Silkie breeding, genetics & showing

[heirloomorps]

My show Silkies always lived in 2x 2 Jap coops, so each had their own water bottle and feed cup.I can't imagine using a water CUP at a show ! Mine would have been a mess. I used small plastic pop bottles of my own water at the shows.

We use the same things for show. Soda bottle with a fount. We tried the cups but they just get so messy and water goes all over their crests. The water bottle and fount keeps them nice and clean.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: I always take water away the morning of the show, and return it after judging. I've used water bottles, but had too many leak and make a mess. That is okay when they are in wire bottom cages over ground, but not when it makes their cage look like the call ducks have been there.

 

[chisNchickens]

My show Silkies always lived in 2x 2 Jap coops, so each had their own water bottle and feed cup.I can't imagine using a water CUP at a show ! Mine would have been a mess. I used small plastic pop bottles of my own water at the shows.

I have one in particular that will rub her head/crest all over the water bottle spout/nipple/whatever-you-call it just to soak her head so she can see better. She does this despite the eye trim - doesn't matter. Grrrrr. I just can't seem to find anything that works. And remember - I'm talking about whites here! lol

 

[chisNchickens]

We use the same things for show. Soda bottle with a fount. We tried the cups but they just get so messy and water goes all over their crests. The water bottle and fount keeps them nice and clean.

Fount?

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: fount = waterer In this case, they mean the part that attached to the bottle that the bird drinks from.

 

[Sanna]

Almost all the online poultry supply houses have them; you can also purchase in feed stores, but they cost about twice as much (or more).

Thank you!

 

[heirloomorps]

fount = waterer In this case, they mean the part that attached to the bottle that the bird drinks from.

Yeah IDK what you call it in the US. It's a little plastic spout that goes on the soda bottle. In England we called it a fount.

 

[thedragonlady]

I have one in particular that will rub her head/crest all over the water bottle spout/nipple/whatever-you-call it just to soak her head so she can see better. She does this despite the eye trim - doesn't matter. Grrrrr. I just can't seem to find anything that works. And remember - I'm talking about whites here! lol

Betcha if you put a blob of red nail polish in the bottom of the pop bottle fount, she would stop that. Try it, and let me know.

 

[destiny_56085]

I use the pop bottle waterers from Smith Poultry Supply. They work great as long as you use regular type pop bottle and not the cheap water bottles (leak with those). I also use the little grey cups for the feed at shows. I'm tall enough to be able to mount them on the back side of the cages so they don't interfere with the view of the bird. I used to pull water back when I used the cups, but these work fine and crest/beards stay dry with these.



On my growout/show pens, I just use the 1 gallon founts at first and then 3 gallon rubber pans on the bigger birds. I get a few crest dippers, but not really a huge problem here. The boys go to a bachelor pen and pullets remain in the large group pen where young babies are being added. Just by removing the boys off to a separate area, birds seem to stay in condition pretty well here without having tons of individual pens.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I use the pop bottle waterers from Smith Poultry Supply. They work great as long as you use regular type pop bottle and not the cheap water bottles (leak with those). I also use the little grey cups for the feed at shows. I'm tall enough to be able to mount them on the back side of the cages so they don't interfere with the view of the bird. I used to pull water back when I used the cups, but these work fine and crest/beards stay dry with these.



On my growout/show pens, I just use the 1 gallon founts at first and then 3 gallon rubber pans on the bigger birds. I get a few crest dippers, but not really a huge problem here. The boys go to a bachelor pen and pullets remain in the large group pen where young babies are being added. Just by removing the boys off to a separate area, birds seem to stay in condition pretty well here without having tons of individual pens.

Ever since "they" decided to use less plastic ("greener") by making water and soda bottles with shorter caps, it is very difficult to find ones that fit the pop bottle waterers without leaking. But even the bird and small animal waterers that use a tube with a ball bearing seem to leak for me.