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 Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 3:57 pm
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Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 4:50 pm
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Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 5:25 pm
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Moth Feathers Aww, how cute! I especially love the second picture of the white one (Claudette?) who is looking like "Ooh, what's that?" sort of way. Just curious, how tame are they? I know I went to a farm supply store this weekend and they had some chicks. Didn't have the breed of them posted anywhere, unfortunately. But the chicks were really sweet, they would hop up and even eat out of my hand. Sometimes make me wish I had chickens. ^^ Felt bad for them though- lots of little kids were there with little parental supervision, and you know what goes on when that happens. They were also overcrowded and there was a couple in each bin that were noticeably lethargic and sick.
Thanks :3 yeah, the white one is Claudie (named by our own Cowgirl). These guys are relatively tame. They hate being picked up but once I have them out of the kennel they let me hold them, pet them, and they'll eat out of my hand. I actually have a video of that from today, just haven't uploaded it yet. I'll post it here probably tomorrow or later tonight. I do take them out every day after I clean out the kennel and either let them play in the yard a bit or just have them sit with me while I pet them. So hopefully when they're fully grown they'll be tame. It's highly likely since silkies are supposed to be one of the best breeds for "pet" chickens.
I have heard the horror stories from feed stores. A lot of them are now starting to have it where the chicks are behind a gate of sorts and you just point out the ones you want. I got these guys from a breeder, but when we went to the feed store to get their food there was a sign that said "chicks are here." We didn't see any so I'm assuming it's a safely behind closed doors situation. Chicken food is so cheap! I couldn't believe it. Of course I'm going to do better research on brands after these initial bags run out. I just wanted to do it the tried and true way since I'm new to chickens and baby birds make me nervous. |
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Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 5:26 pm
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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 9:02 am
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Vanilla eXee Moth Feathers Aww, how cute! I especially love the second picture of the white one (Claudette?) who is looking like "Ooh, what's that?" sort of way. Just curious, how tame are they? I know I went to a farm supply store this weekend and they had some chicks. Didn't have the breed of them posted anywhere, unfortunately. But the chicks were really sweet, they would hop up and even eat out of my hand. Sometimes make me wish I had chickens. ^^ Felt bad for them though- lots of little kids were there with little parental supervision, and you know what goes on when that happens. They were also overcrowded and there was a couple in each bin that were noticeably lethargic and sick.
Thanks :3 yeah, the white one is Claudie (named by our own Cowgirl). These guys are relatively tame. They hate being picked up but once I have them out of the kennel they let me hold them, pet them, and they'll eat out of my hand. I actually have a video of that from today, just haven't uploaded it yet. I'll post it here probably tomorrow or later tonight. I do take them out every day after I clean out the kennel and either let them play in the yard a bit or just have them sit with me while I pet them. So hopefully when they're fully grown they'll be tame. It's highly likely since silkies are supposed to be one of the best breeds for "pet" chickens.
I have heard the horror stories from feed stores. A lot of them are now starting to have it where the chicks are behind a gate of sorts and you just point out the ones you want. I got these guys from a breeder, but when we went to the feed store to get their food there was a sign that said "chicks are here." We didn't see any so I'm assuming it's a safely behind closed doors situation. Chicken food is so cheap! I couldn't believe it. Of course I'm going to do better research on brands after these initial bags run out. I just wanted to do it the tried and true way since I'm new to chickens and baby birds make me nervous.
Are chickens much interested in water? Like, if you had a baby pool filled with water in the summer, would they play in it?
Just thought it'd be interesting to see, if they actually would enjoy water.
It sounds like a good system, to keep the chicks in another pen, in sight, but unable to be handled. I'm sure over the course of a few weeks, some chicks at my farm supply store are going to get dropped, crushed, or in any way traumatized.
They also had some rabbits there for 13 dollars, and kids were just opening the door to the hutch and picking them up. =/ And I know how a lot of rabbits don't like to be handled, especially by jerking little kids.
Unfortunately, one of the reasons why chicken feed is so cheap is because manufacturers like to put whatever 'nonedibles' they can find in it. At least people are slightly vigilant with dog and cat food...in chicken feed, many people just don't care. -sigh- So you end up with chicken feed with the first ingredients being something like ground corn, soybean meal, ground wheat meal, corn gluten meal...ew. (and it seems like you find similar ingredients in bird pellets too) It seems like all the feeds I've looked at are like that, but you may get lucky and find a good one.
Overall I wouldn't worry too much about it, since chickens, especially in the summer, supplement so much of their diet with the insects and greenery. I would just feed a small amount of chicken feed, then have the rest of their diet be insects (in the winter, you could give them mealworms instead, which you can raise yourself), vegetation (in the winter/fall, you could just give them vegetables from your plate such as broccoli and cabbage and whatever else they'll eat), and even some quality human-grade grains (oats, brown rice, etc). Or something like that.
Lol, chickens are so flexible with their diet. Makes me want to own one just to feed it all sorts of things.
How good are Silkie's flying abilities, generally? I've heard most of the bantams tend to fly better than the standard breeds. |
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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 9:15 am
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Moth Feathers Vanilla eXee Moth Feathers Aww, how cute! I especially love the second picture of the white one (Claudette?) who is looking like "Ooh, what's that?" sort of way. Just curious, how tame are they? I know I went to a farm supply store this weekend and they had some chicks. Didn't have the breed of them posted anywhere, unfortunately. But the chicks were really sweet, they would hop up and even eat out of my hand. Sometimes make me wish I had chickens. ^^ Felt bad for them though- lots of little kids were there with little parental supervision, and you know what goes on when that happens. They were also overcrowded and there was a couple in each bin that were noticeably lethargic and sick.
Thanks :3 yeah, the white one is Claudie (named by our own Cowgirl). These guys are relatively tame. They hate being picked up but once I have them out of the kennel they let me hold them, pet them, and they'll eat out of my hand. I actually have a video of that from today, just haven't uploaded it yet. I'll post it here probably tomorrow or later tonight. I do take them out every day after I clean out the kennel and either let them play in the yard a bit or just have them sit with me while I pet them. So hopefully when they're fully grown they'll be tame. It's highly likely since silkies are supposed to be one of the best breeds for "pet" chickens.
I have heard the horror stories from feed stores. A lot of them are now starting to have it where the chicks are behind a gate of sorts and you just point out the ones you want. I got these guys from a breeder, but when we went to the feed store to get their food there was a sign that said "chicks are here." We didn't see any so I'm assuming it's a safely behind closed doors situation. Chicken food is so cheap! I couldn't believe it. Of course I'm going to do better research on brands after these initial bags run out. I just wanted to do it the tried and true way since I'm new to chickens and baby birds make me nervous.Are chickens much interested in water? Like, if you had a baby pool filled with water in the summer, would they play in it? Just thought it'd be interesting to see, if they actually would enjoy water. It sounds like a good system, to keep the chicks in another pen, in sight, but unable to be handled. I'm sure over the course of a few weeks, some chicks at my farm supply store are going to get dropped, crushed, or in any way traumatized. They also had some rabbits there for 13 dollars, and kids were just opening the door to the hutch and picking them up. =/ And I know how a lot of rabbits don't like to be handled, especially by jerking little kids. Unfortunately, one of the reasons why chicken feed is so cheap is because manufacturers like to put whatever 'nonedibles' they can find in it. At least people are slightly vigilant with dog and cat food...in chicken feed, many people just don't care. -sigh- So you end up with chicken feed with the first ingredients being something like ground corn, soybean meal, ground wheat meal, corn gluten meal...ew. (and it seems like you find similar ingredients in bird pellets too) It seems like all the feeds I've looked at are like that, but you may get lucky and find a good one. Overall I wouldn't worry too much about it, since chickens, especially in the summer, supplement so much of their diet with the insects and greenery. I would just feed a small amount of chicken feed, then have the rest of their diet be insects (in the winter, you could give them mealworms instead, which you can raise yourself), vegetation (in the winter/fall, you could just give them vegetables from your plate such as broccoli and cabbage and whatever else they'll eat), and even some quality human-grade grains (oats, brown rice, etc). Or something like that. Lol, chickens are so flexible with their diet. Makes me want to own one just to feed it all sorts of things. How good are Silkie's flying abilities, generally? I've heard most of the bantams tend to fly better than the standard breeds.
I'm not sure if they like to play in water, but when they're older I'll fill a shallow pool with an inch or so and see if they like it. I was berated on a chicken forum for asking if it's okay to give them baths since Claudie pooped all over Jacob's back and his poor feathers were all crusted. One member said 'I would hate to be a chicken in your home. They're birds, they poop!' rolleyes I got the same kind of responses when asking about home made chick feed.
I can't wait to get some mealies for them, my quail used to go crazy over mealworms. They also really liked broccoli and that was how I was tricking them into becoming tame. I tried to look up ingredients for chicken feed online, not much info out there but there were a few good recipes for making your own that I might try out when this stuff runs low. We got 10lb bags of feed and they eat a few handfuls a day, so I don't think we'll run out any time soon. Luckily here the weather stays good enough that they'll be able to have outside time most of the year. It never snows so they'll only be coop bound on really cold days. Even in the dead of winter we sometimes get days that are in the 70's.
Silkies can't fly because of the way their feathers are. They don't have the same type of barbs as normal feathers (that hold the feathers together) and that's what gives them the 'silky' texture. On mine the very ends of their wings have normalish feathers, so they can hover a little bit, but when they grow up that won't be enough to get them in the air. The ones I have aren't bantams, my boyfriend said the momma bird that he saw when he picked them up was only a bit smaller than a 5g bucket. So they'll be a bit smaller than more common breeds, but not too tiny. |
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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 9:30 am
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Vanilla eXee Moth Feathers Vanilla eXee Moth Feathers Aww, how cute! I especially love the second picture of the white one (Claudette?) who is looking like "Ooh, what's that?" sort of way. Just curious, how tame are they? I know I went to a farm supply store this weekend and they had some chicks. Didn't have the breed of them posted anywhere, unfortunately. But the chicks were really sweet, they would hop up and even eat out of my hand. Sometimes make me wish I had chickens. ^^ Felt bad for them though- lots of little kids were there with little parental supervision, and you know what goes on when that happens. They were also overcrowded and there was a couple in each bin that were noticeably lethargic and sick.
Thanks :3 yeah, the white one is Claudie (named by our own Cowgirl). These guys are relatively tame. They hate being picked up but once I have them out of the kennel they let me hold them, pet them, and they'll eat out of my hand. I actually have a video of that from today, just haven't uploaded it yet. I'll post it here probably tomorrow or later tonight. I do take them out every day after I clean out the kennel and either let them play in the yard a bit or just have them sit with me while I pet them. So hopefully when they're fully grown they'll be tame. It's highly likely since silkies are supposed to be one of the best breeds for "pet" chickens.
I have heard the horror stories from feed stores. A lot of them are now starting to have it where the chicks are behind a gate of sorts and you just point out the ones you want. I got these guys from a breeder, but when we went to the feed store to get their food there was a sign that said "chicks are here." We didn't see any so I'm assuming it's a safely behind closed doors situation. Chicken food is so cheap! I couldn't believe it. Of course I'm going to do better research on brands after these initial bags run out. I just wanted to do it the tried and true way since I'm new to chickens and baby birds make me nervous.Are chickens much interested in water? Like, if you had a baby pool filled with water in the summer, would they play in it? Just thought it'd be interesting to see, if they actually would enjoy water. It sounds like a good system, to keep the chicks in another pen, in sight, but unable to be handled. I'm sure over the course of a few weeks, some chicks at my farm supply store are going to get dropped, crushed, or in any way traumatized. They also had some rabbits there for 13 dollars, and kids were just opening the door to the hutch and picking them up. =/ And I know how a lot of rabbits don't like to be handled, especially by jerking little kids. Unfortunately, one of the reasons why chicken feed is so cheap is because manufacturers like to put whatever 'nonedibles' they can find in it. At least people are slightly vigilant with dog and cat food...in chicken feed, many people just don't care. -sigh- So you end up with chicken feed with the first ingredients being something like ground corn, soybean meal, ground wheat meal, corn gluten meal...ew. (and it seems like you find similar ingredients in bird pellets too) It seems like all the feeds I've looked at are like that, but you may get lucky and find a good one. Overall I wouldn't worry too much about it, since chickens, especially in the summer, supplement so much of their diet with the insects and greenery. I would just feed a small amount of chicken feed, then have the rest of their diet be insects (in the winter, you could give them mealworms instead, which you can raise yourself), vegetation (in the winter/fall, you could just give them vegetables from your plate such as broccoli and cabbage and whatever else they'll eat), and even some quality human-grade grains (oats, brown rice, etc). Or something like that. Lol, chickens are so flexible with their diet. Makes me want to own one just to feed it all sorts of things. How good are Silkie's flying abilities, generally? I've heard most of the bantams tend to fly better than the standard breeds.
