Silkie thread! - Page 2244

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Originally Posted by Sonoran Silkies 

That has its own problems--people purchasing from a known breeder/exhibitor expect that the birds they purchase come from the show flock, not an "extra" flock whose purpose is bird sales.  When someone wants to purchase from me, my first question is always "tell me what you are looking for."  

Very true!!

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Originally Posted by peepblessed 

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Originally Posted by KMHunter 

Oh good. Then I am going to start putting them all out in the run during the day and use a lower wattage ceramic bulb in the brooder at night for another week or so. Then I am going to kick all of their cutre little fuzzy behinds outside for good! It's getting warm enough here that I shouldn't worry too much.  Yeah, right.

I have never had anything so small and cute! It brings out my overprotective side. But I know I can't coddle them too much or they may not stay healthy. At least I have found that to be true of my LF chicks.

One more thought. I turn lights out at night around 5 weeks in the house. Chicks with a light grow much faster than chicks raised by a broodie as they eat more. After 7 or 8 weeks under a light their wings can develop too fast and cause they to be too heavy and fold wrong.

Yeah, I remember you saying that. My older ones had a ceramic bulb in th brooder at 4-5 weeks. My younger ones are just 4.5 weeks so I am going to get them in lights out mode soon too. Thanks!

 So much to learn about Silkies. Can anybody recommend a great Silkie Breeding Book , SOP for beginners. Also do you have to have show qaulity silkies to be in the ASBC?

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoldBarRanch 

 So much to learn about Silkies. Can anybody recommend a great Silkie Breeding Book , SOP for beginners. Also do you have to have show qaulity silkies to be in the ASBC?

http://farmgirly.com/category/standards-of-perfection/

For pictures and critiques and breeders ideas on faults, features, good vs. bad you should definitely consider becoming part of the ASBC which has albums full of pictures of the different features on the silkies - and no there are all sorts on ASBC, those who just want nice quality pets, those who show, those who are just beginning and learning, the really experienced breeders/showers, etc... You pay a 'due' once a year and thats all :) 

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Originally Posted by peepblessed 

So sorry!!

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Originally Posted by blessedchick 

Oh no!!! I'm so, so sorry about your loss! He was a very handsome boy...

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Originally Posted by Suzierd 


So sorry to hear this he was awesome.

Thanks you guys , I hate it when this stuff happens it really stinks. I'm looking for new silkies this week . Its really hard to find Great quailty birds here because of the heat and shipping. So when something happens to your birds here its a real set back because yo have to start over with chicks and  unknown quailitys ect. And the breeders that do have birds are still watching to see how they turn out . Makes me wish I lived in the cooler climates so it would be easier to get them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by chisNchickens 

I DO think this is a valuable thread, certainly. I just wish there was a next level thread, so to speak. There is a big difference in loving all the silkies and keeping them as pets as opposed to wanting to breed quality birds for exhibition. The former is the majority however, so be it. Again, as some folks seem to think I meant to trash the thread, I DO enjoy it. Heck I leave the tab up all the time for easy access.  A person can still wish for more though right? ;-)

Why don't you start a thread of that sort? What could it hurt to try?

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Originally Posted by 4hchickmama 

I was hoping one of you could direct me to where there was a discussion about split wing.  I'm not sure if I should be concerned or not with my bird.  Shes about 9-10 months and she just moulted, which could be what I am seeing, but she appears to possibly have a split wing on one side.  Or maybe it is just growing in slow....or maybe I am just overreacting...lol.  But if someone could direct me, I would appreciate it.  I would love to read more about it.

 

Thanks!

The club forum has a thread with tons of photos of split wing.  If her feathers are still growing in after a molt, and you had not seen the issue before it, my best guess is that she simply has not grown in the new axial feather.  If you post photos showing her whole body, another showing the "good" wing side and a third showing the side you are concerned about, we may be able to help.  Let her hold her wings herself--don't spread them.  If you want, you can spread the wings and show those TOO, but we need to see photos where she is holding her wings herself.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4hchickmama 

I was hoping one of you could direct me to where there was a discussion about split wing.  I'm not sure if I should be concerned or not with my bird.  Shes about 9-10 months and she just moulted, which could be what I am seeing, but she appears to possibly have a split wing on one side.  Or maybe it is just growing in slow....or maybe I am just overreacting...lol.  But if someone could direct me, I would appreciate it.  I would love to read more about it.

 

Thanks!

We had this dicussion a while back. http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/297632/silkie-thread/17700  Hawkeye has a great photo of an immature wing. Maybe she will repost it for you. This is such a critical subject. I'm hoping we will get some feedback from Sonoran or anyone else who has extensive knowledge on the subject. We always see photos of very obvious split wing but what about the ones that are not so obvious?

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Originally Posted by howfunkyisurchicken 

Hello again Silkie fiends! I have another question, that's probably already been asked, if it has I apologize So, in my search for birds, I've ended up with a gaggle of different colors and not enough space to keep them all separate I've got b/b/s, which I'll gladly lump together. But I've also got whites, porcelain and what are supposed to be lavender (though to me they look white). Anyway, obviously the whites need their own pen, but can I house my porcelains and lavenders together without producing a bunch of crazy stuff? My understanding is porcelains are still lavender splits, and if I breed them to a lavender I'll get lavenders and more splits (porcelains), am I correct in my thinking or did I fudge what I think I read? I've found that in my mad scramble to buy adorable Silkies I just bought whatever I could find with no regards to color, so now I have to figure out what the heck I'm going to do with all of them. Thanks so much guys, what would us noos do without you!?!

First, porcelains are NOT lav splits (if they are split, they are absolutely not porcelain under any conceivable definition or standard).  Porcelains should be pure for lavender, but they also have several other genes going on that lavenders do not.  Yes, you can house them together, but don't expect good lavender offspring.  Your porcelains might benefit, though.  Or they may not.  It depends on how far into development they are, and whether their breeder knew what he/he was doing.  Also depends on type of all the birds, regardless of variety.  Depending on your spacing and number of pens, and of course your goals, you might consider letting many of the birds mix together and simply not hatch from that group.  Or throughout the year, rotate different varieties through your breeding pen.  If you keep one breeding pen, one pen of boys and a third of girls, you won't have to wait to hatch once you rotate birds into the breeding pen.

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Originally Posted by GoldBarRanch 

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Originally Posted by peepblessed 

So sorry!!

 

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Originally Posted by blessedchick 

Oh no!!! I'm so, so sorry about your loss! He was a very handsome boy...

 

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Originally Posted by Suzierd 


So sorry to hear this he was awesome.

Thanks you guys , I hate it when this stuff happens it really stinks. I'm looking for new silkies this week . Its really hard to find Great quailty birds here because of the heat and shipping. So when something happens to your birds here its a real set back because yo have to start over with chicks and  unknown quailitys ect. And the breeders that do have birds are still watching to see how they turn out . Makes me wish I lived in the cooler climates so it would be easier to get them.

Even in cooler climates it is difficult to find birds at this time of year.  Fall through late winter is when you will find the most available birds.