Black silkies

[RareBreedFancier]

Love all your black Silkies! They are so nice.

I never liked Silkies much till I saw GOOD ones. They are so beautiful when they are like they are supposed to be.

I wanted to share my little black baby with you (not the best pic as it's taken with my phone)

This little one has such a great personality already. It's the one that gets pulled out most for cuddles... what's the bet it's a roo?

I do have some newbie questions as I've never had Silkies before. One is what is the toe fluff supposed to be like? You can just see on this little one a few tufts on the middle toes. On one of the others (not black) it has quite a bit more. I guess I need to find the standard but I thought I'd just ask.

Also, what age can I have a reasonable idea of sex? I've heard Silkies don't show early on like my other breeds. I'm not in a hurry to find out but I do love to try guessing early on and see if I'm right later.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

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Looks quite interesting. But it appears to be available only in Europe? Or is there a US dealer/distributer?

 

[Karrie13]

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Looks quite interesting. But it appears to be available only in Europe? Or is there a US dealer/distributer?

You can also order it from Jeffers Supply http://www.jeffersequine.com/black-as-knight/camid/EQU/cp/0026910/

The smallest that they sell is a 3lb tub.

 

[Gordonhillfarm]

Hmmm just wondering though , if someone uses such a product to enhance the colour --- what happens when someone buys from you ? Do you tell them in order to keep that nice colour you have to feed ... ? I myself want to have the sharpest quality from breeding not enhansers I would have to feed. Just some thoughts ---- Tammy

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Although it is natural, I'm not sure I would try it on my birds. It might be perfectly safe, but if it isn't for poultry.....

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

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I would certainly investigate a bit more, but what the website listed as ingredients sounded fine, albeit it was not as thorough an ingredient list as I like. I want to see everything listed, not lumped together as in "grain products" which Purina and a few other feed manufacturers do.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Okay, Jeffers shows the label, which lists:

Ingredients
Ground Extruded Whole Soybeans, Vegetable Oil, Western South Dakota Chopped Wheat Hay, Cane Molasses, Salt, Paprika, Seaweed, Celery Seed, Pure Cane Sugar, Annatto, Zinc Sulfate, L-Lysine, Riboflavin, Biotin, and Folic Acid.
Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein (min.) 20%
Crude Fat (min.) 7%
Crude Fiber (max.) 18%
Calcium (min.) 0.23%
Phosphorous (min.) 0.1%

I don't see anything that looks inappropriate for chickens. That said, if you feed 6-18 heaping tablespoons to a horse daily, I would think about a half teaspoon would be more than enough for a chicken. One difference, though is that birds do not continually grow feathers, whereas mammals do continually grow their hair/fur. So I am not sure that it makes sense to feed it other than during a molt and while the feathers continue to grow in.​

 

[ultasol]

Shade cloth and limiting turnout of showbirds on bright days does wonders. No enhancers required.

 

[Majestic Lane Poultry]

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It pains me to keep mine in or shaded most of the time but I have seen the dramatic difference with my own showbirds.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Even with shadecloth andnever being let out in the sun, in the desert there is still too much sun (UV).