I'm not sure if they like to play in water, but when they're older I'll fill a shallow pool with an inch or so and see if they like it. I was berated on a chicken forum for asking if it's okay to give them baths since Claudie pooped all over Jacob's back and his poor feathers were all crusted. One member said 'I would hate to be a chicken in your home. They're birds, they poop!' rolleyes I got the same kind of responses when asking about home made chick feed.
I can't wait to get some mealies for them, my quail used to go crazy over mealworms. They also really liked broccoli and that was how I was tricking them into becoming tame. I tried to look up ingredients for chicken feed online, not much info out there but there were a few good recipes for making your own that I might try out when this stuff runs low. We got 10lb bags of feed and they eat a few handfuls a day, so I don't think we'll run out any time soon. Luckily here the weather stays good enough that they'll be able to have outside time most of the year. It never snows so they'll only be coop bound on really cold days. Even in the dead of winter we sometimes get days that are in the 70's.
Silkies can't fly because of the way their feathers are. They don't have the same type of barbs as normal feathers (that hold the feathers together) and that's what gives them the 'silky' texture. On mine the very ends of their wings have normalish feathers, so they can hover a little bit, but when they grow up that won't be enough to get them in the air. The ones I have aren't bantams, my boyfriend said the momma bird that he saw when he picked them up was only a bit smaller than a 5g bucket. So they'll be a bit smaller than more common breeds, but not too tiny.
Hrm, I always thought ALL silkies were bantams, but apparently a google search said that in recent years their size has ranged from bantam-sized to large. That's pretty cool.
About the feathers-
The same thing has happened with a color mutation of the Zebra finch called Eumo. I find it rather disappointing that we purposely breed birds of a flighted species to lose the feather characteristic that allows them to fly...but that's just me.
But I never knew that Silkies also have the same thing. That's really interesting.
Are there any difficulties with the feathered feet that they have? Many of the fancy chicken breeds, for showing, have feathered feet and it apparently can make hygiene for them a bit more difficult. At least it has the advantage of them being a bit more warm in the winter...your silkies remind me of ptarmigans almost, heh.
I found the same difficulty in looking up chicken feed ingredients! Was very frustrating. I finally found that Petco's site has one brand of chicken feed on there that gave me some sort of basis for what the ingredients of other brands might be, but overall you don't find much information.
Here's the link to Petco's chicken feed. It shows the ingredients on there. Yum, soybean meal and wheat middlings, the great start of a healthy diet! -sarcasm-
It's great that you're considering to make your own feed. I'm honestly usually appalled at commercial animal feed, not just for chickens but for parrots and finches, dogs and cats, even a lot of the small mammals. I personally make my own seed mix for my finches, if that counts for anything. xD
That's unfortunate on your chicken forum that they snubbed you like that. What sort of responses, specifically, did you get when you talked about mixing your own feed? Honestly, mixing your own feed sounds like the way to go in my opinion. |
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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 10:01 am
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Moth Feathers Vanilla eXee Moth Feathers Vanilla eXee Moth Feathers Aww, how cute! I especially love the second picture of the white one (Claudette?) who is looking like "Ooh, what's that?" sort of way. Just curious, how tame are they? I know I went to a farm supply store this weekend and they had some chicks. Didn't have the breed of them posted anywhere, unfortunately. But the chicks were really sweet, they would hop up and even eat out of my hand. Sometimes make me wish I had chickens. ^^ Felt bad for them though- lots of little kids were there with little parental supervision, and you know what goes on when that happens. They were also overcrowded and there was a couple in each bin that were noticeably lethargic and sick.
