Silkies - They’re simply SPECTACULAR!

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

I’ve actually had success with impacted crop issues using an over the counter stool softener made for humans. Not sure if you have that available in Australia, it is called Colace or sodium decusate. It comes in capsule so you have to puncture the capsule and squeeze out the liquid. Usually mix it with a little yogurt and give it to the birds with a spoon.
I have not had any experience with sour crop.
Praying that she improves.

Oh...I didn't realize there is a difference in the two...what are difference in symptoms?
This is very informative!
Thank u!!!

 

[Hinotori]

I'm happy to say that the one of the chicks I thought was a boy at 10 weeks is definitely a girl. She's the one in front.

I thought I had two blue partridge cockerels. This gives me two blue partridge pullets instead and one cockerel. I hadn't actually been paying much attention to them as my silkies take forever to mature, so they all just got a bit of holding and health checks.

The teenagers are around 17 weeks now. Some of the boys are looking pretty good.

 

[Obsessed With Silkies]

Hello everyone, I have a Silkie question. So I have a beautiful Silkie pullet that hatched from my own flock and I had decided to keep her and when she is old enough use her for breeding. But I have noticed the same father to her and other chicks seem to have some hidden genetics that I don't want to pass down to anymore chicks such as five toes on one foot and four toes on the other, or a chick having a single comb. I am selling that rooster tomorrow but my question is, will the Silkie pullet that came from him and her four toes and five toes be passed on to future chicks?

A different question but on the same topic. I have a red silkie pen but they're actually not that red or high quality silkies but my question for them is: my rooster for that pen has four toes on each foot and is bearded, and the hens each have 5 toes on each foot and are non bearded. What chicks can I expect to get here and will these chicks have four toes too? Thank you @LynnaePB @LadiesAndJane @Hinotori for taking the time to answer my super long questions!

 

[Fluffy Lambs]

Hello everyone, I have a Silkie question. So I have a beautiful Silkie pullet that hatched from my own flock and I had decided to keep her and when she is old enough use her for breeding. But I have noticed the same father to her and other chicks seem to have some hidden genetics that I don't want to pass down to anymore chicks such as five toes on one foot and four toes on the other, or a chick having a single comb. I am selling that rooster tomorrow but my question is, will the Silkie pullet that came from him and her four toes and five toes be passed on to future chicks?

I don't know about the foot genetics at all but I would breed her and see what traits she will or won't pass to her offspring!

A different question but on the same topic. I have a red silkie pen but they're actually not that red or high quality silkies but my question for them is: my rooster for that pen has four toes on each foot and is bearded, and the hens each have 5 toes on each foot and are non bearded. What chicks can I expect to get here and will these chicks have four toes too? Thank you @LynnaePB @LadiesAndJane @Hinotori for taking the time to answer my super long questions!

Idk maybe the chicks will just have it where it counts

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Hello everyone, I have a Silkie question. So I have a beautiful Silkie pullet that hatched from my own flock and I had decided to keep her and when she is old enough use her for breeding. But I have noticed the same father to her and other chicks seem to have some hidden genetics that I don't want to pass down to anymore chicks such as five toes on one foot and four toes on the other, or a chick having a single comb. I am selling that rooster tomorrow but my question is, will the Silkie pullet that came from him and her four toes and five toes be passed on to future chicks?

A different question but on the same topic. I have a red silkie pen but they're actually not that red or high quality silkies but my question for them is: my rooster for that pen has four toes on each foot and is bearded, and the hens each have 5 toes on each foot and are non bearded. What chicks can I expect to get here and will these chicks have four toes too? Thank you @LynnaePB @LadiesAndJane @Hinotori for taking the time to answer my super long questions!

Polydactyly (more than the usual 4 toes) in chickens is complicated genetically. While I do not personally use birds for breeding that have more or less than the normal 5 toes for a Silkie, I have had chicks pop up in my breeder flock with 4 toes on one foot, 4 toes on both feet and even 6 toes! Temperature during incubation also influences the number of toes a chick could have. So, if you have a pullet you want to use for breeding, I would go ahead and breed her and see what kind if chicks she throws. I generally sell chicks that pop up with more or less than 5 toes for less money.

For your red pen, you will get chicks with both 4 and 5 toes I believe.

The bearding gene is incomplete dominant. If your rooster has 2 copies of the gene, all the chicks should be half bearded, that is have a smaller beard, when he is bred to non-bearded hens. If he only has one copy, then half the chicks will be beardless. Though it can be difficult to tell if a bearded bird has one or two copies of the gene by looking at them. About 10-15% of my chicks come out non-bearded, though all the parents appear to be full bearded. I can only assume that some of my birds only carry one copy of the gene, so that some chicks do not inherit this gene from either parent.

I have also had birds in the past that ended up with huge beards that had a beardless parent.

 

[Hinotori]

I don't breed anything that has a disqualification fault. In my experience it will pass on to at least some of the chicks.

I still have the double toenail on a rear toe popping up occasionally even with my attempts to eliminate it. My original rooster had it. It's not a very noticeable trait.

The one sided 4 toes and the 6 toes seems to randomly happen with silkies. Normally I only see it on one side. They obviously have the 5 toe gene but something went wrong in the egg.

I've seen lobster claw 3 times in the last decade as well. I can check some of my crossbreeds. I think one of them may have it so I can get a picture or I can look for an old picture.

Split wing is another issue that is often overlooked and must be selected against. Missing axial feathers. Doesn't harm the bird but is a disqualification.

 

[Hinotori]

Here's 6 toes for anyone who hasn't seen that before. My half silkie rooster has it. It does pass on. 3 of the 14 chicks Leven has fathered have had it. One had it on both feet. That was breeding to easter eggers and ameraucana.

 

[Hinotori]

Some pictures from 5 years ago, just because they are cute.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Some pictures from 5 years ago, just because they are cute.

View attachment 3239378View attachment 3239379

Adorable!

 

[chickengr]

I don't know about the foot genetics at all but I would breed her and see what traits she will or won't pass to her offspring!

Idk maybe the chicks will just have it where it counts

my experience: 4 toes/5 toes cross always gave 1 foot 4 toes and another foot 5 toes chicks.