Recent content by Hawkeye95

I don't get rid of any chicks immediately for any reason. Honestly, I grow everything out, and I don't expect to be able to really see their full potential until 8 months to a year. And even then, I have birds that at 2 years suddenly turn into something truely amazing. I have been known to...

My Wyandottes and Barred Rocks have always layed really well. My neighbors had Buff Orpingtons, and I swear they laid better than anything I had. ZigZag-- you mentioned you haven't heard anyone mention a breed that doesn't lay well. I call tell you quite honestly that Silkies are horrible...

Oh wow, it's so neat to see you here, Suzierd! My avatar is a Splash, and I have another Splash rooster very similar to him, but Floyd (my avatar) is the prettiest and my favorite boy. He's already done well for me this show season. I even commissioned Sigrid VanDort (author of Chicken Colours...

We are speaking the same language here. ;) I have thought about light therapy! As Sharol suggested, I have read it really works. And I have a friend who is doing it right now as she is fighting the winter depression too. I didn't actually think about a tanning booth... but why not? That's...

I'm confused why you would want to do that? Are you wanting more red silkies or more Black silkies? If you are wanting more red silkies, I would breed back to a bird that is deep Buff. I think I go about doing things differently than a lot of people new to chicken colors do. If I have a...

Great pictures, that was helpful! Danz, I really like that idea-- and that is sort of what I was thinking too! If I could divide it up between two pens, that would work great! A two-for-one. Did you put the flower pot base inside or under the tin? And I sure hope you are right about the...

Breeding Lavender into your BBS colors is pointless, as it wont show well, except in the feather structure. Just muddies the water. If you are going to start mixing genes, have a plan in mind of what you are trying to accomplish, and what your goal for doing so is.

My question would be, why are you wanting to put Splash and Gray together? They are different genes. Splash should be bred to Blue, Splash, or even Black. Gray breeds true ONLY when bred to Gray. Which I recommend. Gray is based on Partridge, and you can have that gene get flipped and end up...

Will it allow the heater to tip so the bird is dumped off? That would be good if so. I'm living in Edmond, in the OKC area now. We are typically about 8 to 10 degrees warmer than Wichita. But it's been so cold, it doesn't matter. But we are liking it down here a lot. It is an adjustment...

And the whole reason I want to be cheap is because I'm going to need a LOT of them. Sigh. I would like to start with the pens that have chicks in them right now.

Great input, Sharol, maybe I should reconsider the option of hanging them vs mounting them to the wall. I just don't want it becoming a roost. I don't have any roosts in any of my Silkie pens, and they don't roost anyway. They all do the standard "silkie pile" at night where they actually dig...

Paint is a NSV (Non-Standard Variety) so it is still not accepted into the Standard of Perfection, if that matters to you at all. But I do believe in the next few years, that it will be added. They still require a lot of work as you will be fighting with the gold gene from time to time, and...

Whatever I get, I want to mount it on the wall. So, I'll probably be buying brackets either way. But if you think the Sweeter Heater puts out quite a bit of heat, then maybe that is the best route. I really need HEAT. Just something they can all get up against along the wall, or bring up a...

Mine really can't see all that well to make the best protectors from raptors flying over head. In my opinion, no silkie is safe without over head protection outside. However, I do have silkie roos that make GREAT protectors against ME! ha! When I walk in a pen, they are flat out determined I...

Good evening my fellow peeps! I know, I know... it's been FOREVER since I stopped in!! Question for you-- now that I'm moved down here in the Deep South (har, har) I had quite the surprise when my waters all froze up last week!! All of my pens are enclosed in the barn, and every one of...