How can you tell if a white silkie is SQ or PQ?

[kyeschicks]

I don't see the difference!

 

[canada-goose]

One is fluffier.

Honestly, I'm not much good at it myself!

 

[SilkiesAndSuch]

Where did you get the bird from? How much did it cost? Do you have any pics? How old is it?

 

[robin416]

The way to know if a Silkie is SQ or PQ is to know the standard. If your bird does not have any of the disqualifiers such as four toes or pink skin then it is show quality.

What makes a bird a show winner is how well all of those standard requirements come together on the bird. Breeder quality is simply a show quality bird that isn't quite as awesome in appearance as a show winner. A breeder quality bird could be worth a ton more money than a show quality bird since it has a very good chance of giving stunning off spring.

 

[friedeggs]

I agree. Often show birds don't produce as well as breeding stock. Just because their superstars doesn't mean they can pass it on.

Try going to the american silkie bantam association and see what you can get out of it for the difference in quality of birds.

 

[kyeschicks]

Quote:
No, I'm just asking

 

[CrestedHorizonPoultry]

For me a show bird will have meet the Silkie Bantam Standard to be called a show quality bird. It can go to any show and compete with out any disqualifications. You have to know your standard to figure out what birds you want to show. It took me a while to be able to look and say, that one is showing. I went to shows and did a lot of asking questions, having breeders show me thier birds and what to look for, talking to the judge after the show to see what his thoughts were on my birds. I had other breeders give me thier thoughts on my birds. Just takes time for you to see what is what.
A pet silkie is a bird that doesn't meet the standard and would have disqualifications showing or a bird that I didn't like.
Hope I made sense and helped you...

 

[ultasol]

Just because a bird lacks disqualifications does NOT mean it is show quality!

 

[asher]

It has to meet the standard and then some, IMO.

Can you really not tell the difference between pet quality and show quality?

There are obvious differences, of course. Not enough toes or too many toes. Off skin color. Off eye color. Wrong ear lobe color, comb color. Single comb. Odd shaped comb.

And then there are things that are not true disqualifications, but that you can tell are definitely NOT show quality.

Then again, you can have the most GORGEOUS silkie, add an extra toe or no 4 & 5th toe seperation and it becomes not show quality.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I think that defining these terms gives a lot of folks headaches. It is one of those things that you can "know" but have a difficult time defining. A bird who is stunning in almost every way, but has one DQ may make a good breeder bird, but you would have to realize that some portion of its offspring would inherit that one bad quality. A so-so bird with no "bad" qualities, but also no "great" qualities probably ought to be considered pet quality, not show quality, although depending on the particular birds competing in a show, it might place well.

With males, a taller bird is generally more successful in breeding than the typier, shorter male.

Pet quality is usually used to mean a bird that doesn't make the grade for show or breeding. It doesn;t really say that it is a bird that makes a good pet, although in general silkies make good pets. Some birds (even some silkies), however, have a nasty, mean or aggressive temperament, and do not make good pets.