Can I trim my silkie's crest?

[Sonoran Silkies]

Baby fingernail scissors are perfect. Small and hey have rounded tips.

NYREDS, I do agree that trimming off the entire crest would be silly--get a non-crested bird instead. On the other hand, how is it that much different than dubbing a gmaebird

I have a business card from a judge and his champion silkie (don't recall whether it was show champion or FL, but it was from a LARGE APA/ABA meet) you can clearly see a thin line where the crest has been trimmed/plucked right in front of the eyes, but the bird still has a large crest and beard.

 

[Windchyme]

Quote:
Baby scissors, never thought of that...great idea.

This rooster was trimmed....

Believe it or not he can see just fine to the sides and front where he couldn't see hardly at all before and other then the lighter fluff you can't tell he was trimmed.

 

[animal nut]

I lost 3 Polish because of heat and I believe the fact they were having a hard time seeing food etc. Silkies are the cutest little things. I do not want to harm this chick in anyway. I just want to aid her sight. We hand feed her all the time for fear that she is not getting enough to eat.

 

[6chickens in St. Charles]

Well, now my dear hubby is home, he's the one with splinter/hangnail/toenail duty at our house. Showed him this thread.

Funny, we never intended to raise Silkies (or chickens, for that matter) but now we have them and they've opened my eyes to the necessary-ness of caregiving. And contact. And friendship. They are a special breed of special bird, aren't they? Our kids have enjoyed taking special care of Mr. Peeps to make sure he gets some banana, too. Even though after all that work of getting it into his beak, he often calls the hens to it and feeds it to THEM. He's really all love in a fluff basket.

That pic of the other Roo, I can't see his eye. Mr Peeps has big bright brown eyes, he likes us to smooth the fluff up with wet hands (or boy spit) then he coos when somebody tells him "there's your bright eye, nice boy".

I will check that other thread. Should we all post pics of our trimmed Silkies?

 

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

Hi!
Spring '08, I had some Silkie hens that were having problems seeing because of huge muffs and crests and trimmed around their faces so they could see better.
The following morning, 3 of the 5 I trimmed fell over dead between opening their coop and noon.

I don't know what I did wrong, but it was pretty upsetting to me.

Lisa

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

How awful! But I don't think it had to do with your trimming their feathers unless you cut a blood feather, and you would have seen bleeding right away from that.

If that ever does happen, pull the bleeding feather, and that will stop the bleeding.

 

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

Hi! There was no blood involved at all.
I thought they might have had heart attacks because of the sudden change (from limited sight to sighted).
It will remain one of those 'chicken mysteries' to me.

Thanks,
Lisa

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

I used the baby scissors also and they did a great job. The points are rounded and I didn't have to be as concerned about poking an eye. They actually stood very still as I did it... with their eye closed...almost like they knew I was helping them

I trimmed very lightly across the top of their eye about 1/16 of an inch and the muff/beard at the bottom about the same amount...maybe a bit more there as they were heavily bearded. You really couldn't tell it had been trimmed but they were able to see.

 

[6chickens in St. Charles]

I wish I could see more pictures!

 

[SunshineSilkies]

If it is a couple of months before showtime, I will pluck them. On my young ones, I always trim so they can see better to eat & drink.