Look at my Silkies- *pic heavy

[CHIC]

Well put, purple frog. Thanks, I guess that makes it a little more understandable to me. It just seems like such a fun project so I think I will try. I figure there has to be others out there who don't care about SQ. See, to me, I am not a professsional and I don't even know what to look for in a Silkie. I guess I figured some people might just want them as pets and not care- just like mutts. See, I just think Silkies are adorable regardless of if they aren't the best for their breed. I think I will just use this as experience, and basically give the babies away. I just want the experience. Maybe sometime down the road I will get serious about it and get some better quality birds, but for now, this will work for me. When I got the birds, I had a particular lady from this forum in mind because her little girl wanted Silkies so badly but she couldn't seem to find them anywhere. So anyways, enough with the book. No offense taken everyone, thanks for the input.

 

[Dustin Biery]

But to asnwer one of your previous questions, yes, there are people out there who are just looking for silkies. I was a while back because of their broodyness. I wasnt going to breed, just needed a few mommas to hatch some eggs. Good luck with them!

 

[CHIC]

Thanks Dustin, and thanks for the PM. These Silkies were given to me and I just want to share them with other people who want Silkies. I hadn't thought of people wanting them just for their broodiness. But I guess that is a great point.

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

To me your roo looks like a lavender, not a white. Maybe it's just the picture..

 

[robin416]

The boy on the right is showing the same color as your boy. This is thought to be the double silver gene expressing itself or possibly the lavender gene.

If your birds have black skin, five toes, mulberry combs & wattles and dark eyes. In other words no DQ's then he could be a fun experiment to see if its lavender or not.

 

[CHIC]

DQs?

 

[muzzles&nuzzles]

Disqualifications. You look at the silkie standard of perfection. Then you look and see if your bird meets the "standard". There are certain traits that automatically disqualify birds from competition. We have already determined that these birds are pet qualtity. Therefore they must have DQ's.
But, before anyone gets upset let me clarify.
If you have pet quality birds and want to play with genetics then that is what you chose to do. You already said you didn't care if all the birds you hatch are pet quality. I am just saying DQ's are irrelevant at this point.
You might enjoy looking at the standard though. Then as you progress in breeding you will know a really good bird when you see one. Sometimes it is fun just to hatch. After awhile, as you study silkies and the standard you might get hooked and want a better quality of bird (or not).

I wanted better..a much more expensive hobby. LOL
The Hattrick silkie site has the standard somewhere on their site.

 

[Sissy]

Purple frog, you certainly helped me .
thanks.I have a new project and
new Breed Silkies, and Ameraucanas
going into the bator, this morning
I did notice that silkie hens seem
have shorter backs then the roo,
or am I seeing things.

 

[purplefrog]

I will try to help in any way that I can. I am a newbie to the chicken world as well. But I know from breeding horses the goal is to "improve" your stock by trying to breed out the "DQs".

I also know it is fun to hatch out chickens. I had this thought about "Silkies" as that is what I like to show and they are my hobby birds, what happens to all those sweet little silkies that have DQs? Many are hatched yearly only to discover that you might get one that is the standard? Of course this is coming from the show side of me.

I did like the out come of the cochin crossed with the Americana.. what a cutie!! I was wondering the color of the eggs for this little pullet??

 

[purplefrog]

Quote:
I think that both have shorter backs as quoted in the Standards for Silkies. The roos just like to stand taller. LOL.. Hens just seem to wander around looking for food as the roo is "looking out" for his ladies. If you rubbed your hands down the outline of the backs on both sexes, you will see the roo has just a short a back as the hens.