twochicksandamom.blogspot.com

Saturday, February 14, 2026

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY TEDDY

Happy Birthday to our boy!

Thursday, February 12, 2026

FUNTASTIC FRIDAY LINK PARTY AND VALENTINE'S DAY CREATIONS

Hello and welcome to Funtastic Friday! Well, we might not have gotten much snow in Northern Nevada but we are getting a considerable amount of rainfall this winter. Being from NE Florida, I loved hearing the raindrops hitting our roof when I was a kid. Unfortunately, it usually doesn't rain to hard here, just more of a constant drizzle lol. That's okay, I prefer to drive in rain over snow and ice.

This week on the blog, I shared a post that gives a bit of info into the activities (many of them free) that we found aboard our Holland America Line ALASKAN CRUISE last summer, as well as some of the cuisine that we enjoyed in the main dining room! Hope you will check it out.

This cute sweet shop was seen as we were on a short walk thru part of Victoria, B.C. as part of our cruise, too. Isn't it adorable?

Let's Party now and.....

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Chalk Painted Bottles for Valentine's Day by Coastal Bohemian

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ON TO THIS WEEK'S PARTY!

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TIPS FOR RAISING SILKIE CHICKENS

This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you make a purchase using one of these links, I will earn a small commission, which will not affect the pricing for you.

As many of you know, I have been raising a backyard flock of chickens for about 5 years now. I started with two Black Barred Rock hen and two Red Sex-Linked hens, These girls were followed last year by us adding two Easter Eggers and then about a month later, two Silkies.

Annie, Eva, Piety, and Hallie

Helen and Hannah (Easter Eggers)

As a child, my family had several Silkies hen and roosters. They were small and gentle, so perfect for a youngster to carry around the yard. Our Silkies were named Susie, Sally, Henry, Herman, and Henrietta. I have very fond memories of them. My two current Silkie hens are named after Susie and Sally.

We already had six hens when I spoke to my husband about adding in the Silkies. Silkies are much smaller than most breeds of chickens, with hens weighing approximately 2 pounds at maturity. Even though they are small, they can be feisty and watch out for themselves. Our older hens are so much bigger that I worried about how the Silkies would get along with them. I found out rather quickly that I needed to keep Susie and Sally in their run when the bigger hens were out.

Susie (white) and Sally (gray, now black) when we brought them home.

Sleepy girls after the long ride home when we purchased them from a farm near Reno, NV.

Silkies are a bit of anomaly as they have black skin and even black bones. They don't really have chicken feathers as it is more downy-like. Regular chicken feathers repel water but Silkies' plumage doesn't so it is important that they don't get or stay wet for long. Silkies do molt as other chickens do and yes, they look a bit ragged during this time. Silkies do not fly so make sure any roosting areas are low enough to the ground for them. They also are pentadactyly--they have five toes on each foot instead of four.

Originating in China centuries ago, many people keep these chickens as pets or ornamental additions to their gardens. I have seen some social media videos in which they are shown as house pets (wearing a diaper of sorts). They are generally considered quite gentle and good with children (teach the children to be gentle back) 😊.

I used a dog kennel to give them some "grass time" when they were still quite small.

Since Silkies are small and they have plumage that covers their eyes (you can trim it but have someone hold them while you do trim), I suggest supervising them if they are free ranging. I suppose, as I have said, that I worry too much about my chickens, but the older hens are quite large and I feel they are safe out and about. The Silkies, I like to watch over them when out of their run. I usually give them an hour or so during the warmer weather while I am tending to yardwork or maybe reading outside. We live in town and there are hawks and even owls in our area, especially during summer and the fall.

I feed Susie and Sally similar to my other hens: in the morning, they all get some organic greens, blueberries, hardboiled egg and some dried mealworms. Their layer pellets are out in each run at all times and plenty of water is available. We (my husband and I) add electrolytes to their water, especially in the summer and at times apple cider vinegar (ACV). Susie has had crop issues for the past couple of years, as in, her crop doesn't always fully empty and can be noticeable. Chickens' crops should be pretty empty each morning. I went so far as to take her to a vet who owns and specializes in chickens (2.5 hours away). I did this twice but eventually I calmed down about it and have a small "crop apron" that adds just a bit of pressure to the crop area, to help with emptying it. She seems healthy and is pooping fine and her appetite is good. The ACV can assist with digestion so that is one reason why we put it in the water. There is information to be found online about the crop issues; I ordered the crop apron from Etsy.

A Silkie egg on the left and a Black Barred-Rock egg on the right.

Silkies typically don't start laying till 7 to 9 months of age and they lay approximately 100 eggs per year (not as many as many other breeds). While the eggs are smaller, they are just as delicious as larger chicken eggs! Silkies are also great moms; they don't even have to be their own offspring! In Fall of 2024, the girls were SO broody. I did get a few eggs from a friend who had a rooster and a chick did hatch. We weren't really sure what kind of chicken it was, so we called it a barnyard mix.

Sally took over main "mama duties" so poor Susie. Chad was with us for about 5 months but once he started crowing, we knew it was only a matter of time before someone in the area complained. We did find a good home for Chad, where he can live out his life, and while we haven't tried giving the girls anymore babies to raise, we might someday.

Despite Chad being so much larger than the Silkies, he would still try to sit on them at night to sleep lol.

Silkies, if well cared for, can live on average up to 9 years! As with any breed of chicken, Silkies need an area safe from predators and a warm coop; plenty of fresh water; a diet that consists mainly of a high-quality feed and various acceptable treats. Here are some of my favorite chicken care items:

CHICK FEED FOR UP TO 16 WEEKS (pretty much the only food that they need for the first 16 weeks. If they seem off or weak, you can also give hardboiled or scrambled egg yolk)

BLACK FLY DRIED LARVAE (similar to mealworms and great source of protein)

CHICKEN FEEDERS (we hang ours from the top of the run so it is off the ground)

HEATED CHICKEN WATERER (great for cold winter nights)

CHICKEN COOP (most info states 4 to 5 sq ft per chicken)

PINE SHAVINGS (for nesting boxes)

PROBIOTICS/ELECTROLYTES AND VITAMINS

VETERICYN WOUND SPRAY (always have this or something similar to have on hand)

Silkies do well in temperatures down to 0 degrees and normally up to 100 degrees F. Mine have endured both well. In the winter, we usually add layers of nesting material to keep them warmer in their coop. Chickens are also known for snuggling together to keep warm. In the summer, when the temps hit the 90s or triple digits, we spray down the run areas of all the chickens several times a day and have been known to add an oscillating fan in the area (not near the damp or watered areas lol).

This is just a bit of info if you are all interested in owning Silkies. I also have a post RAISING BACKYARD CHICKENS 101 with further info and photos of our coop/run set-up.

Here are some sites for more info on chickens in general that you may find interesting:

BACKYARD CHICKEN CHATTER

BACKYARD CHICKENS

AUDREY'S LITTLE FARM

Thanks for stopping by!

Thursday, February 5, 2026

FUNTASTIC FRIDAY LINK PARTY 578 AND VALENTINE IDEAS

Welcome to the party! Hope all is well and, if you were in the path of the snow and ice storm, that al is well with you are yours!

This week on the blog, I shared a post about our Holland America Cruise through the Inside Passage of Alaska and our day in Ketchikan. If you haven't cruised before or have never been to Alaska, I highly recommend. My husband and I had a great time, on the ship and at the ports we docked in. The crew of the Westerdam were so attentive and our stewards were AWESOME! Here is a link to the KETCHIKAN SHORE EXCURSION.