Thanks :3 yeah, the white one is Claudie (named by our own Cowgirl). These guys are relatively tame. They hate being picked up but once I have them out of the kennel they let me hold them, pet them, and they'll eat out of my hand. I actually have a video of that from today, just haven't uploaded it yet. I'll post it here probably tomorrow or later tonight. I do take them out every day after I clean out the kennel and either let them play in the yard a bit or just have them sit with me while I pet them. So hopefully when they're fully grown they'll be tame. It's highly likely since silkies are supposed to be one of the best breeds for "pet" chickens.
I have heard the horror stories from feed stores. A lot of them are now starting to have it where the chicks are behind a gate of sorts and you just point out the ones you want. I got these guys from a breeder, but when we went to the feed store to get their food there was a sign that said "chicks are here." We didn't see any so I'm assuming it's a safely behind closed doors situation. Chicken food is so cheap! I couldn't believe it. Of course I'm going to do better research on brands after these initial bags run out. I just wanted to do it the tried and true way since I'm new to chickens and baby birds make me nervous.Are chickens much interested in water? Like, if you had a baby pool filled with water in the summer, would they play in it? Just thought it'd be interesting to see, if they actually would enjoy water. It sounds like a good system, to keep the chicks in another pen, in sight, but unable to be handled. I'm sure over the course of a few weeks, some chicks at my farm supply store are going to get dropped, crushed, or in any way traumatized. They also had some rabbits there for 13 dollars, and kids were just opening the door to the hutch and picking them up. =/ And I know how a lot of rabbits don't like to be handled, especially by jerking little kids. Unfortunately, one of the reasons why chicken feed is so cheap is because manufacturers like to put whatever 'nonedibles' they can find in it. At least people are slightly vigilant with dog and cat food...in chicken feed, many people just don't care. -sigh- So you end up with chicken feed with the first ingredients being something like ground corn, soybean meal, ground wheat meal, corn gluten meal...ew. (and it seems like you find similar ingredients in bird pellets too) It seems like all the feeds I've looked at are like that, but you may get lucky and find a good one. Overall I wouldn't worry too much about it, since chickens, especially in the summer, supplement so much of their diet with the insects and greenery. I would just feed a small amount of chicken feed, then have the rest of their diet be insects (in the winter, you could give them mealworms instead, which you can raise yourself), vegetation (in the winter/fall, you could just give them vegetables from your plate such as broccoli and cabbage and whatever else they'll eat), and even some quality human-grade grains (oats, brown rice, etc). Or something like that. Lol, chickens are so flexible with their diet. Makes me want to own one just to feed it all sorts of things. How good are Silkie's flying abilities, generally? I've heard most of the bantams tend to fly better than the standard breeds.
I'm not sure if they like to play in water, but when they're older I'll fill a shallow pool with an inch or so and see if they like it. I was berated on a chicken forum for asking if it's okay to give them baths since Claudie pooped all over Jacob's back and his poor feathers were all crusted. One member said 'I would hate to be a chicken in your home. They're birds, they poop!' rolleyes I got the same kind of responses when asking about home made chick feed.
I can't wait to get some mealies for them, my quail used to go crazy over mealworms. They also really liked broccoli and that was how I was tricking them into becoming tame. I tried to look up ingredients for chicken feed online, not much info out there but there were a few good recipes for making your own that I might try out when this stuff runs low. We got 10lb bags of feed and they eat a few handfuls a day, so I don't think we'll run out any time soon. Luckily here the weather stays good enough that they'll be able to have outside time most of the year. It never snows so they'll only be coop bound on really cold days. Even in the dead of winter we sometimes get days that are in the 70's.
