What a bunch of bumpkins we are at the building site I'm currently working on. Every "bait" (breakfast and dinner time to normal people) the conversation normally ends up talking about chickens, shooting, fishing, wild food, pigeons, rabbits, etc. And yesterday the one lad told me he wanted to get rid of his slikie trio as they weren't very good layers.
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| The chickens brought in next to where I eat my "bait". Rustic lunch room eh? |
Well I've never heard of anyone thinking they would be good layers!
But I said I'd take them off his hands and although my policy on the small holding is everything has to earn it's keep, becoming a father has turned me a bit of a soft touch. All I could think was what wonderful pets these will make for my 6 month old daughter, she already gets transfixed by the chickens so these tame little bantams should be ideal. Also I've read that slikies make great broody hens so I might be able to use them for hatching out a few chicks in the future.
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| Nice little trio of bantams |
I've put them in my spare chicken arc for now (you guys in the states call them chicken tractor - thanks to the lazy farmer for that translation), and hopefully once they're settled in they should be allowed to have a wonder around the garden and just use the arc as base until I can build something bigger.
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| In their chicken arc in the rain |
I built this arc for a broody hen with chicks about 5 years ago, we lived at our old house then and only had a garden which the hens slowly turned into a mud bath, digging a new hole everyday when I moved the pen! In the end it looked like an exploded mine field, still the chickens seemed happy!
I enjoy reading your blog. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteCheers for the comment, I hope you continue to follow what I get up to!
DeleteLoving your blog :)
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteHi Kev. I just read through your blog - you are living my dream! Keep up the good work and I will continue to live my life vicariously through you!
ReplyDeleteHi Helen, Thanks for the comment. It's been my dream ever since I left my mum and dads farm and I've been lucky that I've not had to wait too long for it!
DeleteSilkies are lovely little characters, your daughter will be thrilled to watch them and their antics, and they don't take up much room really and eat so little, so not a bad little 'pet' chicken for a smallholder.
ReplyDeleteSue xx
Yeah she seems to love them, and they haven't eaten very much at all. Mind you they're pretty small!
DeleteYes silkies are a great for going broody. They are so adorable looking and their noises are very different from other hens. They can be prone to mites, so give their legs a good thick coat of oil or vaseline and put some diatomaceous earth in their nest boxes and in the arc...
ReplyDeleteHi, Thanks for the advice. I normally put some powder in with the shavings but I've never coated their legs before, the cockeral has still got some pretty big spurs that might need removing as well.
DeleteOurs are now over 10 having grown up with the kids. They were great layers and mothers for about the first 5/6 years though. Now the three last survivors are just pets as we have had them waaaay too long to think of culling them.
ReplyDeleteviv in nz
Thats some pretty old chickens! too many foxes round here for them to die of old age!
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