Silkie breeding, genetics & showing

[ParelliChick]

Well, good job and congrats! Those are BIG birds!! I see Parelli in your name... might you be a fan of Pat?? I took lessons straight from Pat years ago back before he became such a big international star. I break all of my own babies using Parelli and a combination of Lyons (because I looooove him too!) teachings. Of course, Pat has a pretty darned good system, so most of my ground work is his. It doesn't say where you live-- but are you in Colorado near him? And welcome to the thread! I didn't read back to catch up on the postings... I better check back.

Thanks, yeah, Ares had a spaz moment (first big show and something scared him) and ripped my shirt up!

Yes I am (Not the Colorado part)! I ride Parelli and I'm training my two horses, one in Parelli, one to be less bratty when she's ridden (She's a LBE) It's a challenge to get people to understand that Natural Horse Man Ship is better then Traditional riding. I am not in Colorado, far from it, I'm in central VA.

 

[chisNchickens]

Looks like you are ready for Easter. lol

The purple guy is the same bird I posted in the group pics - the first pic. He will be a year old on Thanksgiving. Its an old pic but oh so cute so I had to share;-)

 

[peepblessed]

Poulettes, thank you! I'm going to have to take a break, my back was killing me this weekend and I need to see a chiropracter soon. I'm going to have to miss Shawnee, which is one I really did not want to miss. It's one of the biggest shows down here-- in Oklahoma and people from all over drive in. Sigh. Bummer, but I'll be ready to roll again this Spring!

PeepBlessed, thank you! And yes, I totally think you should do a show, I think you'd really enjoy it. It's really only as stressful as you make it out to be. Really, if you bring a lawnchair and snacks, you can just sit back and enjoy once the judging starts. We do our fluffing before hand and then the rest of the day is whatever you make of it. I usually hunt down people I know and have fun. And it's easy to make new friends-- everyone usually wants to talk about their birds.

The sale areas are a lot of fun, too.



Me&Jack, thank you! Also, looks like you did really great at your last show too! This has been a really fun season so far! I'm excited for my pullets to start laying and start in with the breeding! I have had to stop hatching, though. I just have too much going on and I need to build some more pens anyway, to expand with! I've promised myself I can hatch again in Feb! What do you do with all of your babies in the winter? I have a brooder set up in the garage, but it's not big enough to hold more than 20 at a time.

So sorry about your back!!!

On the showing, I'm just worried about bringing home disease. I've never had anything here in 20 years and hate to think about infecting my ranch with something. I will definitely go to some shows to watch when I am able though!

I am obsessed with the porcelains! I can't wait either. I think I may cut down my white pen, stay with a trio or a quad, and trim down my BBS pen. Got a few cockerels that are popping up.
That splash that I got at the Cobleskill show a couple of months ago, no wattles, no comb, no crowing, still have my finders crossed for a girl. My black hen is finally coming out of molt, the blue roo has been stalking her and is doing a whole lot of dancing for her. They are funny.

Love to watch the dance but sometimes I'm thinking, "Enough with the dancing! Get the show on the road!"

 

[Marie50106]

All I can say is WOW, I am not an expert and fairly new in chickens but your white silky si very beautiful, I hope that mine get to be nice like this one.
thanks for sharing this nice photo.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Congratulations again on your wins!
I can't wait to see how these lovely porcelains turn out.
Congratulations! I'm so glad you and your son are having fun showing. When he grows up and looks back on this, you will have really nice memories.
Looks like you are ready for Easter. lol

Thank you, this is what I did with my dad, and I sure have great memories as a kid showing my polish. I hope my kids will reflect back and have fond memories of these times, too! Its good for the kids, too.

So many great pictures and show stories! Thanks for sharing. I love the OD on the bluing shampoo! I think that we've all done it at least once.

So far, I haven't slipped up on the blueing! I set my timer and be careful not to go over! But it sure is funny when someone ELSE does it! LOL

I am obsessed with the porcelains! I can't wait either. I think I may cut down my white pen, stay with a trio or a quad, and trim down my BBS pen. Got a few cockerels that are popping up.
That splash that I got at the Cobleskill show a couple of months ago, no wattles, no comb, no crowing, still have my finders crossed for a girl. My black hen is finally coming out of molt, the blue roo has been stalking her and is doing a whole lot of dancing for her. They are funny.

Sounds like a girl!

Thanks, yeah, Ares had a spaz moment (first big show and something scared him) and ripped my shirt up!

Yes I am (Not the Colorado part)! I ride Parelli and I'm training my two horses, one in Parelli, one to be less bratty when she's ridden (She's a LBE) It's a challenge to get people to understand that Natural Horse Man Ship is better then Traditional riding. I am not in Colorado, far from it, I'm in central VA.

That's crazy that the people you've run into aren't fans of Natural Horsemanship, because it's a given around here. NO ONE thinks anything of it when you break out a carrot stick and start playing games! LOL But where I live, there are more horses than people- seriously! And we still have Parelli clinics and Lyon's teachings going on all the time. Don't know of anyone who would sack out a horse the "old fashioned way" anymore. We have top reining and roping and cutting trainers around here, and I know they are using natural means to train, because of their advertising. So surprising that you've run into that, I haven't experienced that in years and years around here.

So sorry about your back!!!

On the showing, I'm just worried about bringing home disease. I've never had anything here in 20 years and hate to think about infecting my ranch with something. I will definitely go to some shows to watch when I am able though!
Love to watch the dance but sometimes I'm thinking, "Enough with the dancing! Get the show on the road!"

Thanks, I sure hope I feel back to normal SOON. I'm sick of hurting every day. I can get by most of the time without saying anything or even letting on how much I'm hurting. But by the end of the day, I'm wiped out and have to lay down flat to relax my back.

As for the disease, yeah, I think that can be a really big concern. I didn't buy them at the last show-- I forgot to bring CASH (I only had my credit card) but there was a vendor selling cage clear plastic dividers. They are like 4 for a $1.00. Super cheap! So you could buy a whole bunch of them and put them around your cages and keep your birds free from other birds shaking their heads and spraying water, etc. Mostly, though, people do try to only bring healthy birds. And my friend who shows Rosecombs has this system when she coops in. I'm going to start doing it-- I watched her and was so impressed!!! She has a bottle of either Oxine or TeckTrol and sprays down the coops (metal and everything) and then she has a bottle of the Frontline flea stuff and sprays down the chips in each cage she is using. Then after that's all done and dried, she coops in her birds. Very smart! So I'm going to adopt her system on the next shows! I just bought a bottle of Oxine, so I'm all set for that. I just need to get a spray for the flea and tick stuff. Then she had the clear plastic dividers set up around her birds. She's pretty careful and I was really impressed. She's done this for years and years.... said she's never come home with a sick bird... ever! So maybe that is something to think about? I know that is what I'm doing at the next one and from now on!

 

[chikincrazee]

That is a cool idea with the clear plastic...ask me how many times Codys silkies have had call ducks behind them and one thing people do with ducks is spray them with water and though good for a duck there is nothing good about having a spritzed silkie just before judging starts...like the idea of the oxine and flea spray..great tip..thanks!

 

[ChicksNherps]

I tried asking on the other thread but has anyone tried using dog conditioning rinse on their birds after shampooing? I'm a shampoo junkie

 

[littlecritters]

 


Thanks, I sure hope I feel back to normal SOON.  I'm sick of hurting every day.  I can get by most of the time without saying anything or even letting on how much I'm hurting.  But by the end of the day, I'm wiped out and have to lay down flat to relax my back.  

