California - Northern

[Hangtown Farms]

thanks everyone

 

[ronott1]

Do you have a link for the German Standard?

I have seen it but I don't have it saved.

I will look for it again.

 

[chiqita]

Jason, so sorry for the loss of your family member.

I missed this ! Jason im so sorry thats so hard. Thank you for caring enough to give her a graceful death.

On vaulting , it is not nessissary for big crests but the crests were enlarged by being combined with polish at one point and iirc thats where the vaults came in. Id have to check my notes however. I have vaulted and fused sculls with nice crests. If you keep your silkies away from more agressive birds its not a big problem. But this is one of the reasons silkies are iffy for mixed flocks.

 

[SpringPeeper]

The crazier the poofey feathers are on a silkie, the more vaulted the skull is. Look for silkies that are not as crazy feathered.

Or better yet, get Crested Cream Legbars. They manage to have crested feathers without exposing the brain.

Or get some Amelias!



They are Crested Cream Legbars X Crele Penedesencas and lay Olive Colored eggs.

The crests aren't something I'm actively seeking out. I'm just not really wanting to support Silkies that are being bred to be very fragile and vulnerable for looks. The only Silkies I've had before were non-vaulted skull hatchery birds and they were tough little things, that is why I was thinking/hoping maybe the little flatheads had 'safer' skulls. I'm going to look at Papa Brooder's birds to try ot see what he has, I was wanting to get some eggs from him.

 

[SpringPeeper]

I've had silkies and showgirls now for a few years and only had one that I suspected was injured because of the vaulting. It is a possibility, but not a huge problem in my experience. The problem is you don't get the look you are expecting without the vaulting. Without the vaulting you get the typical feed store looking silkie.

Instead of getting this in a youngster

You get something like this


A lovable pet, but doesn't have that silkie look.

I'm not looking to breed or exhibit/show them, so I would be okay with more feedstore looking Silkies.

 

[PetRock]

I have seen it but I don't have it saved.

I will look for it again.

I can look for it. I do have the Spanish one in English from a couple of articles written in or already translated into English.

 

[debs_flock]

Then you should look along those lines and you won't have to deal with vaulting at all.

They still don't make the best mixed flock birds because they are such little marshmallows. They don't see well, can't fly and (in my experience) aren't aggressive. Of course if you want a chicken that will sit in your lap for a cuddle and will brood eggs FOREVER if necessary, they make a great little bird.

 

[TheKeeper]

Anyhow here is a cuter photo of something from Tahoe ...

Little miss "no name yet" 7lb 6 oz girlie born June 26th 1:54 pm . Phew. Now we can enjoy summer together!

Precious! Congratulations!

 

[SpringPeeper]

Then you should look along those lines and you won't have to deal with vaulting at all.

They still don't make the best mixed flock birds because they are such little marshmallows. They don't see well, can't fly and (in my experience) aren't aggressive. Of course if you want a chicken that will sit in your lap for a cuddle and will brood eggs FOREVER if necessary, they make a great little bird.

That sounds like what I'm looking for. I'm having trouble finding pictures of Papa's Poultry Silkies as chicks, I suppose I could just ask him if his usually have the vaulted skulls. This is an interesting conundrum- trying to find hatchery-type birds from a reputable private breeder

.

 

[EZFarms]

My silkie is getting worse he cant hold his own head anymore. if it was a deficency wouldnt it effect all the silkies? Someone on the silkie thread said maybe brain damagr. What are the symptoms of brain damagr and what do i do i hate seeing him suffer