silkie sexing

[jajeanpierre]

Totally agree with you. Although i still wouldnt want to butcher my own PET nor give them away and have the other people butcher them in whatever way possible. Saddens me how roosters arent allowed in the city, but its totally reasonable because they COOOOO and theyre loud... Ohhhhh that emotional baggage... what to do. what to dooooo =(!!

Have a look at that BYC thread I mentioned, Processing Day Support Group~HELP us through the Emotions PLEASE! You can discuss how to actually go about it. Lots of hand holding by the people who know what they're doing. They'll recommend videos to watch. I watched a lot of videos so that I knew what I was doing and what it would look like before I actually killed my first chicken. After watching a few, I decided to just let them bleed out. But, before you even think about that, you really have to be prepared. Death isn't nice. Even a bullet to the head (instant death) comes with a lot of involuntary movement.

My Silkie carcasses are on Page 194, Post 1932. The dark streaks in the meat is the black color, not bruising or anything like that.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...roup-help-us-through-the-emotions-please/1930

Slaughter is a sad part of chicken keeping, whether we do it ourselves or pretend it doesn't happen.

 

[ozu]

Some of my hatchery Silkies had skin colors like yours. The meat was still dark and very unusual looking. If you want, I'll post a picture of the three carcasses I processed last week, but some on this list might be really offended.

The reality is that if it's a cockerel, it is almost guaranteed to be destined as a meal for something. I just feel a bit responsible for making sure it has a wonderful life and its one bad day was really just a bad minute or two. I had gone as far as checking that I could hire someone to process the cockerels BEFORE I bought them, but only after I had bought them all, the feed store owner told me that they only did 4H Club kids' chickens. I don't think I would have bought them if I had thought I would have to kill them.

I had backyard chicken keepers suggest I just let them out to take their chances with hawks and foxes. I couldn't think of anything crueler than to let a hawk or fox kill something I cared about rather than growing the backbone to do it kindly.

I wonder if your meat chickens weren't the Cornish crosses that were slaughtered at a young age. The Cornish crosses are really freaky birds and their meat is not nice at all. They grow muscle too fast for their bones and organs and often die of heart failure at 6 weeks or so of age. Heritage breeds are much older when they are slaughtered and much more flavorful. I was shocked at how much better the Silkie meat tasted than the bland, store-bought mush. I hate the way factory farming handles animals, which was part of my motivation to get chickens in the first place. I just never thought I would have the spine to be able to process them. That BYC thread is a good one to help you through it.

Hmm. That's so weird. You could always send the pictures in a private message? Could you also tell me how you dispatched your birds?

Yeah- that's what I've figured. I don't think my mom realizes that. She makes me feel like I'm being mean and WANT to kill him. But I don't! I'm trying to act logically and humanely! Because pretty much keeping him by himself without being able to interact with him is not fair to him nor us.

And nooooo!! Leaving them to the hawks and foxes is SO mean. I could not go to bed and feel good about myself after that. No. I could never do that to anything I cared about- just like you.

And yeah, they definitely were Cornish X.

Ivy

Iris


Yeah.. I named them. LOL.

They can live sort of long- I've heard of people having them over a year but they really suffer. Ours panted a lot. I felt really bad for them. But we took great care of them- the best you can for a breed that is meant to die. They lived with the egg-layers (they were all the same age but the meaties were double the egg layers' sizes) and I gave them attention and loved them a ton. They were 5.76lb (first one) 5.74lb (second one) after they were processed.

Yeah, I've been looking through the thread

Yeaaaa...I mean is there still a possibility that my silkie could still be a pulllet? LOL omg the in-denial just wont go away lol

I honestly don't think so, I'm sorry After getting 3 straight run chicks... I prefer buying my silkies older now (I bought my partridge pullet, Sunflower, at 10 weeks) so I have a better idea of sex.

 

[undine]

Hmm. That's so weird. You could always send the pictures in a private message? Could you also tell me how you dispatched your birds?

Yeah- that's what I've figured. I don't think my mom realizes that. She makes me feel like I'm being mean and WANT to kill him. But I don't! I'm trying to act logically and humanely! Because pretty much keeping him by himself without being able to interact with him is not fair to him nor us.

And nooooo!! Leaving them to the hawks and foxes is SO mean. I could not go to bed and feel good about myself after that. No. I could never do that to anything I cared about- just like you.

And yeah, they definitely were Cornish X.

Ivy

Iris


Yeah.. I named them. LOL.

They can live sort of long- I've heard of people having them over a year but they really suffer. Ours panted a lot. I felt really bad for them. But we took great care of them- the best you can for a breed that is meant to die. They lived with the egg-layers (they were all the same age but the meaties were double the egg layers' sizes) and I gave them attention and loved them a ton. They were 5.76lb (first one) 5.74lb (second one) after they were processed.

Yeah, I've been looking through the thread



I honestly don't think so, I'm sorry After getting 3 straight run chicks... I prefer buying my silkies older now (I bought my partridge pullet, Sunflower, at 10 weeks) so I have a better idea of sex.

Bummer Isnt it bad mixing your flock of chickens with others that came from somewhere else? Ive read a post where this lady bought a chicken and after a while it spread whatever diseases it had brought where it came from. It basically killed most of her chickens/made them really sick.

 

[ozu]

Bummer Isnt it bad mixing your flock of chickens with others that came from somewhere else? Ive read a post where this lady bought a chicken and after a while it spread whatever diseases it had brought where it came from. It basically killed most of her chickens/made them really sick.

Depends on where you get them but they do recommend you quarantine for a month. Mine came from three different places. My Red Sex Links (and the meat chickens) came from Tractor Supply. Then we got out Australorp, Easter Egger, Barred Rock, and three silkies from a local farm/hatchery. Back then, I didn't know about quarantine. I got my newest silkie from a breeder who practices really intense protection for her chickens (we had to wear gloves when interacting with the babies she was offering for purchase). People come from many states to get her silkies- she's awesome! Sunflower is so cute and great too! I want to get two more from her next year..!!

 

[insanity]

Okay, this one was labeled a roo early on, but still no crowing or eggs. Hatched 4/17 so a little over 5months.








I see streamer on the tail and a bit of red in the comb, but the comb is small and no wattles to speak of.
Any opinions would be nice. Thanks

 

[undine]

How red does the comb have to be to tell its a rooster?

 

[jessishatley]

ok guys, i'm truly at a loss on this bird! My blue silkie is 25 Weeks old, try I have had no crowing, and no eggs! Someone please tell me what he/she is!

please note that the blue is the one on the left in the pic (next too my definite rooster) thanks in advance!

 

[aaggjg]

ok guys, i'm truly at a loss on this bird! My blue silkie is 25 Weeks old, try I have had no crowing, and no eggs! Someone please tell me what he/she is!

please note that the blue is the one on the left in the pic (next too my definite rooster) thanks in advance!

I say GIRL .... Look at the difference in stance b/w your obvious boy and "unknown" Also the comb is small and pouf is round.... My Lavender silkie girl did not start laying until she was 1 year old!! but most of my others started laying around 6-7 months.

 

[jessishatley]

question though is if I see ANY reddening on her/his waddles does that mean it could be a tricky boy?

 

[insanity]

In most breeds hens have some red in the comb. Males tend to have a lot more. Thats why I am looking for opinions on my pullet/roo. Anyone have insite. It is posted up the page.