Do you have to AI silkies?

[Birdgirl]

I was told that some silkies have to be Artificailly Inseminated...where can I find ones that don't need to be?

 

[M@M@2four]

No, only if you don't want the roo to mate them. They sometimes pull head feathers when they mate and when you show them, you don't want a silkie with missing head feathers!

That's all...I have heard sometime their fluffiness gets in the way, but my silkie roos never have a problem.

 

[Farm Frenzy]

Mine either....he's good lookin

 

[FrizzleFreak]

Trust me...they don't. Unless, like the other's said, you worry about their feathers. Usually they don't have a problem "getting in there" because the hens will lift their tails if they are ready. But yeah, if you needed to AI silkies, there would be a lot fewer of them in the world.

 

[Poulets De Cajun]

Quote:
The dont have to be. AI is usually used to "pedigree" breed, so that you can keep records of the parents; or when you dont want to trim your birds. All of my birds are breeding naturally, except when I am working on a breeding project.

 

[Birdgirl]

Well mabye my Grandpa who has had silkies is just wrong? HE told me he has gotten some from breeders that you have to AI. he tried and the eggs were infertile every time.

 

[Farm Frenzy]

No one said he was "wrong", we were just letting you know that they don't HAVE to be artificially inseminated...but it is an option. It's whatever you want to do with your chickens.

 

[Birdgirl]

Well, he said that if you buy them and they have been AI'd they wont let a rooster touch them. all his hens were scared of the rooster because they had been AI'd for fertile eggs. SO okay I just miss understood him, thanks for youe input everyone.