Silkie breeding, genetics & showing

[2seth2]

Promising young pullet I like.

 

[gooselady]

I need some good advice. I have some really nice Silkies coming on that are show hopefuls. I was wondering how you that show keep their feet clean without keeping them on wire all the time? It makes me feel bad for them. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

 

[PaintedFeathers]

I need some good advice. I have some really nice Silkies coming on that are show hopefuls. I was wondering how you that show keep their feet clean without keeping them on wire all the time? It makes me feel bad for them. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Sand or white clay cat litter.

 

[gooselady]

...

Sand or white clay cat litter.
Thank you so much! I'll try that. Both would be easy to scoop also.

 

[gooselady]

I messed that quote and reply up.
Thank you so much Painted Feathers. I will try those. Both would be easy to scoop also.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I need some good advice. I have some really nice Silkies coming on that are show hopefuls. I was wondering how you that show keep their feet clean without keeping them on wire all the time? It makes me feel bad for them. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

I used to think keeping them on wire would be painful. Then I put in a wire "shelf" to hold up their waterer and keep the litter out of the water. What I found is that they started roosting atop it at night--as many as could fit. So I added another two, and found that they would spend as much time on the wire as on the ground by choice. At that point I decided that it was not a big issue to be concerned about. And wire does tend to keep their feet cleaner and in better shape. What does seem to make a big difference on foot feather condition is the lower SIDES of their pen/coop/enclosure. Wire there can mess up foot feathers.

 

[gooselady]

I used to think keeping them on wire would be painful.  Then I put in a wire "shelf" to hold up their waterer and keep the litter out of the water.  What I found is that they started roosting atop it at night--as many as could fit.  So I added another two, and found that they would spend as much time on the wire as on the ground by choice.  At that point I decided that it was not a big issue to be concerned about.  And wire does tend to keep their feet cleaner and in better shape.  What does seem to make a big difference on foot feather condition is the lower SIDES of their pen/coop/enclosure.  Wire there can mess up foot feathers.

During the day, if it's nice, they are on the grass. So they do, at least, get a break from the wire. I think it bothers me more than them. Lol. Thank you for responding.

 

[flocknfoal]

Hi, I have a silkie rooster from a hatch that was supposed to be from blue / splash show stock. I'm no expert, but his color is not right. To me he looks like he's mixed - maybe splash and partridge? What do you think?

Thanks for any feedback!

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

He just looks partridge to me. He's quite handsome!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Hi, I have a silkie rooster from a hatch that was supposed to be from blue / splash show stock. I'm no expert, but his color is not right. To me he looks like he's mixed - maybe splash and partridge? What do you think?

Thanks for any feedback!

He just looks partridge to me. He's quite handsome!

Partridge has red/gold and no silver and no blue/splash. The photo colours aren't too good, so I cannot tell if he is splash plus red or silver plus possibly splash and plus red. Or blue intad of splash in either of those two possibilities... But yes, he is a mixed colour, definitely not partridge