Happy Valley Silkies

11/08/2024

Vietnam

11/05/2024

Please double check your heat plates, I had 4 cuties hatch and I tucked them under the heat plate for the night just assuming it was on because they are so reliable…… one of the babes was mostly dry which is fine with friends under a warmer… so I thought…. Next morning come to find said babe cold, wet and gasping along with one baby barely standing and two huddled in desperation. The heat plate was never on these poor newborns were hypothermic 😢. I had to go to work catching human babies so I called for my main man to come assist. I got the heat plate connected and working and put the three stable babies under it and my hubby took the lifeless floof to bed with him (it’s only gone if it’s warm and gone) see above after 30 minutes on my hubbies warm chest ❤️ please PSA keep checking those heat plates, thank god they are in my house. Blessed miracle p*eps we so love every one of you. Renee

11/02/2024

Let's talk about 💩.

P**p can be super helpful in identifying an issue going on with your chicken. If you have these feathered, tiny dinosaurs 🦕 then you've definitely seen a wide range of chicken doody.

Bloody 💩: We've all seen this and know that it's most commonly seen in chicks or juveniles and typically associated with coccidiosis.

Red/reddish brown 💩: This is commonly known as cecal p**p and it's actually a sign that everything is working properly in your chicken. People can often mistake cecal p**p for bloody p**p. In my experience, if you're staring at the p**p trying to determine if it's bloody or not, then it's not. Bloody p**p will usually be bright red and you won't mistake it for anything else.

Green 💩: Green doo doo is a sign that your chicken likely isn't eating so they have a lot of bile in their p**p. I find this really helpful in being alerted early to something being off with one of my chickens. Green p**p can also happen if a chicken is eating a large amount of green, leafy veggies or even blueberries can turn their p**p green.

Giant, smelly 💩: This normally means you have a broody hen. When they're broody, they hold that p**p in so they don't make a mess in their nest area or all over their eggs. When they do eventually get off thr nest, they'll have a huge, gross p**p waiting for you. 😉

White 💩: This can mean different things, but it usually means your chicken is drinking a lot more fluids than usual. If the weather is really hot then this is perfectly normal. The white caps on p**p are actually urates that a chicken p**ps out, it's their version of p*e. So, just like us, if we drink a lot of fluids, we produce a lot more urine. White p**p can also be a sign of a few other issues, but they aren't super common and if the weather is hot then you can be pretty sure it's just due to consuming more fluids.

Watery 💩: This is normal in hot weather or when a chicken has eaten a lot of fruit or veggies that contain a lot of water, like watermelon. 🍉

Foamy 💩: This can happen for a few reasons. Foamy p**p can happen if the chicken is eating a diet too high in protein or has internal parasites or a bacterial infection. Personally, I have found this is most common with too much protein.

Worm 💩: Clearly, this means your chicken has worms. By the time you see them in their p**p, they typically have a fairly heavy load of worms. If one chicken has worms, they likely all do. Follow up with the appropriate worming protocol for your flock.

Weird p**p can happen for a lot of reasons so these are just the most common 💩's and reasons for them. Pay attention to your chickens 💩 and it'll help you catch any issues early on. 😉

11/02/2024

10/31/2024

Happy Halloween to all my followers, friends and families 🎃✨️
I wish you all a spooky evening 👻

10/27/2024

Nice fresh pens 🐣 this is my kind of work out 💪

10/27/2024

How I provide fresh greens while inside the barn in winter 🌱

10/27/2024

We talk nutrition a lot because silkies are so prone to vitamin deficiencies. One of the Vitamins I see them absorbing at a slower pace are the B vitamins. We always try to suppement with Nutri-Drench or Poultry Cell in water, with herbs and fruits and vegetables.

I often forget to share this gem - Brewer's Yeast. It is high in Vitamin B. If you ever had issues in your flock with wry neck or lameness in the legs, please consider adding this as routine to their feed. We have in shop a mix we sell that has extra herbs - garlic, oregano, echinacea and sage powders that is safe for chicks as well. You can also make your own mix and add one teaspoon for hatchlings and two teaspoons for adults to one lb of feed.

It will boost your birds immune system a d help with any niacin deficiencies (one of the B vitamins).

10/27/2024

My favorite power couple Eddie and Emma, unrelated both 7 months, can’t wait for spring 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

10/27/2024

Eddie 🖤 age 7 months bred by Rustic Roost Silkies

10/27/2024

Newest editions from Forever Silkies for buff and chocolate pens plus four surprise fun pen babes from Poultry Paradise 🐣

10/26/2024

Since I am the vaccine queen (lol) I'll share some info.

I have dealt with my share of Fowl pox, infact it almost wiped out my chocolate pen about 3 years ago.

I highly suggest vaccinating against it if you live in a humid and hot climate.

The vaccine is extremely affordable and easy to administer. I will post a link in the comments to where I buy mine from.

What is fowl pox??

Fowl pox is a viral disease that affects poultry, including chickens, turkeys, quail, canaries, and pigeons. It is caused by the fowlpox virus (FWPV), which is a member of the Poxviridae family and the Avipoxvirus genus.

Fowl pox can appear in two forms:

Cutaneous
A mild form that causes wart-like bumps on unfeathered skin, usually around the head and legs.

Diphtheritic (wet pox)
A more severe form that causes yellowish lesions in the mouth, upper respiratory tract, and upper gastrointestinal tract. This form can lead to asphyxiation and more deaths than the cutaneous form.

Fowl pox can be spread through direct contact between birds, by mosquitoes, or by other biting insects. It can also spread through the air from dried scabs or feathers that contain the virus.

Fowl pox can be prevented with a vaccine that is administered by injecting the wing web of the bird. The vaccine should be given to chickens at 12–16 weeks of age.

Birds with mild fowl pox infections can recover in 2–4 weeks, while severe infections can take 4–6 weeks. Proper care, such as keeping wounds clean, providing a balanced diet, and reducing environmental stressors, can help with the healing process.