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Oct 31, 2011 7:48 AM CST
Thread OP
East Texas
Just wondering if there are any other Silkie/Showgirl chicken owners on the board. My first eggs from my Showgirl/Silkie crosses are hatching today. Hurray! These guys are just too cute. I'd like to add some more lines to what I have already. My Silkies are just hatchery stock, but actually pretty nice, especially the partridge colors.

Any other fuzzy chicken lovers out there?

:0)
Avatar for porkpal
Oct 31, 2011 8:31 AM CST
Name: Porkpal
Richmond, TX (Zone 9a)
Cat Lover Charter ATP Member Keeper of Poultry I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Dog Lover Keeps Horses
Roses Plant Identifier Farmer Raises cows Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Garden Ideas: Level 2
All I have is plain old utility breeds.
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Oct 31, 2011 8:37 AM CST
Thread OP
East Texas
I have those, too...hard not to, isn't it? What do you have? We have a Leghorn, a few red sex-links, Barred/White/Buff Rocks, a Buff Orp, one Naked Neck, and some bantam breeds. Can't have just one, that's for sure!!!
Avatar for porkpal
Oct 31, 2011 12:52 PM CST
Name: Porkpal
Richmond, TX (Zone 9a)
Cat Lover Charter ATP Member Keeper of Poultry I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Dog Lover Keeps Horses
Roses Plant Identifier Farmer Raises cows Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Garden Ideas: Level 2
Our current coop population consists of Barred Rocks, Buff Orpingtons, Ameraucanas, Minorcas, and two Jersey Giants. They give a nice multi-colored collection of eggs.
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Oct 31, 2011 1:06 PM CST
Name: tabby
denver, colorado zone 5
Charter ATP Member Clematis I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Cat Lover Plant and/or Seed Trader Sempervivums
Roses Ponds Irises Daylilies Region: Colorado Enjoys or suffers cold winters
Szechuan (now deceased)

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Oct 31, 2011 2:39 PM CST
Name: Kathleen Tenpas
Wickwire Corners NY (Zone 5a)
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! The WITWIT Badge Raises cows Farmer Region: New York
Garden Ideas: Level 2
I had a little grouse clucking around the yard one year. She adopted us for about a month and then moved on. I don't really like chickens and there are enough people around who do so I get my eggs at the feed mill. Right now the boxes have brown eggs and green eggs, lovely combination.
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Oct 31, 2011 2:52 PM CST
Name: Toni
Denver Metro (Zone 5a)
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.
Birds Garden Ideas: Master Level Salvias Garden Procrastinator Irises I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
Charter ATP Member Xeriscape Region: Colorado Roses Cat Lover The WITWIT Badge
I had 2 little white silkie chicks, grew them up. They were supposed to be both pullets.. nope, one was a rooster. Funny crow. Found new homes for them soon after the boy started to realize he was a boy. I'm going to get more next year. It was great watching them grow from these little bitty poofyballs to bigger poofyballs. I actually kept them in the house (separate room from everywhere else) because it was way too cold for them outside.
Roses are one of my passions! Just opened, my Etsy shop (to fund my rose hobby)! http://www.etsy.com/shop/Tweet...
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Nov 7, 2011 10:36 AM CST
Thread OP
East Texas
Szechuan! I love it. Good looking bird, too. :0) As far as sexing Silkies goes, it is notoriously difficult (if not impossible...even professional chicken sexers don't do it; that's why you get Silkies as straight-run only). I can make a pretty good educated guess with hatchlings; males tend to be larger and females are pretty petite, but not always. They mature very slowly and it's usually about 5-6 months along that you can finally see the difference.

Anyway, we had 4 hatch out on Halloween, and then 8 hatched out day before yesterday. I was very excited to have some 'super poofs' with big topknots in that batch. :0) I also have a nice color mix. No plain white birds! Always fun to see what hatches.
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Dec 1, 2011 11:26 AM CST
Name: Melissa E. Keyes
St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Zone 11+
Charter ATP Member
I had two Cochin Bantams until one pecked the other to death, booo. My favorite of the pair, too. Booo again.