Silkies can't fly because of the way their feathers are. They don't have the same type of barbs as normal feathers (that hold the feathers together) and that's what gives them the 'silky' texture. On mine the very ends of their wings have normalish feathers, so they can hover a little bit, but when they grow up that won't be enough to get them in the air. The ones I have aren't bantams, my boyfriend said the momma bird that he saw when he picked them up was only a bit smaller than a 5g bucket. So they'll be a bit smaller than more common breeds, but not too tiny. Hrm, I always thought ALL silkies were bantams, but apparently a google search said that in recent years their size has ranged from bantam-sized to large. That's pretty cool. About the feathers- The same thing has happened with a color mutation of the Zebra finch called Eumo. I find it rather disappointing that we purposely breed birds of a flighted species to lose the feather characteristic that allows them to fly...but that's just me. But I never knew that Silkies also have the same thing. That's really interesting. Are there any difficulties with the feathered feet that they have? Many of the fancy chicken breeds, for showing, have feathered feet and it apparently can make hygiene for them a bit more difficult. At least it has the advantage of them being a bit more warm in the winter...your silkies remind me of ptarmigans almost, heh. I found the same difficulty in looking up chicken feed ingredients! Was very frustrating. I finally found that Petco's site has one brand of chicken feed on there that gave me some sort of basis for what the ingredients of other brands might be, but overall you don't find much information. Here's the link to Petco's chicken feed. It shows the ingredients on there. Yum, soybean meal and wheat middlings, the great start of a healthy diet! -sarcasm- It's great that you're considering to make your own feed. I'm honestly usually appalled at commercial animal feed, not just for chickens but for parrots and finches, dogs and cats, even a lot of the small mammals. I personally make my own seed mix for my finches, if that counts for anything. xD That's unfortunate on your chicken forum that they snubbed you like that. What sort of responses, specifically, did you get when you talked about mixing your own feed? Honestly, mixing your own feed sounds like the way to go in my opinion.
I thought the same thing too until I decided we were getting them so I did some more research into it. I actually like that they're a bigger size, more manageable that way.
It is sad when people don't recognize birds for what they are: Flyers! That's one of the best things about them!! I also dislike breeding in defects. Most chickens like to roost for the night at the highest point they can get to, but silkies don't have that option since they couldn't fly up to a perch. I'm going to put some lower perches in the coop for my little ones though. They're just so cute and fluffy, I couldn't resist silkies. Plus their temperament is what sealed it for me, since I want chickens that I can hold.
Their feet get completely covered. I've been using a damp paper towel to to slowly work their feet and foot feathers clean. I would think that they'd do this themselves, but maybe when they get older? People who show them do give their silkies a bath and a blow dry the night before. Cowgirl was saying they're not good if you have a lot of mud in your yard, luckily our yard is all sand so it dries up pretty quick after rain.
Commercial animal food makes me angry. What makes me most angry is how vets will go on and on about crap food like science diet, and since it has such a high price tag, people assume that means it's better quality. For just about every type of pet out there, there are horrible commercial foods. They make tortoise pellets which are (like all others) mostly corn. Grains are a major contributor to pyramiding in captive tortoises, and it's just as cheap/easy to give them a balanced diet of greens as it is to buy those pellets. I would never ever in a million years feed them to Lazy. -end food rant- lol.
Well, I asked if there was anything I could make for them as a staple rather than chick feed, and people just told me that without commercial chick feed they'll get sick and die. So I said, okay, what did chickens eat before people invented chick feed? And they said before that people didn't keep their chickens in a dog kennel. No good answers, just lots of sarcasm. At least when I asked about baths, someone did tell me that it's better to use a damp face cloth while they're chicks since they could get hypothermia. |
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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 10:32 am
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Vanilla eXee I thought the same thing too until I decided we were getting them so I did some more research into it. I actually like that they're a bigger size, more manageable that way. It is sad when people don't recognize birds for what they are: Flyers! That's one of the best things about them!! I also dislike breeding in defects. Most chickens like to roost for the night at the highest point they can get to, but silkies don't have that option since they couldn't fly up to a perch. I'm going to put some lower perches in the coop for my little ones though. They're just so cute and fluffy, I couldn't resist silkies. Plus their temperament is what sealed it for me, since I want chickens that I can hold. Their feet get completely covered. I've been using a damp paper towel to to slowly work their feet and foot feathers clean. I would think that they'd do this themselves, but maybe when they get older? People who show them do give their silkies a bath and a blow dry the night before. Cowgirl was saying they're not good if you have a lot of mud in your yard, luckily our yard is all sand so it dries up pretty quick after rain. Commercial animal food makes me angry. What makes me most angry is how vets will go on and on about crap food like science diet, and since it has such a high price tag, people assume that means it's better quality. For just about every type of pet out there, there are horrible commercial foods. They make tortoise pellets which are (like all others) mostly corn. Grains are a major contributor to pyramiding in captive tortoises, and it's just as cheap/easy to give them a balanced diet of greens as it is to buy those pellets. I would never ever in a million years feed them to Lazy. -end food rant- lol. Well, I asked if there was anything I could make for them as a staple rather than chick feed, and people just told me that without commercial chick feed they'll get sick and die. So I said, okay, what did chickens eat before people invented chick feed? And they said before that people didn't keep their chickens in a dog kennel. No good answers, just lots of sarcasm. At least when I asked about baths, someone did tell me that it's better to use a damp face cloth while they're chicks since they could get hypothermia.
