My Silkie chickens, a breed of chicken named for its atypically fluffy, satin-like plumage, are growing fast and loving their new coop and outdoor enclosure here at the farm.
Earlier this summer, I incubated and hatched a large group of Silkie eggs from Stonebrook Silkies in Massachusetts. They are first kept in my stable feed room where they can be closely monitored. Once the chicks are big enough, they're moved to another coop nearby where they can have access to the outdoors. And then finally, they're transferred to a large pen where they can run, forage and graze. This breed is very calm and friendly - everyone at the farm loves to stop by and visit with them.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
In June, I purchased more than two dozen eggs from Stonebrook Silkies in Massachusetts. Chicken can ship through the US postal service under certain guidelines. All our eggs arrived safely and quickly.
Once they arrive, Helen “candles” each one, meaning she holds each egg against a light, turning it slowly, to observe the embryo inside. Fertilized, growing embryos can be identified by a visible network of blood vessels within the first week after being laid.
The eggs are placed into holders that fit in the incubator where they are safe from other birds and closely monitored until they hatch. Chicken eggs take 21-days. While the eggs incubate, they are automatically turned once a day, 45-degrees each way, back and forth during this period.
My incubating and hatching equipment is from GQF Manufacturing, Inc. in Savannah, Georgia – a company that specializes in game bird and poultry supplies. There are several crucial conditions needed for proper embryo development in all birds. These factors include: proper temperature, controlled humidity, and sufficient air circulation.
By the end of July, the Silkie chicks are hatched, alert, and healthy.
Chicks remain in my stable for a few weeks until they are big enough to go to the “nursery” coop.
This “nursery” coop just outside the stable is larger and has access to an outdoor space. It was made from a coop I acquired, refurbished, and repurposed from a commercial shoot.
And now the birds are in a more permanent yard where they join some older Silkies. Silkies were originally bred in China. They are best known for their characteristically fluffy plumage said to feel silk- or satin-like to the touch. Underneath all that feathering, they also have black skin and bones and five toes instead of the typical four on each foot.
There are eight Silkie color varieties accepted by the American Poultry Association. They include black, blue, buff, gray, partridge, splash, and white.
Silkies also have black eyes, dark beaks, combs, and wattles.
This breed grows a bit slower than other chicken breeds. The combs of Silkie chickens are very dark maroon red. Both male and female chickens have combs, but they’re larger in males. Baby chicks hatch with tiny combs that get larger as they mature.
Silkies are also adaptable and playful. And, they are naturally more calm than most other breeds.
Here at the farm, there is always plenty of food and lots of fresh water for all my birds – everything is replenished or changed whenever needed.
They also have different types of feeders, where they can easily access their food indoors and out. As with all my birds, they also feast on fresh greens and other scraps from my kitchen.
Because the Silkie’s feathers lack functioning barbicels, similar to down on other birds, they are unable to fly, but they can stretch and flap their wings.
This also means that the feathering is not waterproofed, so they should never get too wet. If they do, they must be dried or they will likely get ill.
Here are some of the youngest Silkies at the waterer. Whenever we move babies, we always re-introduce them to the food and water container, so they always know where to find them.
Here, one can see this Silkie’s grayish-blue beak, which is short and quite broad at the base.
Some characteristics between males and females – female Silkies will keep their bodies more horizontally positioned, while males will stand more upright, keeping their chests forward and their necks elongated. Males will also hold their tail more upright, where females will keep it horizontal or slightly dipped toward the ground.
Their bodies should be broad and stout, the back is short, and the breast is full.
The head on a Silkie should be crested, looking somewhat like a pompom. The head on this white Silkie is a good example.
Silkies weigh anywhere from 1.1 pounds for a female Bantam variety, up to four pounds for a large breed Silkie.
In general, chickens are quite vocal. They make around 30 different calls to communicate with each other, expressing everything from “I am hungry” to “there’s a predator nearby.” While these birds are a bit quieter than others, they still peep and communicate within their flock.
It is believed that the Silkie was first mentioned by Marco Polo around 1290 to 1300 during his journey across Europe and the Far East. Although he did not see the bird, it was reported to him by a fellow traveler, and he wrote about it in his journal, describing it as “a furry chicken.” The Silkie chicken made its way westward either by the Silk Road or by the maritime routes, most likely both. Experts accepted the Silkie into the British Poultry Standard of Perfection in 1865 and the American Poultry Association standard in 1874. These beautiful birds make a great addition to my animal family here at Cantitoe Corners.
At my farm, I dedicated the first floor of my guest house as a studio space where I can do various remote appearances, shoots, Zoom meetings, podcasts, and other work related projects. In the living room, we decorated the mantel and fireplace with many of my new Halloween and Harvest pieces from QVC.
To match the owls, here is my 24-inch Lit Gilded Fall Pumpkin Wreath. It has black and champagne-colored fall foliage dusted in glitter, mini metallic rubbed pumpkins, and 30 LED lights.
Both the wreath and this five-foot Lit Gilded Fall Pumpkin Garland can be used indoors or out and has a six-hour on/18 hour off built-in timer.
Many viewers love my new Crystal Wire Web Lights. Place it in an entryway or by the fireplace to add a special and spooky effect. And, do you know the difference between a spider web and a cobweb? A “spider web” refers to a web that is still in use by a spider. A “cobweb” refers to one that has been abandoned.
For the web, you’ll definitely want my Wire Spider with LED Lights. This creepy crawler will shine bright wherever you put it. It measures 12-inches by 11-inches by 4.5 inches.
My Ceramic Pumpkin with Glitter Owl look so festive on these pedestals. The come in creamy white or bright orange with the silhouette of an owl sitting on a branch with its wings outstretched.
And these are fun – my 22.5″ Indoor/Outdoor Halloween Candles. These elegant flameless candles with candelabras flicker safely and can be used indoors or out.
This gold toned metal wheat swag is rust and weather resistant, so hang it up above the mantel or outside on the porch.
I love this gold pumpkin and turkey. The Resin Gilded Pumpkin comes in a set of two. The large measures 10-inches by six-inches and the small is 7.5 inches by five-inches. The Resin Gilded Turkey Figure stands a foot tall. Both are great to use as holiday table centerpieces or to decorate a shelf for the entire autumn season.
And this is my elegant seven-inch Metal Wheat Votive Holder. It fits best with a flameless four by three inch pillar candle.
For the window, or a door, don’t forget a seasonal wreath such as my Metal Moon Star and Bats Wreath. This wreath is sturdy and weighs about 1.5 pounds.
Everyone likes festive string lights. These ghost string lights illuminate with a ghoulish glow. Hang them from a mantel or arrange them on your tabletop for a spooky centerpiece.
Here’s a closer look – each one is illuminated with an LED light – 10 ghosts in all.
On the window, we hung this fun 18″ Glittered Metal Bat Wreath – just right to welcome all your guests on All Hallows’ Eve.
Don’t you love these Melted Top Wax Dripped Pillar Candles? Each lifelike candle looks just as if the wax is dripping all down the sides. These come in white, gray and black.
Place one of my flameless candles under this 20″ Metal Wire Pumpkin. This comes stacked in two or three pumpkins high in this black or orange.
You can see all these offerings on QVC.com. And, be sure to check out all my other Collections – you’ll want to order every piece! Follow me on Twitter and Instagram to see when I’ll be on QVC next!
Here in Bedford, New York, we're expecting overcast skies today with highs in the 70s and maybe a few lingering showers - after a full day of good, steady rain.
We haven't had any soaking rains here since June. Much of this region has been under a drought "watch" for weeks. Here at my farm, I'm fortunate to have a strong well system, so we could keep all the gardens and groves adequately hydrated. But yesterday, we finally got some much needed precipitation - all the sprinklers were turned off and all the hoses were coiled and stored next to their designated bibs. It rained consistently for almost 24-hours dropping more than an inch of rain over my home. We still need some more, but this was a good start.
Here are some photos. And be sure to watch me on QVC today at 1pm when I share some of my newest Halloween decorations!
We’ve been waiting for rain for quite some time. We’ve heard about rain in the forecast, but it always seemed to “just miss us.” Finally it came. It started the night before and lasted through the day. Here is a view of the dark, ominous clouds from my terrace parterre.
Here in Bedford, the rain was not extremely strong or damaging, but it was steady. This is one of two hand-casted antique fountains I purchased many year ago. One can see the rings of the raindrops on the water.
The skies look eerily gray over the paddocks and trees. On the left is my grove of American beech trees. All the trees need a good watering.
Even with gray clouds overhead, the great white pines stand tall in the landscape. These white pine trees are visible from almost every location on this end of the farm. Pinus Strobus is a large pine native to eastern North America. Some white pines can live more than 400-years.
On one end of the Boxwood Allée is this beautiful weeping copper beech, Fagus sylvatica ‘Purpurea Pendular’, an irregular spreading tree with long, weeping branches that reach the ground.
Not far is my Pin Oak Allée – one of several allées at the farm and the first one guests see when they visit. A recognizable trait of the pin oak is that its lower branches hang down. It also has horizontal middle branches and upright upper branches forming a most interesting growth habit.
This is part of the newer of two allées of lindens at the farm. This one is in between two of my paddocks. It extends from my pergola all the way down to the chicken coops.
Here is a view north looking at the allée of lindens. These trees are growing so nicely.
And here is a view looking south from the Boxwood Allée, through the maze paddock and my Winter House in the distance. Be sure to follow my blog and my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48 for updates on my developing living maze.
The Asian pear espalier outside my stable is full of fruits, and the raccoons know it. We covered the espalier with netting to keep the hungry critters away.
All but the geese sought cover during the hardest rainfall. The geese didn’t seem to mind the rain at all and continued to walk around, graze, and flap their wings.
There are still many hydrangeas blooming in the perennial garden across from my vegetable garden. Hydrangea is a genus of at least 70-species of flowering plants native to southern and eastern Asia and the Americas. The Hydrangea “flower” is really a cluster of flowers called a corymb.
This is my grove of weeping willows on the edge of one of my hayfields. Weeping willows are upright, fast-growing, deciduous trees that can grow up to 80-feet tall. Because of their massive root systems, they need a fair amount of room to grow. They also prefer wet feet and are often planted on the banks of streams and rivers to prevent erosion.
They’re prized for their delicate, weeping branches that graze the ground with fluttering, silver-tinged leaves.
The rain came down hard in the woodland too…
… just not hard enough to wet all the bark on all the trees.
Finally there’s water in the streams again – they had been so dry this summer.
Here’s a view through a grove of dawn redwoods, Metasequoia – just behind my chicken yard. Underneath is a large bed of hostas, a perennial favorite. Their lush green foliage varying in leaf shape, size, and texture, and their easy care requirements make them ideal for so many gardens.
All our trusted Gilmour hoses and sprinklers are getting a break on this day, but they’re standing by ready to use – who knows when the next strong rains will fall over Cantitoe Corners.
And did you see my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48? My handsome Friesians and Fell pony were enjoying the rain too. How much rain have you been getting this summer? Share some of your weather updates with me – I am eager to hear from you.
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