Breeding Vaulted Skulls on Silkies?

[diamondsilkies]

Hi all!
A while ago, when getting some chicks from a breeder, she told me it was a bad idea to breed vaulted skulled silkie chicks to other vaulted chicks, and that the offspring could die because of this. However, she turned out not to be the most reliable person. I was wondering if what she said was true? Can I breed vaulted babies to other vaulted babies? Thanks!

 

[Ravynscroft]

I would not... vaulted is an open topped, raised section of their skull... when bred together many chicks DIS (die in shell) and some that do hatch turn out with severe physical and/or neurological issues... even high vaulted chicks can have issues just trying to hatch on their own... the vault can interfere with the chick turning in the shell for hatching...

 

[CHlCK3N]

Hi all!
A while ago, when getting some chicks from a breeder, she told me it was a bad idea to breed vaulted skulled silkie chicks to other vaulted chicks, and that the offspring could die because of this. However, she turned out not to be the most reliable person. I was wondering if what she said was true? Can I breed vaulted babies to other vaulted babies? Thanks!

The person is actually correct! Its better to cross breed the vaulted babes to non-vaulted because it can be fatal to the chicks during incubation and the first 10 days of life. Here's a good website all about it!
http://chickenjunkie.com/chicken-breeds/silkie-chicken/vaulted-skulls/vaulted-skulls-in-silkies/

 

[diamondsilkies]

Oh, OK! Thank you! I had been recording which ones were which, just in case, so I'll keep this in mind.

 

[I Love Layers]

They are correct. I do not know much about silkies but I know breeding a V to a V will end up with many DIS. If they do make it they have lots of issues

 

[Bryam]

Most of my birds have vaulted skulls, I never had a problem. If you want to breed show quality birds, they ALL have vaulted skulls. That helps get that nice poof. I guess it depends what your looking to produce.

 

[Lona Raymond]

The breeders are "playing God" in order to win at shows. They do not care that they are ruining the Silkies with their dangerous manipulations of the chickens' skulls. If we humans had our brains protected only by a layer of skin, how long do you think we would last?

 

[Thaney Design]

Sorry to resurrect this, but seemed better than to start a new thread. What have you all noticed regarding the presence of a vault and dying in shell? Is there a correlation?

 

[diamondsilkies]

Sorry to resurrect this, but seemed better than to start a new thread. What have you all noticed regarding the presence of a vault and dying in shell? Is there a correlation?

It is my belief that you only have increased DIS when you breed two vaulted silkies. I have had plenty of vaulted chicks hatch with no problem. I have been very careful to only breed vaulted to non-vaulted and despite the many silkie chicks I've hatched, I have had very few DIS.