You cannot punish a chicken.

I'm considering getting some chickens that are 'free range' chickens, there are several breeds.

I would like more Bantam Cochins like the one that died, but 'they don't make them', I found once I started looking. She was a blue, but not dark, a very lovely pale smoky grey color. I know she was a blue because she moulted once, and her pin feathers came in the most amazing color of mettalic turquoise!

Why are the breeders all always sold out?

Here a photo of the murderer, craning her neck trying to be a giraff, or something. She's called Pencilled.


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Feb 5, 2012 7:54 AM CST
Hillbilly Heaven
life with out garlic just plain sti
Charter ATP Member Butterflies Seller of Garden Stuff Tropicals Seed Starter Region: Ohio
Hostas Ferns Farmer Dog Lover Enjoys or suffers cold winters
mine are no showgirls but i have a pair of silkies
these are blue splashed
these are my dd 4 H project.
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Life without garlic , just plain stinks !
Avatar for porkpal
Feb 5, 2012 8:20 AM CST
Name: Porkpal
Richmond, TX (Zone 9a)
Cat Lover Charter ATP Member Keeper of Poultry I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Dog Lover Keeps Horses
Roses Plant Identifier Farmer Raises cows Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Garden Ideas: Level 2
Pretty birds! How do they see where they're going? I've never had Silkies; all my chickens are working girls.
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Feb 5, 2012 3:34 PM CST
Hillbilly Heaven
life with out garlic just plain sti
Charter ATP Member Butterflies Seller of Garden Stuff Tropicals Seed Starter Region: Ohio
Hostas Ferns Farmer Dog Lover Enjoys or suffers cold winters
I have no idea how they see porkpal LOL
these are our first show birds for our 4 H
so it is all new to me .
Life without garlic , just plain stinks !
Avatar for Trishann
Feb 13, 2012 1:35 PM CST

Beekeeper Plant and/or Seed Trader Region: Texas Seed Starter Hummingbirder Garden Art
Daylilies Raises cows Container Gardener Butterflies Birds Region: United States of America
I have 2 buff, 5 white and 3 blues, I have an order for some self blue, gray and a couple more blues that will be ready to pick up Mar. 21. I can't wait to get them!! I love my little fuzzy butts!! This is when they were about 1 1/2 months old.
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Feb 13, 2012 2:18 PM CST
Name: Toni
Denver Metro (Zone 5a)
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.
Birds Garden Ideas: Master Level Salvias Garden Procrastinator Irises I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
Charter ATP Member Xeriscape Region: Colorado Roses Cat Lover The WITWIT Badge
It's chicks season! I just got notification that one of my local feed stores will start having chicks.. I'm going to pick up 6 white silkies again. I love 'em.. they're so damned CUTE!!
Roses are one of my passions! Just opened, my Etsy shop (to fund my rose hobby)! http://www.etsy.com/shop/Tweet...
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Feb 13, 2012 2:45 PM CST
Name: Michele Roth
N.E. Indiana - Zone 5b, and F (Zone 9b)
I'm always on my way out the door..
I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Forum moderator Garden Sages Garden Ideas: Master Level Dog Lover Cottage Gardener
Native Plants and Wildflowers Plant Identifier Organic Gardener Keeps Horses Hummingbirder Hosted a Not-A-Raffle-Raffle
These are Silkies, right? Lol! .....Mom's elderly flock.
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My outdoor birds are turkeys. Lovey dubby Personable critters, they are!




