Silkie thread! - Page 2034

Wow, I think that is really beautiful!! I am enjoing my silkie girls too! THey are really hard to find on Vancouver island, BC. thanks for sharing I would love to have a roo like yours, he really is handsome :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hawkeye95 

Right--- well, this has been my thinking all along.  In fact, I was getting good at spotting a washed out Splash with a darker diluted Splash-- mine are darker and I really like them.  I have several Blues as well-- easy to spot in my opinion, even the lighter ones with some darker feathers-- like the first picture you posted.  But my Splash, never considered them a messy Blue because they did not have a white base.  We have to leave here in a bit-- day camp stuff for the kids, but when I get back, I'll be able to go get pics of some of my younger birds and post.    I had never second guessed myself until just now!  

You must imagine the "coloration" of our chickens is not build on 1 color-gene but on several color-genes acting and reacting with eachother.

I give an example on other breeds.

The Ancona Black white mottled should contain E/E S/S*S/- mo/mo Ml/Ml and look like this :

The Livorno Exchequer should contain E/E S/S*S/- mo/mo ml+/ml+ and look like this :

The difference is the Livorno Exchequer miss the black-pigment intensifier Melanotic Ml/Ml which the Ancona Black white mottled pocess !

Now when you cross both above birds you should become this E/E S/S*S/- mo/mo Ml/ml+ (only 1 doses of the black-pigment intensifier Melanotic) and they can look as these :

This should illustrate the differences in the phenotype aswell as in the genotypes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chickadee30 

Hello! I'm loving my 4 BO babies and would like to add a silkie. Do they all have the great furnishings (not sure the technical term for all their feathers on their head and legs) or is that only some varieties? I see online some aren't as heavily feathered but perhaps that's an age issue also? Are they friendly for the most part? I have kids and don't mind shy birds but def don't want aggressive birds. Thanks!!!

Complete sweethearts!  Wonderful with children.  I have a 4 yr old they'll actually stop in front of her to let her pick them up.  She carries them ALL OVER.  They love it!  I do have 1 hatchery blue silkie (the one in my profile pic) and she's not as heavily feathered as the other 2 I bought from the breeder.

I just had to tell you guys, my newbies went into the coop with the big girls last night.  All is well....and my silkie cockerel "crowed" for the first time.  My hubby said "what was that?"  We laughed....first attempts at a crow.  Too funny.

Today is lockdown day!  Yay!  Babies are on the way.

So, I have a smarty pants on my hands.

I didn't think about weight the trap down, and the coon just rolled the trap over and over and ate the bait through the trap... Going to try again tonight, with a different trick I just read about. I hope it works. Put the bait in a hole under the trap, weight the trap down, and make sure it can't be tipped/rolled... Going to use more left over turkey, and maybe some peanut butter...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Debbi 

I am scared to death to let mine free range! Too many hawks, cats, and dogs that do and don't recognize them as chickens! So, I go and pick them their greenage every night. Right now the blackberries are starting to ripen, and my White male, Bossy, (my avatar), let's me know it, as they are right outside of his run. So, tonight I picked a bunch of ripe blackberries for him and his women and chicks. OMG, you should've seen the scramble!! I sure hope poor Bossy got at least one. He is such a gentleman, he calls the girls and chicks over to the treats, and stands back and let's them have it all. He is the proud Papa, and when the  6 chicks get cold or scared, they all huddle in between his legs! That's getting kind of crazy now, as they are about 2 1/2 weeks and growing like weeds; not enough room for all of them at once, but there he stands and shelters them all. It is so nice to be able to finally watch, learn, and enjoy chicken behavior! I have never had that luxury before, nor have I ever had broodies! They have a very close family dynamic going on there, it's amazing to me...

Yeah, I won't free range my birds.  We have hawks that dive down and attacked one of my turkey a while back-- messed her back up, but she ended up being fine.  Then we have neighbor dogs that occassionaly come over and make a nuisance of themselves.  THEN we have coyote that are getting pretty bold and come up close to the house.  We also are getting more fox.  It's all understandable, there is a lot of land out here for them to hide in.  My birds are all behind hardware cloth and chain link.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NovaAman 

I got the tractor modified. Not only did I get the trim to sandwich the fencing on the run, I also got lattice work. So now it goes like this, fencing attached, lattice over that and then the trim work over that. All screws in. Its very pretty looking.
Roger and his 3 dotte chicks would not go in it at all tonite. They are in another coop for now...
Thanks for the condolences on the loss of my beautiful silkies.
I don't know if I said it here or on MI thread, but Roger has lost nearly all his tail feathers and his wing feathers look like a kid took a pair of safety scissors yo them, but he has no wounds. Love Roger. Will post the feather damage pick tomorrow.

Glad you got the run/coop fixed.  Poor Roger.  

Quote:

Originally Posted by SilverSilkie 

You must imagine the "coloration" of our chickens is not build on 1 color-gene but on several color-genes acting and reacting with eachother.

 

I give an example on other breeds.

The Ancona Black white mottled should contain E/E S/S*S/- mo/mo Ml/Ml and look like this :

The Livorno Exchequer should contain E/E S/S*S/- mo/mo ml+/ml+ and look like this :

 

The difference is the Livorno Exchequer miss the black-pigment intensifier Melanotic Ml/Ml which the Ancona Black white mottled pocess !

 

Now when you cross both above birds you should become this E/E S/S*S/- mo/mo Ml/ml+ (only 1 doses of the black-pigment intensifier Melanotic) and they can look as these :

 

This should illustrate the differences in the phenotype aswell as in the genotypes.

I love how easily you are able to make your point and with the great pictures!  Each time you do this, I copy it all and add it to a file I started a while back where you have explained so many things that are very straight forward.  I am going to have a book of your explainations!  LOL   (or more like a handbook for quick reference for myself)   By the way, I have a silver laced Wyandotte that ended up being 'reversed' in color-- exactly like your last two pictures!  I was wondering how that had happened, so that is really neat.  Thank you!  :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by NovaAman 

So, I have a smarty pants on my hands.

 

I didn't think about weight the trap down, and the coon just rolled the trap over and over and ate the bait through the trap... Going to try again tonight, with a different trick I just read about. I hope it works. Put the bait in a hole under the trap, weight the trap down, and make sure it can't be tipped/rolled... Going to use more left over turkey, and maybe some peanut butter...

That is a smart coon.  Looks like he knows what a trap is already.  That's not a good sign.  Good luck getting him!  He'll be back, he knows there is food.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sonoran Silkies 

Not really.  They look MUCH more like polish.  But with feathered feet and 5 toes.

 They also have the vulture hocks and pink skin.  We absolutely ♥♥♥ ours, both of whom are boys.  Sweeties!!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swissmiss989 

I dont have photos because they are so darn small! I can try to get a photo later tho. To me it sounded like mites because the silkies had build up on the base of their feathers by their scalp (it looked like mud and since the silkies play in the mud and rain it wasnt really a surprise. if they had mud on them) I really hate wild birds. How do i keep wild birds out of my pens?
 

I'm pages and pages behind (as usual, lol) but I would try removing their food source unless they are eating the regular chicken food. I fortunately haven't had too much of a problem with this because several of my big girls will charge the wild birds landing in the yard and will chase them off. It may take you being out there for a while to help chase them off (if you can) before they start to figure out they aren't welcome.  Good luck!