The Sizzle Thread!

[ladyfaeden]

I cannot find an active thread for the discussion of breeding Sizzles. Please post pictures and lets get the word out about these gorgeous little chickens!

To clear up the usual confusion:

Sizzles have all the characteristics of Silkie chickens, except the feathers are not silkie feathers (So black skin, 5 toes, crest, etc). They come in smooth and frizzled. When you breed for Sizzles you will likely also get some silkies and frizzled silkies (just like it sounds-silky feathers that are frizzled).

I have Sizzles from EmVickry and about 25 potential ones about to hatch from Country. So excited and hopeful for one like Blue Dahlia!

 

[country]

Thanks for starting this thread. I started my Sizzle project several years ago & it's been a long bumpy road but well worth it. I totally adore these little guys. One of the best things (IMHO) about Sizzles is the fun of hatching them. Each hatch is like a surprise party!! Like you said, you get curled Sizzles, smooth Sizzles, Silkies, & frizzled Silkies. Of course you also get a few unwanted surprises too, such as red or single comb, 4 or 6 toes, but those are coming up less & less. My little ones are into the 11th & 12th generation now & I can hardly wait to see what the next year will bring.
Here are a few of mine, starting from earlier generations until current.
Wheezer was about 5th or 6th gen. He's cute as can be but has a red comb.


Blue Dahlia, one of my favorites. As a chick & as an adult.



Another favorite - Petunia.


Here are a few of the smooths. They look just like a Silkie with regular feathers. People really like them because you can see the feather patterns on them.
Geronimo, from 4 generations ago but still using him on some of the curly Sizzle hens.

Here are blue, black, & splash smooth Sizzle hens. The splash is from last year's hatch.



These two were hatched at the end of last year & started laying a few weeks ago. I just put some of their eggs into the bator but the roos are young so not sure if they're fertile yet.
Blue girl below is having a bad "hair" day. It rained the day before her pic was taken & she lost most of her curl. It makes me wonder if people living in damp & humid climates might have Sizzles & not even know it!! lol


I know there are several other Sizzle breeders on here from seeing their posts from time to time, so I'm looking forward to pictures from everyone.

 

[4hchickmama]

My Sizzle girl came from you I think!! We are in Rocklin. I recognize the pics of your chickens!

Lady Peckington, a smooth, splash Sizzle

 

[country]

That is so neat! I saw her on the BYC online poultry show & I thought she looked like my line, so thank you for letting me know that Lady Peckington is one of mine. She is beautiful. (Of course I'm not prejudiced or anything like that!) Is your daughter showing her? If so, please keep me posted on how she does. Don't forget, I can email you one of the ID cards to put on her cage so the judges know what she is. Many of them aren't very familiar with the Sizzles yet & aren't sure how to judge them.
Sheri

 

[4hchickmama]

I'd love that. A card would be fantastic! She is showing her at the 4H youth show this weekend at the Placer County fairgrounds and then again at the big Placer Country fair in June. She is so excited! We will let you know how they do. She has adopted a sebright chick I took in. It's pretty funny. Such a sweet gentle natured bird....she lets this chick climb all over her and snuggle under a wing at night and still wants to come and sit in your lap if you are out and on the ground. Both her and the silkie hen we got from you are great birds. We love them dearly. Thank you so much for them!


The 3 Amigos

 

[Disco Hen]

I will post a picture of my sizzle rooster Spike, a little bit later :-D

 

[country]

I'll post this here in case anyone else wants to use it. I had made it up for the rough Sizzles so I tried rewording it for you to include the smooths. Feel free to change the wording around or to post it & ask for suggestions from others that have shown smooth Sizzles. I'm not sure how it will print out on here but I have it set on my coputer so it will print out on a file card. Don't put your name on the card anywhere. This is just to help spectators know about Sizzles & to help out the judge if he/she hasn't heard of Sizzles.

I love your 3 musketeers. I wonder how the little one will do when the big girls are off at the fair seeking fame & glory?

Here's the card.

SIZZLE​

The Sizzle began as a Frizzle Cochin & Silkie cross & many are now in the 10th generation & beyond. There are 2 varieties of Sizzle – smooth & rough.

These adorable birds are very unique & Sizzle Fanciers are working to meet the requirements of the APBA so they may someday be accepted as a new breed.

Sizzles are currently allowed to be shown in the feather-foot division. They are judged according to the Silkie standard on all points except the type of feathering. Rather than the soft fur-like feathering of the Silkie, the smooth Sizzle has slightly harder feathering & fluffy – like a Cochin. The rough Sizzle has the same harder feathering, but all softly curled backwards toward the head.

 

[country]

By the way, you're very welcome but there's really no need to thank me. I'm thrilled that the girls got a good home.

Also, since splash Silkies are almost as hard to get clean as whites & since they can also tend to get a bit yellow, here's a tip to get Lady Peckington sparkling for the show. But do it NOW (well, tomorrow anyway), so she has a chance to get her natural oils back. Here's a copy/paste from several posts of what to use & how to do it. It absolutely works.
Sheri

WHITE BIRDS
Washing out the yellow
Try washing them in Tide with bleach alternative! Let them soak for 5-10 minutes. You will be amazed at the results.
Exactly GD, It's called Brightner 49 and we add it to all the P & G products with Bleach Alternative. Birds washed in it simply stand out about the rest.
MattL
______________________________
I use tide with bleach alternative to wash them. I wet the bird, then use a very soft toothbrush to gently work the Tide into the feathers, going with the direction of the feather (& using the brush to gently work out any set-in funk in individual feathers). I let it sit on them for a few minutes, then rinse & repeat, if necessary. Works better than anything else I've tried.
Tide with bleach alternative. Just put a quarter of a cup in a gallon of warm water. Let the bird sit in water for a minute and stroke the detergent in the same direction as the feathers. Let the detergent sit for five minutes. I use this time clean the feet good with a toothbrush, trim any nails or the beak, etc... This sitting time is really important. You have to let the detergent do its job.

Rinse the bird twice. First, rinse in a bucket of warm water with a splash of wite vinegar added to it. It gets all the detergent off the bird and makes them super clean.

Then a final rinse in just pure water. Towel off and dry well with the blow dryer.

 

[4hchickmama]

Awesome! Thanks for the tips. I'm not sure what to do with the little one while we are off. Im hoping it isn't too lonely. She isn't old enough to come with and be entered.

Lady Peckington definitely suffers from yellowing. I was thinking about using the bluing laundry additive that I used to use on my grey horse to whiten her up. I will try the Tide. The blue Silkie (Madame Black Pearl) is definitely easier to make look nice. I will get some pictures of her up soon too. My camera battery was dead!

 

[Birde]

I recognize these beautiful birds from your blog. I'm on my first generation sizzle now. Lots of experimenting to do. I have a question about the rose comb. How many generations before you got your first blue rose?

Thanks for starting this thread.  I started my Sizzle project several years ago & it's been a long bumpy road but well worth it. I totally adore these little guys. One of the best things (IMHO) about Sizzles is the fun of hatching them.  Each hatch is like a surprise party!!  Like you said, you get curled Sizzles, smooth Sizzles, Silkies, & frizzled Silkies.  Of course you also get a few unwanted surprises too, such as red or single comb, 4 or 6 toes, but those are coming up less & less. My little ones are into the 11th & 12th generation now & I can hardly wait to see what the next year will bring.
Here are a few of mine, starting from earlier generations until current.
Wheezer was about 5th or 6th gen. He's cute as can be but has a red comb.



Blue Dahlia, one of my favorites. As a chick & as an adult.



Another favorite - Petunia.


Here are a few of the smooths. They look just like a Silkie with regular feathers. People really like them because you can see the feather patterns on them.
Geronimo, from 4 generations ago but still using him on some of the curly Sizzle hens.

Here are blue, black, & splash smooth Sizzle hens. The splash is from last year's hatch.



These two were hatched at the end of last year & started laying a few weeks ago. I just put some of their eggs into the bator but the roos are young so not sure if they're fertile yet.
Blue girl below is having a bad "hair" day. It rained the day before her pic was taken & she lost most of her curl. It makes me wonder if people living in damp & humid climates might have Sizzles & not even know it!!  lol


I know there are several other Sizzle breeders on here from seeing their posts from time to time, so I'm looking forward to pictures from everyone.