likes to be pet. The rest will scatter if you reach for them still. I'll try to get the pics uploaded this afternoon after work. It finally stopped raining so I want to try to let them out for a bit.
Any idea on girls and boys? And any eggs yet? We need update pictures!
Sorry it's so late, but pics as promised it rained today, so these are actually from may 12, but these are the most recent I have. Weathers been really yucky here lately!
Still no @Dragonborn around here huh?
Hope all is well for her and crew.
I took the kids last week after school to the local feed and tack store for dog food,they sell the Canadea in the big bag,44lb
They had a couple of varieties of chicken chicks for sale and a few turkey chicks too.
They were adorable!!
In usual fashion I made a comment that if we get a turkey chick now it would be perfect for thanksgiving 2016.
I got a bit of
from them.
I'm amazed at the turkey chicks.
They had a little stump for lack of better term of some kind of condensed feed hanging from a string.
If the gal working there set in motion this stump to swing to and fro the turkey chicks got in a ruffle,and became assertive with the stump.It was hilarious.
Hope all is well for her and crew.
I took the kids last week after school to the local feed and tack store for dog food,they sell the Canadea in the big bag,44lb
They had a couple of varieties of chicken chicks for sale and a few turkey chicks too.
They were adorable!!
In usual fashion I made a comment that if we get a turkey chick now it would be perfect for thanksgiving 2016.
I got a bit of
from them.I'm amazed at the turkey chicks.
They had a little stump for lack of better term of some kind of condensed feed hanging from a string.
If the gal working there set in motion this stump to swing to and fro the turkey chicks got in a ruffle,and became assertive with the stump.It was hilarious.
I got a bit of
They're so pretty!! Lots of color!
They look like they are doing well!! Do you have to get rid of the males now or what? 
They're so pretty!! Lots of color!
Yes, we're going to have to do something soon.
I'm not positive one sexes yet tough so I'd hate to get rid of a hen and end up keeping a rooster! That would be my luck
Got ourselves a hen and a rooster
Some more updated pics here's my girls!!
This is Elsa.
Ariel
Martha
And snow white (maybe maleficent if she doesn't start being nicer!)
Aurora turned out to be a hen, but we could only keep 4 anyway. Carl and Big Daddy are rooster, so they went to their new home on a farm with Aurora today.
And of course a selfie with them all before saying goodbye!!
Me and Aurora
Carl
And big daddy. I'm going to miss him!
@MyBuddy @GennyB
here's my girls!!This is Elsa.
Ariel
Martha
And snow white (maybe maleficent if she doesn't start being nicer!)
Aurora turned out to be a hen, but we could only keep 4 anyway. Carl and Big Daddy are rooster, so they went to their new home on a farm with Aurora today.
And of course a selfie with them all before saying goodbye!!
Me and Aurora
Carl
And big daddy. I'm going to miss him!
@MyBuddy @GennyB
All true!! They do have a good home. He even said he's going to keep a eye and if the resident roosters get too rough, he's going to move these 3 in with the ducks. Unfortunately, Carl and Big Daddy will likely become dinner next year unless they really step up (uncommon in the laid back silkies), because there's already 2 roos. Anyone else who would have taken them would have killed them within a week, (no one at all wants roosters around here) so at least they'll be happy for awhile!!
Isn't it amazing how fast they grow up?
I've lost track....how old are they now? I think the silkies can be a little slower on laying eggs...not sure about but think I read that. But your girls should be ready to start laying around 16-20 weeks.
One of my hens laid her first egg at 16 weeks and it didn't have a shell. I was freaked our thinking I had done something....not enough cacium or something???After all who lays an egg without a shell? She was fine, she laid a normal egg about an hour later.
I've lost track....how old are they now? I think the silkies can be a little slower on laying eggs...not sure about but think I read that. But your girls should be ready to start laying around 16-20 weeks.
One of my hens laid her first egg at 16 weeks and it didn't have a shell. I was freaked our thinking I had done something....not enough cacium or something???After all who lays an egg without a shell? She was fine, she laid a normal egg about an hour later.
Give or take a few days, they're 15 weeks. TSC said they were 3 days old when I got them, which would make tomorrow 15 weeks, so depending how accurate TSC was on the age! Should I be feeding the laying feed? The back of the bag said something else (I forget what, I'd have to run out and check) and to switch to the laying feed at 20 weeks.
@GennyB not sure if you can help or not, since I think your coup is much bigger than mine, but how do I clean the ground? We laid gravel in the grass, and have hardware cloth across the bottom to prevent predators from digging in from underneatg, but they have such a mess of feathers and poop... I've got the nesting box part figured out, but for the life of me not sure how to clean the run I guess it is... any tips?
I had that same question and started researching. There are 2 sides and it appears to be that same as the crop and dock question.
Some feel it is harmful to give higher calcium before they are laying and some say they need it. I listened to a guy on a chicken forum who seems to be knowledgeable and waited till they were all laying. Hence my fear when Lucy laid a egg without a shell. I'd check on when the silkies should start laying and go from there. Maybe if the others are laying supplement them with oyster shell are something?
Hmm......I wondered about the rock when I saw it. Do you have a blower? Maybe blow out what you can and rinse the rest with a hose? The hens may not like the hose so can you lock then up in the nesting box while you are cleaning?
Great idea! It was his idea for the rock, and it was, in theory, a good idea. It was theorized to cut back on mud, since it was a grassy area. But now it's just covered in poop haha and the spill their water daily, which just makes a squishy mess. I need to figure out a better idea... they bite my son when he reaches in, so I don't want it too far from the entrance, but the girls rush to the door to greet us when we get there, and hit the hanging waterer, therefore spilling it. I think the "biting" was more the roos being Jerks, so we'll see how it goes now that they're out.
I'm planning to clean coup tomorrow. I do have a pressure washer too, might need to just kick that thing up and blast the ground haha! The rocks are under the hardware cloth, so they're not going anywhere. Not sure if my hose will reach the whole way down there or not.
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