black silkies

[friedeggs]

bacres:

This is my Black Silkie Pullet, not sure if she's the one laying or if it's the other Pullet with her.


Champion Featherlegged

Very pretty​

 

[catwalk]

When we get to the ON, someone needs to brief me on the finer points of black breeding. My cock had very grey underfluff, and I understand that there are birds out there that are black all the way down. All my chicks are descendant of him so I want to find out more about them. His wife is very black, and I am offering one of their pullets at the SCNA raffle/auction. Be sure you tell me what you think and how to make them better. None of them will be bred back to their father, as he is in Silkie heaven, but I will breed a few more, and I want to make them good!

 

[kansas3]

I have a blk rooster silkie he is about 6mo's old and has some deep bluhish colors on feathers on wings.shows extremely well in sun.he is a beautiful bird.r these markings normal for blk silkies.

 

[Uzair Ahmed]

Does black silkie males and females have short height compared to white ones?
If yes, why is that so?

 

[weegarden]

Is red gene leakage on the hackle feathers points off or a disqualification for showing blacks? What about sliver leakage on blacks?

 

[theatrain16]

I have four black silkies. 3 of them are 12 weeks old I am hoping they are all hens. I also have a roo that is my profile pic. He has the greatest personality you will ever see in a chicken, I love him to death. I am going to start breeding them when the others get older.

 

[VillaRosaAcres]

I purchased a presumably black 6 month old pullet from a swap last weekend that I have just fallen in love with and need the opinion of an expert. She is very typey, and I really want to bring her along with a couple of my whites to my first ever show next month.
I just started acquiring show Silkies last year, and because of the ban I solely focused on bettering my program of whites, so this little pullet is brand new territory, as is showing in general.
I purchased her in the dark, however even so she does not have any lighter down, but what she does have that I hadn't noticed is a few chocolate feathers, in her beard and a couple on her breast. She is molting pretty heavily, and the feathers I'm finding in her pen are the chocolate colored ones.
I did notice a few other birds from her grow out pen had brass leakage. Suggestions on what I'm dealing with? Will I still be able to show her? Thank you.

 

[destiny_56085]

Blacks are plagued by gold leakage on the males. You get a rare clear black cockerel here and there.. even on the older males that were clear black, the decreasing testosterone causes more gold to show up as they age too. On your pullet, its most likely sunburnt old feathers. Its just like any other dark colored animal that is allowed to be out in the sun...feathers fade and get sunburnt just like hair. If you want to keep her in condition for showing, no direct mid-day sun. I personally like to keep all my show birds inside on deep shavings. Give her some canned tuna, salmon, or even cat food that is high in protein to help her feather out. Supplement with some sunflower or safflower seed mixed in their feed too (high in fatty oils) that puts a nice sheen on them.

 

[VillaRosaAcres]

Thank you!

 

[ChickenGrass]

I raise black silkies
They are probably one of my favorite breed
Here's a few pictures of my silkie hens and rooster

And this is probably the tiniest silkie in the world!