Okay--Silkie People....What about these???

[Rare Feathers Farm]

I've been in contact with a breeder here in Washington for a few years--I've always admired her birds. She does not show and mostly just has them for pets. I have been waiting & waiting for lavenders but I told her I'd settle for a pair of whites.

Anyway, she doesn't have any whites available but she does have a pair of splash.

So what do you think of these birds? I asked for pictures of the combs, feet & earlobes--what else should I be looking for? I want some that are breeder-if-not-show quality--are these a good starting point?

If I bred two splash together what colors would I get? Does this work like other blue/black/splash breeds?

Oh and she included this picture--so maybe she's got one extra white (that needs a bath), or is this considered a "splash?"

Thanks!

~Heather

 

[Dingleberry]

 

[Smoky73]

The first two are splash yes, and the other white. Hard tot ell on quality when they are in the grass like that. They look nice though. splash to splash you get splash, eventually I think they get too washed out though, you would need a blue or black to reintroduce color eventually.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Quote:
Thank you! She was just showing me her white to TEASE me! LOL She's going to get some more pics of their feet/combs/wings? She is asking $50 for the pair--is that a fair price?

 

[Elite Silkies]

How old are they? Are you getting a Roo and a Hen? If so, breeding Splash to Splash will dilute the color even further, and they are already light splash. So, you may want to breed some blue back in to darken them up.

They look pretty good from what I can see. I don't think $50 is a bad price at all.

 

[reesepoultry]

I think that is a fair price. Unless there feet are messed up. You want to make sure they have the correct amount of toes or they will breed that into there offspring. There top hats are pretty nice though. The color looks a little diluted though. But that could just be a bad picture.

Michelle

 

[Fay at Frizzled Feathers]

$50 a pair is a very reasonable price . If they have correct toes it would be a good pair to start off with for breeding. Like the others have said , eventually just add some black in there so it will darken up the splash color some.

 

[ultasol]

I think people make too big of a deal out of the toe thing. I have a four toed cockerel that I kept because he has OUTSTANDING type and he is throwing *mostly* five toed chicks, splits on the toes no worse or better than the five toed cockerels, and they are looking nice as they grow. If I were to start out all voer again in silkies, here would be my list of priorities:
1) Type, TYPE TYPE TYPE!!! Build the barn first
2) Skin color/comb color
3) Fluff- good cushion/crest, feathers to middle toe
3) color in general (although some miscoloration in an otherwise nice black cockerel is ok, Mihalik told me they often throw better green sheen)
4) Wings- not split, not weak, correct amount of fray
5) # of toes
6) position of toes

You might be better off waiting until the fall show. I know Calesta should have some nice juvies, as will Sheryl Butler. I hear that Marjorie is having a tough season for hatching,.... also perhaps Karen will have some stock.

If you want whites, I got a white chick from Calesta in Nov that has turned into a stunning cockerel. He will be in the shows this fall. I like her whites. Sheryl also has some really nice whites, and nice white showgirls.

 

[destiny_56085]

Jen I totally agree with your response! I do think wings should be up higher on the list though. They are one of the hardest things to correct. I absolutely will not keep a bird with no mid-toe feathering, 4 toes, 6th claws. The color of the combs is easy to fix, but getting the correct shape and size isn't. The toe spacing is only a contingent in the show ring. As a breeder bird they will throw just as nice usually even if those 4/5th are totally fused together.

Heather - it is super hard to tell on actual body type from those pictures. All of the birds look extremely sun burned. This is nothing that a bath will help. If you keep them in after their next molt they won't have that yellowish tinge. Wings, crests, and cushions look ok from the pics. Can't tell anything on leg or back length, comb shape, skin color, etc from those pics. $50 is usually what you pay for a good started pullet, so a decent price if you just want to take a chance on them.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Thank you everyone! I'm waiting on skin/feet/comb pics...or I might just wait until she's got a sexed pair of whites--she's got chicks due tomorrow!

So you do you think they'd be sexable by mid-August? What about Labor Day weekend?