Sue, I luv yours! Now those are some cute chickens!
Cottage Gardening

Newest Interest: Rock Gardens


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Feb 14, 2012 10:25 AM CST
Hillbilly Heaven
life with out garlic just plain sti
Charter ATP Member Butterflies Seller of Garden Stuff Tropicals Seed Starter Region: Ohio
Hostas Ferns Farmer Dog Lover Enjoys or suffers cold winters
i want turkeys ! they are so fun to have around.
well i missed the cut off date for our 4 H so i can't breed my silkee hen. duh . what was i thinking ?
to many hosta on the brain i guess LOL
i was told that silkee don't lay very well ? cuz mine lays an egg everyday ?
i need to clean out my brooder and get her in there in case she wants to go broody and i can hatch out other chics with her.
Life without garlic , just plain stinks !
Avatar for porkpal
Feb 14, 2012 11:34 AM CST
Name: Porkpal
Richmond, TX (Zone 9a)
Cat Lover Charter ATP Member Keeper of Poultry I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Dog Lover Keeps Horses
Roses Plant Identifier Farmer Raises cows Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Garden Ideas: Level 2
Congratulations on your productive hen! From what I've heard, Silkies are often broody. Some breeders keep Silkie hens just to hatch out eggs from their other birds.
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Feb 14, 2012 11:46 AM CST
Name: Michele Roth
N.E. Indiana - Zone 5b, and F (Zone 9b)
I'm always on my way out the door..
I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Forum moderator Garden Sages Garden Ideas: Master Level Dog Lover Cottage Gardener
Native Plants and Wildflowers Plant Identifier Organic Gardener Keeps Horses Hummingbirder Hosted a Not-A-Raffle-Raffle
Hmmm, interesting thought, Porkpal.

If I get turkey eggs and young momma turkey isn't in the mood, maybe I can set one under each broody Silkie. I wonder how big those turkey eggs will be....I have a mental image of a tiny white fluffy bird perched way a'top a too big egg. Hilarious!
Cottage Gardening

Newest Interest: Rock Gardens


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Feb 14, 2012 11:55 AM CST
Name: Toni
Denver Metro (Zone 5a)
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.
Birds Garden Ideas: Master Level Salvias Garden Procrastinator Irises I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
Charter ATP Member Xeriscape Region: Colorado Roses Cat Lover The WITWIT Badge
Chelle - LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL that'd be hilarious! If you do it, you *gotta* take video.. it'd go viral!

I've figured out how I'm going to build my outdoor coop when the weather cooperates enough for them to go outside, but for the most part my little ones (right now I'm getting 6 SR white silkies) will be living in the basement (don't worry, my master bedroom is in the basement so the babies will actually be no more than 10ft from my bed!) until it warms up enough for them to go outside. I did this last year with 2 and it worked out just fine. Smiling So I'm going to do 6. I'm keeping them in a huge Rubbermaid tote w/heat lamp, scratch, & waterer (changed daily). I also put down about 3" of shavings so they don't have to walk around on the bottom of the tote. On nice days I may put them in a massive birdcage outside so they can enjoy outside (supervised). But it'd have to be above 70deg for that and, seeing I'm not gonna see that for months & months, I don't plan that too much. I don't know how long I'll be keeping them until I sell them off. But, luckily there's always call for silkies! Maybe I'll get a young turkey too & raise it for dinner...
Roses are one of my passions! Just opened, my Etsy shop (to fund my rose hobby)! http://www.etsy.com/shop/Tweet...
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Feb 14, 2012 12:12 PM CST
Name: Michele Roth
N.E. Indiana - Zone 5b, and F (Zone 9b)
I'm always on my way out the door..
I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Forum moderator Garden Sages Garden Ideas: Master Level Dog Lover Cottage Gardener
Native Plants and Wildflowers Plant Identifier Organic Gardener Keeps Horses Hummingbirder Hosted a Not-A-Raffle-Raffle
I don't want to hijack the Silkie thread, so I started a turkey thread. Toni, I'm carrying your last thought over....

ATP Farming forum - Raising turkeys
Cottage Gardening

Newest Interest: Rock Gardens


Last edited by chelle Feb 14, 2012 12:25 PM Icon for preview

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