Recent content by 4hchickmama

While technically you *could* show an EE in 4H, your kids wouldn't do well and depending on the judge, they could get a DQ. The clubs out here really encourage sticking to the SOP and I imagine most are going to be the same way. If they are really young, like primaries, they can use a EE for...

Opinions on this young pullet? I'm really pleased with her...but I'm wondering about the bits of white on her wings. Opinions?

If you can do Holderreads, do Holderreads. If not, I'd do Metzer...or search locally. Here is my drake who came from Holderreads lines. I also have a both a silver and a gold duck who are also very nice. Also....my ducks lay nearly every day like clockwork.

Yes, pretty dark. Here is the comb of a buff pullet.

The bird in my profile pic is a hen, so the comb is quite small, but it is the correct color.

Mulberry walnut comb is the standard. So kind of a reddish purple. Post a pic and we can give you critiques if you'd like.

Oh and they also have trouble climbing a ramp....so if you have a ramp up to your coop, they might need to be taught to coop up. I just got a new coop with a bigger ramp and the silkies had to be shown how to do it. It took like 2 weeks, but now they do it. They don't roost, at all.

That is Sheri. I got mine from her too. She is awesome and has great birds. Silkies are VERY prone to hawk attacks because they cannot see very well.

My silkies run together with my LF, in fact my silkie hen is the top lady, but some LF can be too rough with them. If you introduced slowly, they would probably be okay depending upon your housing situation. p.s. I'm right up the road from you in Rocklin. :)

Mine do not. Neither silkies or cochins are really fliers. My cochin can get about 1-2ft off the ground to get up on a roost, but my silkies and my sizzles will not....not even slightly.

There ARE lethal genes in some birds...aracaunas for example. In that breed the double tufted gene can kill babies in the shell. In frizzled birds, two copies of the frizzled gene can cause some issues with severe lack of feathering (Think the worst moult you've ever seen, all the time.) To...

"Special" as in handicapped? No. They may or may not have proper coloring though. To breed true, you should breed buff to buff, partridge to partridge, etc. with the exception of Blue, Black and Splash which can be interbred. Now there is an issue with whites masking color...which I can't...

Okay leg shot...attempt 3. This was in natural light outside. p.s. Thank you all for your patience and advice!

Yeah...the lighting was kind of crummy. I will try to get one outside in more natural light today. They are not green. I'd call them blue-grey with a fleshy pink undertone.

Could have been shadows. Here is another pic...closer up.