I know! I see the wild birds outside and their beautiful flight, even the little flits of a house sparrow, and can't ever imagine why someone would purposely breed birds to be unable to fly, or clip their wings so they can't.
Is it possible for you to trim the feathers around their feet for sanitary purposes? I know canary and budgerigar breeders will trim the feathers on the underside of the tail to supposedly help with fertility of eggs (though I think it's stupid that they'd breed birds that have feathers that prevent successful mating in the first place). I'm sure it will get tiring after a while to have to clean their feet every day. xD
Ugh, I agree with you so much on commercial foods. While vets are great for medical purposes, I find the majority of them are really, really lacking as far as other things (diet being one of them). I especially love it when people think they're great for feeding Science Diet, or in fact just anything Purina (had someone on the LD tell me that they fed Purina Dog Chow and that the food was great...I posted the ingredients on there for them (first ingredient was corn) and still to no avail convinced them that it was a bad food, since apparently "my vet recommends it!". For human doctors, we're quick to get second opinions and judge what they say...but for vets, apparently you should always take their word 100 percent. It's just ugh)
That's ridiculous about them shunning a homemade diet like that. The chicks won't get sick and die...-eyeroll- Like their lives are really depending on eating soybean meal and ground corn.
The only issue I could imagine with feeding a homemade diet is just ensuring you got adequate protein levels, but if you're using a recipe from the internet it should be all good. Besides, animal protein (like in the form of mealworms and hardboiled eggs) is MUCH better for them and more high-quality than soybean meal.
What is pyramiding in tortoises and what's wrong about it? I know so little about tortoises and turtles. How does corn cause it? |
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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 11:04 am
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Moth Feathers Vanilla eXee I thought the same thing too until I decided we were getting them so I did some more research into it. I actually like that they're a bigger size, more manageable that way. It is sad when people don't recognize birds for what they are: Flyers! That's one of the best things about them!! I also dislike breeding in defects. Most chickens like to roost for the night at the highest point they can get to, but silkies don't have that option since they couldn't fly up to a perch. I'm going to put some lower perches in the coop for my little ones though. They're just so cute and fluffy, I couldn't resist silkies. Plus their temperament is what sealed it for me, since I want chickens that I can hold. Their feet get completely covered. I've been using a damp paper towel to to slowly work their feet and foot feathers clean. I would think that they'd do this themselves, but maybe when they get older? People who show them do give their silkies a bath and a blow dry the night before. Cowgirl was saying they're not good if you have a lot of mud in your yard, luckily our yard is all sand so it dries up pretty quick after rain. Commercial animal food makes me angry. What makes me most angry is how vets will go on and on about crap food like science diet, and since it has such a high price tag, people assume that means it's better quality. For just about every type of pet out there, there are horrible commercial foods. They make tortoise pellets which are (like all others) mostly corn. Grains are a major contributor to pyramiding in captive tortoises, and it's just as cheap/easy to give them a balanced diet of greens as it is to buy those pellets. I would never ever in a million years feed them to Lazy. -end food rant- lol. Well, I asked if there was anything I could make for them as a staple rather than chick feed, and people just told me that without commercial chick feed they'll get sick and die. So I said, okay, what did chickens eat before people invented chick feed? And they said before that people didn't keep their chickens in a dog kennel. No good answers, just lots of sarcasm. At least when I asked about baths, someone did tell me that it's better to use a damp face cloth while they're chicks since they could get hypothermia. I know! I see the wild birds outside and their beautiful flight, even the little flits of a house sparrow, and can't ever imagine why someone would purposely breed birds to be unable to fly, or clip their wings so they can't. Is it possible for you to trim the feathers around their feet for sanitary purposes? I know canary and budgerigar breeders will trim the feathers on the underside