As for the disease, yeah, I think that can be a really big concern.  I didn't buy them at the last show-- I forgot to bring CASH (I only had my credit card) but there was a vendor selling cage clear plastic dividers.  They are like 4 for a $1.00.  Super cheap!  So you could buy a whole bunch of them and put them around your cages and keep your birds free from other birds shaking their heads and spraying water, etc. Mostly, though, people do try to only bring healthy birds.  And my friend who shows Rosecombs has this system when she coops in.  I'm going to start doing it-- I watched her and was so impressed!!!  She has a bottle of either Oxine or TeckTrol and sprays down the coops (metal and everything) and then she has a bottle of the Frontline flea stuff and sprays down the chips in each cage she is using.  Then after that's all done and dried, she coops in her birds.  Very smart!  So I'm going to adopt her system on the next shows!  I just bought a bottle of Oxine, so I'm all set for that.  I just need to get a spray for the flea and tick stuff.  Then she had the clear plastic dividers set up around her birds.  She's pretty careful and I was really impressed.  She's done this for years and years.... said she's never come home with a sick bird... ever!  So maybe that is something to think about?  I know that is what I'm doing at the next one and from now on!  

Hawk, please take care of your back. And thanks for the Oxine/flea spray tip. Peeps' concerns about birds catching illness, mires, lice etc at shows is very valid. Unfortunately there was a show or two in the northeast this year that caused significant problems for some breeders. One really nice breeder somehow picked up Mareks... which has led to a heartbreaking loss of stock. This doesn't necessarily mean that there were sick birds at the shows, but if any birds had received the live vaccine, they could have been shedding virus at the show(s).

 

[littlecritters]

I tried asking on the other thread but has anyone tried using dog conditioning rinse on their birds after shampooing? I'm a shampoo junkie

I've only used a vinegar rinse, but would like to try Downy as DragonLady has suggested.

 

[Hawkeye95]

That is a cool idea with the clear plastic...ask me how many times Codys silkies have had call ducks behind them and one thing people do with ducks is spray them with water and though good for a duck there is nothing good about having a spritzed silkie just before judging starts...like the idea of the oxine and flea spray..great tip..thanks!

Omgosh! And those calls are messy and LOUD little ducks! Yeah, I need to pick up that plastic when I see it again! Yeah, I never would have thought to spray down the cages, but after her seeing her do that--- it was such a great idea! She's in her late 50's and has been showing a loooong time, so it's neat to learn from people that have found something that works. I've never used the Oxine before, so I was eager to buy the bottle!

I tried asking on the other thread but has anyone tried using dog conditioning rinse on their birds after shampooing? I'm a shampoo junkie

I took the DragonLady's advice on the Downy softener and have been using that on my birds for the last two shows after washing. I do a first wash with the flea and tick shampoo, and then if they need a blueing shampoo, then I wash with that next. If not, then I wash with the Palmolive. Then the last thing I do now, is mix up Downy with water and pour that over the bird and make sure it's poured under the wings, etc.. Then I rinse off until the bubbles are gone. When they are dried and fluffed-- they feel amazing AND they smell like laundry! And that smell lasts a long time-- I noticed a week later they still smell wonderful. Anyway, love it! It was great advice! Of course, I always have a HUGE bottle of Downy softener on hand anyway, so this was a super easy step to add in.

Hawk, please take care of your back. And thanks for the Oxine/flea spray tip. Peeps' concerns about birds catching illness, mires, lice etc at shows is very valid. Unfortunately there was a show or two in the northeast this year that caused significant problems for some breeders. One really nice breeder somehow picked up Mareks... which has led to a heartbreaking loss of stock. This doesn't necessarily mean that there were sick birds at the shows, but if any birds had received the live vaccine, they could have been shedding virus at the show(s).

Thank you! I'm trying! That is really sad about the Mareks they picked up. I'm so hesitant to do any vaccines-- and I know some shows won't allow you to show if you do. I suppose they can't reinforce it, since if you say you didn't, they won't know. So far, I've never heard of anything like that happening any of the places I've been. I know ChickenCrazee does WAY more showing than I have--- have you heard of this anywhere you've been?