I have recently bought several white silkies, two of which I plan to show. I have read that corn can cause yellowing in white birds? Can someone tell me what is the best quality feed that I can give them to keep them healthy and white? I have been mixing my own feed for them but it does contain some corn, I can't tell that they are discoloring, but I have only had them for a month or so. Pics. added for Kim!!! Cute, huh?
There are 2 types of white silkies Gold base Silver base Silver base birds are not suppose to yellow when feed corn.. You need to know what base/gene color your birds are.. Soybase feeds are suppose to be the alternative..
Soy replaces animal protein, not grain. Virtually all commercial chicken feeds in the US have significant amounts of corn & soy. A very few contain animal protein, although you are more likely to find that in a gamebird feed than in chicken feed. Mixing your own feed so that it contains the proper mix of nutrients (especially all the necessary trace minerals) is difficult. If you purchase sufficient qualtity, you have have a custom feed milled, but that generally requires purchasing at least 1/2 a ton or more. My best advise is to read labels, talk to breeders (not just silkie breeders) who live in your area and find what feeds and feed stores they refer and why. I have silver gene whites and contrary to the common "knowledge" they still sunburn and turn brassy if fed too much corn. My grey looks more partridge than grey (if you were to look at her right now you would question her being grey at all!) due to sunburned feathers. She desparately needs to molt. I think she is my only bird who has not spread her feathers far and wide this fall/winter.
Quote:I believe Soy based feeds will do it also.. In Harry M Lamon and Rom R Slocum's book "The Mating and Breeding of Poultry" the say right in there For white fowls, never use yellow corn. If corn is used , purchase and feed White corn. They also go on to say too Avoid also any feed which are rich in fats and oils, such as sunflower seed, oil meal, cottonseed meal, peanut meal ect. Chris
I'm not sure I agree about the oils--silkies (actually all chickens) need extra oil in thier diets when molting and growing feathers.
I fed corn to my whites just very little. They would start turning yellowish if they were fed to much.