of the tail to supposedly help with fertility of eggs (though I think it's stupid that they'd breed birds that have feathers that prevent successful mating in the first place). I'm sure it will get tiring after a while to have to clean their feet every day. xD Ugh, I agree with you so much on commercial foods. While vets are great for medical purposes, I find the majority of them are really, really lacking as far as other things (diet being one of them). I especially love it when people think they're great for feeding Science Diet, or in fact just anything Purina (had someone on the LD tell me that they fed Purina Dog Chow and that the food was great...I posted the ingredients on there for them (first ingredient was corn) and still to no avail convinced them that it was a bad food, since apparently "my vet recommends it!". For human doctors, we're quick to get second opinions and judge what they say...but for vets, apparently you should always take their word 100 percent. It's just ugh) That's ridiculous about them shunning a homemade diet like that. The chicks won't get sick and die...-eyeroll- Like their lives are really depending on eating soybean meal and ground corn. The only issue I could imagine with feeding a homemade diet is just ensuring you got adequate protein levels, but if you're using a recipe from the internet it should be all good. Besides, animal protein (like in the form of mealworms and hardboiled eggs) is MUCH better for them and more high-quality than soybean meal. What is pyramiding in tortoises and what's wrong about it? I know so little about tortoises and turtles. How does corn cause it?
Pyramiding is when the scutes each kind of grow up to a point, resembling pyramids. It's a sign of metabolic bone disease which is bad stuff. I mis spoke though, it's not the corn specifically (or it could be, just not on it's own) that does it, rather other grains. russiantortoise.org They typically contain soy, wheat and or rice. These are high in omega 6 fatty acids which has a negative effect on health. They also have an acidifying effect which causes a leaching of bone. They are high in phytate which binds calcium and other minerals. They also have an unfavorable ca/ph ratio and a low ca/mg ratio which has a negative impact on calcium metabolism. Grains alter Vit D metabolism. Diets high in grains can have a negative impact on bone growth in spite of adequate exposure to sunshine. (http://www.sawellnesscenter.com//nutrition/Diet/Cereal article-1.pdf)
since I couldn't really say it better myself.
Many people do trim their foot feathers, but I'm waiting until all of their feathers grow in before I do any trimming. I may also trim the feathers near their eyes if I find that they're having trouble seeing.
I think making a stable food that would maintain good protein levels probably isn't possible, but if I got oats and wheat and stuff like that then supplemented with lots of bugs, some eggs, plus whatever they can forage then it would be a pretty balanced diet.
I always take whatever vets tell me with a grain of salt when it comes to nutrition. It was really Gabby and the others on here that woke me up to this type of thing a few years ago though, so the credit goes to them, lol. |
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Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 8:39 pm
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Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 8:47 pm
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Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 9:13 pm
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Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 9:17 pm
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Kipluck Vanilla eXee Kipluck Polydactyl chicken?! AWESOME. My Vet Medical Terminology teacher calls the Polydactyl cats "lucky kitties." Add that to the fact that people (okay, mostly in China) think Silkies are special for their black bones and they are, like, DOUBLE lucky. HA!
They also think they're delicious! =O ok well I probably would too but I'm not eating them. I hope they'll be lucky! It would be nice if they stayed healthy and lived long lives. They'll def be happy so that's not worry.True. Though I have to say the idea of eating GREY chicken meat kind of grosses me out, even though I am sure it probably tastes the same. Though I don't really eat chicken and REALLY couldn't eat a chicken I knew PERSONALLY.
I think if I had a farm one day and I grew meaties I wouldn't have a problem even processing them myself and eating them, but I would keep them far away from the pet chickens and limit my interactions to feeding/cleaning. Never had problems feeding guinea pigs to the girls even when I had gps of my own. Same type of thing. |
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