Silkie breeding, genetics & showing

Pics
Okay, so I've just got back from a very long weekend.
He said SPLIT WING is two different directions, weak wing can be a few different things. It can be holding it loosely, or it could even mean they are missing a wing feather. He said that there are a ton of ways to improve on wings in silkies (he said mine were really good!
big_smile.png
). I also took some pictures of one of his up and coming girls (6 months) she is absolutely stunning. Said she is the best he has ever raised at this age. She was born in March and you should see her cushion!
Anyway.. Split wing is a DQ. He said that weak wing is often deducted points, and is not a DQ.
Pictures to come! I won best in class for my mottled houdans, but my partridge silkie girl only won best variety (which she was the only partridge anyway
tongue.png
). Oh and won BB on my barred rock pullet too! First show and it was really fun
smile.png
Congratulations!! Sounds like you had an awesome, fun day!!
 
Okay, so I've just got back from a very long weekend.
He said SPLIT WING is two different directions, weak wing can be a few different things. It can be holding it loosely, or it could even mean they are missing a wing feather. He said that there are a ton of ways to improve on wings in silkies (he said mine were really good!
big_smile.png
). I also took some pictures of one of his up and coming girls (6 months) she is absolutely stunning. Said she is the best he has ever raised at this age. She was born in March and you should see her cushion!
Anyway.. Split wing is a DQ. He said that weak wing is often deducted points, and is not a DQ.
Pictures to come! I won best in class for my mottled houdans, but my partridge silkie girl only won best variety (which she was the only partridge anyway
tongue.png
). Oh and won BB on my barred rock pullet too! First show and it was really fun
smile.png
Okay... so a Split wing IS when the feathers grow in two different directions.... this is what I'm saying-- I haven't been able to get it figured out what exactly I'm dealing with. LOL!! I'm so glad to hear this straight from the judge, thank you. Okay, my bird has all of her feathers, none are missing, but because they are growing in two different directions, they have an obvious 'split' in them and would be classified as a split. So, it looks like I do have a split wing bird. Either way, I knew her wings were wrong, but nailing down exactly what the problem with them was, has been a head ache. The pictures you just posted the link to, of that young bird that was showing a split--- would that really be a split? I don't think so... ?? It's a young bird and could grow those feathers in, right? And the feathers were not growing in two separate directions, either like my bird.

The whites he has are gorgeous!! Love those tails and cushion!! Super nice birds! Looks like Canada does have some pretty fantastic birds up there! :) So glad you have fun!
 
Okay... so a Split wing IS when the feathers grow in two different directions.... this is what I'm saying-- I haven't been able to get it figured out what exactly I'm dealing with.   LOL!!  I'm so glad to hear this straight from the judge, thank you.  Okay, my bird has all of her feathers, none are missing, but because they are growing in two different directions, they have an obvious 'split' in them and would be classified as a split.  So, it looks like I do have a split wing bird.  Either way, I knew her wings were wrong, but nailing down exactly what the problem with them was, has been a head ache.  The pictures you just posted the link to, of that young bird that was showing a split--- would that really be a split?  I don't think so... ??   It's a young bird and could grow those feathers in, right?  And the feathers were not growing in two separate directions, either like my bird.  

The whites he has are gorgeous!!  Love those tails and cushion!!  Super nice birds!  Looks like Canada does have some pretty fantastic birds up there!  :)  So glad you have fun!  
Yes - I feel like our pet quality silkies are much better then the US pet quality. Probably because we don't have any hatcheries screwing them up :p

1000

This is the image on that thread that looks to me at least like they are growing in two different directions. I could be wrong. We didn't have any wings at the show that were split winged. He showed me how another hen had a gap in her feathers, and showed me where a judge would feel to see it coming in. If the quality of that hen compares equally to another that has all her feathers in, the one with only one feather missing is placed after the one that has them all in.

He explained a lot to me this weekend. I was impressed :D
 
Okay, so I've just got back from a very long weekend.
He said SPLIT WING is two different directions, weak wing can be a few different things. It can be holding it loosely, or it could even mean they are missing a wing feather. He said that there are a ton of ways to improve on wings in silkies (he said mine were really good!
big_smile.png
). I also took some pictures of one of his up and coming girls (6 months) she is absolutely stunning. Said she is the best he has ever raised at this age. She was born in March and you should see her cushion!
Anyway.. Split wing is a DQ. He said that weak wing is often deducted points, and is not a DQ.
Pictures to come! I won best in class for my mottled houdans, but my partridge silkie girl only won best variety (which she was the only partridge anyway
tongue.png
). Oh and won BB on my barred rock pullet too! First show and it was really fun
smile.png
I am not sure what, exactly, your judge said about split wing, but let me quote directly from the APA Standard of Perfection: "Split Wing: One in which there is a distinct gap between the primary and secondary feathers resulting from the permanent absence of a feather..." (p. 12). Yes, split wing is a DQ. The only way to determine split wing is to physically FEEL the wing web for a feather follicle for the axial feather. If no follicle exists then it's a safe bet it's a split wing. Just showing a gap between the primaries and secondaries does not mean it is a true split wing, and a split wing doesn't necessarily refer to the direction of feather growth. Feathers could appear to be growing in reverse direction simply because of the stage of replacement after molt. A wing might also show gaps where feathers have recently been molted and haven't grown in yet. A mere photo of a hand stretching out a wing will not conclude whether the wing is a true split or just gapping from molting feathers.

I agree with what he said about a weak wing: carried loosely, missing feathers causing gaps, twisted feathers, feathers growing in different directions so to speak, broken feathers are all weak traits and are defects and some are sufficient to DQ a bird, such as the twisted feather. He didn't say anything about slipped wing, which is another DQ and refers to the manner of folding of the wing for which the primaries must lay completely underneath the secondaries. Any overlap or reverse order in which feathers may lay is called slipped wing and is a DQ.
 
okay so I think my little pullet has weak wing, which could just be deducted points? Unfortunately I still don't know what color she would be considered, and if it is acceptable.
hmm.png
 
Okay so here are some pictures of Jamie's silkie (the judge I was mentioning).
_MG_3792.jpg

_MG_3793.jpg

_MG_3795.jpg

_MG_3797.jpg

A bantam buff brahma beat her.

Can anyone tell me what the wing issue is on this bird? I'll give you a hint: are the primaries tucked under the secondaries?
 
Can anyone tell me what the wing issue is on this bird? I'll give you a hint: are the primaries tucked under the secondaries?
Janine, I hope you stick around on this thread. I think I need a wing 101 and I'm going to go out and take some pictures to post. This is all new to me, my dad raised WCB Polish for years and years and really, they are so easy, never have wing issues other than making sure they are held at the correct angle along with the correct fan on their tails with the right angle there. SO much easier than silkies, that's for sure. Of course there's more to it than that, but not all the issues that silkies seem to come up with-- the toes, the coloring, etc. We never ever had silver leakage in our body feathers. But it's like silkies just present with lots and lots of problems. ANyway, I have to get ready for my own birthday party today, so the pictures will come later (need to clean and get ready) but just hoping you're around to critique.
wink.png


BTW, do you think I should call my wing that I showed you earlier a splint wing? All the feathers are there-- none are missing. But they are growing in opposite directions. That would be a split, right??
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom