Help Im New At This

thehalls07 · **Posted:** Sun Sep 23, 2007 10:47 am

Hi everyone This is my first time PA Forum. I have had laying hens all of my life but i have just recently purchased a silkie rooster and two silkie hens. I also purchased a pekin rooster and some pekin hens yesturday. So any information about either of these breeds would be great i.e nutrition care breeding anything at all. :!:

thanks

Happyhenz. · **Joined:** Mon Aug 20, 2007 10:49 am **Posts:** 607

Hi and welcome to the PA forum. :-D

I have Silkies and i found them to be the best chickens in the world for kids.
They are quiet and friendly and very tame.
What colour are your Silkies?
I have buff and black.
I would love to add some pekins if i can find some. :-D

Cheers Happyhenz

thehalls07 · **Posted:** Sun Sep 23, 2007 12:20 pm

Hi my silkies are white and grey, Im going to try and get a blue silkie. My pekins are black, so in the near future i will get a coloured hen. I bought my pekins off a lady here at moree. Thanks for replying

Peacocks Australia · **Joined:** Wed Jan 02, 2002 9:14 am **Posts:** 310755

Hi Thehalls07, WELCOME TO THE FORUM, Hope you find the Forum Informative & Helpful. Silkies & Pekins virtually require the same care & Diet.

Diet:
You can use a STD Poultry mix, i.e. Layer mash, Cracked Grain, ECT.. But you will need to add a couple of supplements.
1) Greens are very important in the health of ALL poultry, especially those that are locked in a pen 24/7. Try to be diverse with the greens for example, Lettuce, Cabbage, and Silverbeet & offer fruit, such as Watermelon & Rockmelon once a week.
2) Grit is also very important for ALL poultry and should be offered all the time; we use a medium grade and find all the poultry like it. It’s not only important for egg shell quality but also for their digestion/Crop & Calcium/Mineral replacement.
3) Fresh clean water EVERY day is also important for long term health.

Health:
1) Silkies & Pekins need to be housed in DRY conditions due to their feather feet.
2) Keep the Shelter/Roost clean & dry; don't let a build up of facieses.
3) You must worm ALL poultry at least 3 times a year 4 is better.
4) Silkies & Pekins need their feet check regularly as they can get a build up of facieses due to their feather feet & check for mite.
5) Silkies may need the feather around the eyes to be trimmed from time to time, a check every 3-4 months would be recommended

Breeding:
Both Silkies & Pekins are free breeders, and will cycle regularly, particularly when a rooster is present. Both breeds are excellent brooders and will sit on almost any egg (we use them for incubating Peafowl eggs)

Hope this helps

Thanks
Peacocks Australia :lol:

thehalls07 · **Posted:** Sun Sep 23, 2007 2:45 pm

Thanks Peacocks Australia
Thats some great information really helpful. Is there anything i need to do if i would like them to breed or just leave them be.
Thanks :-D

Peacocks Australia · **Joined:** Wed Jan 02, 2002 9:14 am **Posts:** 310755

Hi Thehalls07, We assume you have them separated, so just give them laying boxes and let nature take it' course. One suggestion is to allow a few eggs to accumulate in a box, this will speed the process up. When a hen goes broody, we would suggest taking her out and putting her in a broody pen/cage as the other hens or Rooster may kill the chicks. Before you move the hen set the broody cage up first, makes a nest site at one end and place the eggs you want her to sit on in the nest. Then add Food & Water then add the Hen. Don't put the hen on the nest, put her at the opposite end to the nest and leave her to find it.

Above all HAVE FUN!!!!

Thanks
Peacocks Australia :lol:

courta93 · **Posted:** Sun Sep 23, 2007 6:25 pm

Hi, most breeders pluck or trim around the vent to get better fertilisation! :-D

If you're going to be a really serious breeder, you may consider this.
In the photo gallery, I think it was Snowball, has a photo of a cradle( this is what you place the chicken in to do the vent plucking), and mabye this will give you some ideas!

I hope this helps!

Courta93! :-D

thehalls07 · **Posted:** Mon Sep 24, 2007 8:44 am

Thanks for the advice courta93 and peacocks australia. I will take it all on board and see how i go. This forum is fantastic i was feeling a little lost thinking i was never going to be able to find out the things i needed to know, now i know better :-D

I feel so much more at ease now THANKS :-D

THANKS

debbieo4914 · **Posted:** Mon Sep 24, 2007 9:02 am

Hi thehalls07! I'm very new to all of this too, and the members of this forum have been FANTASTIC!!!

I have silkies and pekins too - I only have two silkie hens (buff & white) and two silkie chicks (partridge & buff, on PA's advice) so I'm hoping one of the chicks will be a rooster!

I'm trying to get a colourful collection of pekins together (so far have lavender, black, cuckoo, buff, blue), and am about to set my first lot of pekin eggs in an incubator tonight - I've "borrowed" some fertile eggs from real breeders just in case none of mine hatch.

I vent trimmed my pekins, as their mating attempts didn't look very successful, and I think it's made a difference (we'll see when the eggs are incubated), although next time I think I'll try plucking as per Snowball's instructions as by trimming with scissors you can end up with some spiky shaft bits that might be a bit offputting for an amorous rooster :shock:

.

Good luck with your birds!

thehalls07 · **Posted:** Mon Sep 24, 2007 10:16 am

Hi debbie4914
I think this about the best web page ive found on this computer yet. I have just placed a wanted ad for blue lavender and colubia pekins as i to want to try and get some colors. :-D

as for the plucking im not sure that im quite up to that yet is there instructions on here about that Im not sure who snowball is so im not sure where to find there instructions. :-D

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