Hello! I'm steve, finally conned, errr I mean talked 'er indoors into letting me keep some chooks!
So, we bought a chicken house/run that immediately on construction decided it was too small, as does everyone I suspect?
So, we have a 10'x6' greenhouse, with a 6x6 attached to one end, the plan is to use the 6x6 as an additional run, attached to the chicken house/run that we bought that's too small.
Still with me? So, after sorting out their living arrangements, I've still yet to decide on breeds!
Now, I like silkies, sooo cute!
But 'er indoors wants proper sized chickens for the eggs, I just want new friends
Also seen polish bantams! Any thoughts on keeping two silkies/polish bantams with two proper chickens? Am I being silly and should I just get 4 big chickens?
We plan to get them at 8 weeks old rather than Point-of-Lay as we want them to get used to us as they grow up.
Should I feed them chick crumb or growers mash?
Diatom, hw often and hw much?
Clean the house weekly?
Sand bath, sharp sand?
We'll put hardwood chips in the greenhouse, shoud I put gravel in the house run? Both will be on flags that are slightly sloped or drainage.
I've been advised to put Orego stim in their water but I've read elsewhere about cider vinegar I'm sure there will be a million ( at least! ) more questions soon.
Steve
Last edited by Steve valentine on 20 Mar 2012, 20:45, edited 1 time in total.
Some days you're the pigeon, some days you're the statue.
Chicks at 8 weeks - I would put on growers, 'til 16-18 weeks then go to layers. How confident are you of getting no males?? Mixed sized hens is fine, imo. Silkies just go broody so they don't count as hens.
Good point - we might just have to get rid of you Mr Gas-Man
"Happiness is like a butterfly; the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder..." Thoreau.
Welcome, its exciting isn't it getting new girls. I always wanted all the different coloured silkies, wouldn't matter to me about egg laying cause I don't do eggs Have normal sized girls and they are brilliant little characters. Good luck in your new venture
The Pink Ladies..Audrey,Ingrid-Bergman,Madeleline,Norma-Jean,Dora,Janice,Jo,Robyn,Chrissy and Joyce The Peds…Mork,Mindy,Bell,Saphire &
Vorky ,Blueped,Ginger,Ninger &Linky Sunny Clucker was ere July 12-21 2012
Sunny Clucker was ere July 6 2016 to Sept 9th 2017
Sunny Clucker is here , rehomed Aug 18th 2018/
Will look at your questions later ...just got off a night duty (they will probably have been answered by then)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)✰
(¸.✰´¨(¸.✰ Manda
Living our version of the Good Life with 1 dog (who feels like we're living with 4!), 1 cats, a few sheep and 11 chooks. Don't get your knickers in a knot..it solves nothing ~ just makes you walk funny
Hi, and welcome to the mad world of chicken keeping
Proud owner of Guinness, La Bon Bon, Lady GaGa, Bubbles, Biscuit (the girls), Henry (who masqueraded as a girl!), 3 dogs, 1 tortoise, 2 fish, 1 princess alexandra parrott, 3 teenagers and an other half!
Diatom - I puff it into the coop when I clean it out, & add some to the nest boxes. I also dust the hens with it now and again - no fixed schedule though really.
Minimum of 10 square feet per hen is the usual recommendation.
I clean weekly, but tend to not bother if the weather is bad. In the winter I mostly just poo-pick & do a full clean out less frequently.
I use cider vinegar in the water - a glug every time I refill.
"Happiness is like a butterfly; the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder..." Thoreau.
Hi, and welcome to the mad world of chicken keeping
Proud owner of Guinness, La Bon Bon, Lady GaGa, Bubbles, Biscuit (the girls), Henry (who masqueraded as a girl!), 3 dogs, 1 tortoise, 2 fish, 1 princess alexandra parrott, 3 teenagers and an other half!
Hello from me too. Always good to have more friends even if they are feathered or alternatively on a forum of like minded I think silkies are adorable but the 'other Steve' put me right off them got enough to deal with , without hormonal chooks going broody !
It will be alright in the end , if its not alright, it isn't the end . Quote from the proprietor of the The best exotic Marigold Hotel for the elderly and beautiful
hi welcome to the madhouse i pooh pick daily and clean out every 10/14 days. i put mite powder on the ladies when i do this, and scatter in the house as well, i use apple cider vinegar every couple of days and a bit of garlic in the water(freshwater daily) as well, poultry spice in the food every now and then oh and grit is a MUST every day, just put it in a bowl and they will help them self to when needed . it may sound a lot but to be honest once you get in the routine its easy !! if i can do it and do shift work, chase after the teenagers, do the chores that they haven't done!!!!!!! anyone can do it, my morning consit of me getting fresh water and getting the food back in the run as i put it away at nite (to stop rats) and letting the ladies out 2 mins all in all . sorry i have gone on a bit but i just want you to know how easy it is good luck, im gonna shut up now xxx phew
Dave the springer, 2 cats, Boo, Gizmo. 3 ex batts Mopsy, Thelma & louise. bluebell Matha,buff orp Gertie,rode island Kentucy, cream legbear Lola, oh and the 2 teenagers !!!!!!!
Welcome Whatever cooks you choose I'm sure you will find them great pets. I have 4 hybrids and want to get a couple of ex bats and possibly silkies, bit undecided about the latter still thinking. Have you considered ex bats if you aren't bothered about eggs? Although they do still give eggs but may be past their prime in that department; I'm sure if I'm wrong about that someone will correct me!
We've had Silkies & normal-sized chooks together. Silkies were my daughter's & while they had a seperate house & run they'd free-range with the others with no problems. In fact our Orpington cockerel fell in lust with 1 of the Silkies. When we realised we tried to keep them apart as he was 5 times the size she was. She must have been a robust little thing as she suffered no harm from his attentions (though tbh if he'd have had his wicked way with her as much as he wanted things may have been different) & we have 1 of their Orp-Silkie offspring here now....
We (or rather my daughter) has a Polish bantie hen - lovely little thing but is so quiet & shy our bigger hens bully her mercilessly so she remains in a run with my daughter's other banties rather than them being let out to FR with the others.
Hi there and welcome As the owner and lover of silkies('cept my cockeral who's a little )I would say if you don't want masses of eggs then go ahead and get a couple of silkies. They are hard to s.ex but the breeder should know that and be prepared to take any boys back and replace them.......Maybe get older silkies? Hybrids will give you your daily egg so unless you want more i wouldn't worry about them going broody....yes it needs managing,but it is not hard to do ......they can get hot in the summer sitting in the coop so you will need to make sure they have shade and plenty of ventilation but you can meet these things when you do.I would think about maybe getting a couple of the more docile breeds so there is less tendency to bully of feather pluck....if your run is not covered then do make sure it does not get muddy because of their feathered feet....neither polands nor silkies do well in the wet because of their feather type they are not water proof and can get cold when wet!!!! Good luck whatever you choose !!!!!!( silkies are deffo proper chooks!!!!)
If you always do what you always do ,you will always get what you have always got!
Have normal sized girls and they are brilliant little characters. Good luck in your new venture 
got enough to deal with , without hormonal chooks going broody !
)I would say if you don't want masses of eggs then go ahead and get a couple of silkies. 
......they can get hot in the summer sitting in the coop so you will need to make sure they have shade and plenty of ventilation but you can meet these things when you do.I would think about maybe getting a couple of the more docile breeds so there is less tendency to bully of feather pluck....if your run is not covered then do make sure it does not get muddy because of their feathered feet....neither polands nor silkies do well in the wet because of their feather type they are not water proof and can get cold when wet!!!!
