If Looks Could Kill – Wordless Wednesday
Buttercup is giving me "the look" after kicking him out of the veggie garden
Posts from the ‘Chickens’ Category
Mar 10
7 Comments
Mar 6
It’s Time to Get Chicks! We Got Ours!
Well, I’ve been toying with the idea of getting a couple chicks to add to my flock. I currently have two hens and a rooster but originally planned on having four hens. Both my chicks last year turned out to be roosters so we sent one to my mom’s farm so he could crow his little heart out! (He was loud.)
Just last night I picked up two chicks at our local feed store. One black one and a white one – both Silkies.
Once we got the chicks home we put them in our little homemade brooder with water, food, straw/shavings and a heat lamp. Our brooder consists of a clear plastic bin with a wire hardware cloth lid. First we showed the chicks how to drink water (and helped them drink some) and where their food was. Since these guys are a little small, I put about half their special chick food in the blender to make sure it was small enough to eat.
Unfortunately, even with all our precautions, the white one (a little runt) didn’t make it through the night. We learned a valuable lesson about picking smaller chicks just because they’re cute. We’ve decided not to replace the chick since we have a small yard and may need to get another chick a couple years down the road and don’t need too many chickens all at once. We really got two so they’d have company.
Since we already have Silkies we’ll probably introduce the chick to our hens once she’s big enough to withstand a little cold. They do snuggle up already so the chick will be fine outside in two-three weeks. This is what we did with our last chicks – the hens loved them and protected them instantly.
So, without further ado. Here’s my new black Silkie:
She doesn't have a name yet, but isn't she cute!
She's trying to figure out what I'm doing.
Our brooder with a large rock on top to keep the cats away.
Since we have two kittens we’ve also placed the brooder in the bathroom so we can close the door and keep them out. This also keeps our chick a little warmer.
Jan 27
Three’s Company In the Garden
My Silkies: Buttercup, Henny Penny & Hazel
Buttercup the Rooster
Dirty Silkie Eggs
Hazel, Henny Penny & Buttercup in their Coop
Dec 10
2009 Recap in Red
Starting at top left: blueberry bushes this fall; chicken coop and rain barrel; summer night dahlia; audrey grace dahlia; red rubber shoes; double peony; radishes; raspberries and blueberries; raspberry tart; vine ripen tomatoes; veggie harvest
Dec 5
Two Silkie Hens = One Egg a Day
My two Silkie hens appear to be sharing the egg laying duty. One will lay an egg daily for a couple weeks, while the other doesn’t lay any. Then they trade. I almost never get two eggs a day. Then again, I hear that Silkies aren’t known to be great egg layers. I love them just the same.
Now that it’s getting dark early they have a lamp with a regular bulb that comes on from dusk to 10 p.m. This is supposed to keep them laying eggs during the winter months. So far it appears to be working since we’re still getting eggs (one a day). Then, since the last couple of nights have been so cold (upper 20’s), I replaced the regular bulb with the red heat lamp so they’ll stay warm.
Since I’m already talking about my chickens. I’m happy to report that Brownie is getting along with his two hens and the four pheasant in his run at my mom’s (being good keeps him out of the soup pot). In case you didn’t know, I had to take Brownie to my mom’s this past weekend because of his crowing. You can read more about him here.
Because we only have one rooster now, Buttercup, Hazel and Henny Penny are more active in the coop and in the garden. This is a huge relief. Buttercup is still being a good city rooster. He only crows one or two times daily and it’s much later in the morning and not as loud as Brownie.
My original plan was to have four hens (not two hens and two roosters), so I’m already thinking about getting a couple more in the spring. I’m not sure if they’ll be Silkies or Polish hens. Thoughts?
Gardening in My Rubber Boots 