Silkie breeding, genetics & showing

[ket806]

Well thank ya my daughter carries the roo everywhere lol

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: I was just looking at two cuckoo cockerels; both are somewhere around 8-9 months. One has a tail that is about the same as this boys. The other has one that is high. Needless to say, I am only keeping one, the one with the high tail.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: Dancing and mating them can be a sign of dominance. I used to have a brahma boy who would spot a particular silkie across the yard and run lightening fast to get to him. Poor silke cockerel would scream and run the other way. If he had stood up to the brahma and fought, it would have stopped (as evidenced from other boys that the brahma tried it with). I rehomed the brahma.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: I would pluck it and hope it grows back in softer. That is not unethical at all. It should start growing back right away, and be at least partially grown at about 6 weeks. On the other hand, plucking it so that it won't show poorly is done, but some consider it not particularly appropriate. In some breeds (old english, I think) doing so is particularly noted as being considered faking.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: She either has dominant white or splash (I would lean toward the latter), with whichever replacing black (smutty) pigment. She might have come from a porcelain breeding, but onl inherited one copy of lav (as her buff colouring is not diluted).

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: It is a genetic fault, and I'd prefer to eliminate it. I've never seen a bird DQed for it, but DQs are not the only reason to remove a bird from breeding. A bird with the incorrect number of toes can still produce offspring with the correct number. The foot on the bottom of this photo has lobster claws; the upper foot is similar, but not quite spaced like most lobster claws. Lobster claws will get you DQed as they are extra toes.

At least these birds don't have two nails growing out of one nail bed. Nevertheless, I didn't keep him for breeding.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Dancing and mating them can be a sign of dominance. I used to have a brahma boy who would spot a particular silkie across the yard and run lightening fast to get to him. Poor silke cockerel would scream and run the other way. If he had stood up to the brahma and fought, it would have stopped (as evidenced from other boys that the brahma tried it with). I rehomed the brahma.

Ha! Okay, well that probably explains what happened yesterday! Thanks! Your poor silkie!

I would pluck it and hope it grows back in softer. That is not unethical at all. It should start growing back right away, and be at least partially grown at about 6 weeks. On the other hand, plucking it so that it won't show poorly is done, but some consider it not particularly appropriate. In some breeds (old english, I think) doing so is particularly noted as being considered faking.

Thank you for the info! I wouldn't want to fake anything, which is why I was worried about possibly plucking it. I think I'll give it a try and see how it grows back in. Hopefully soft! Someone at a show earlier this Spring was telling me that they use black marker to fill in white feathers that popped up in the body on her birds. Don't remember the breed. I was pretty surprised and more so that she would tell me! I definitely consider that faking and unfair to everyone who culled harder than she did.

It is a genetic fault, and I'd prefer to eliminate it. I've never seen a bird DQed for it, but DQs are not the only reason to remove a bird from breeding. A bird with the incorrect number of toes can still produce offspring with the correct number. The foot on the bottom of this photo has lobster claws; the upper foot is similar, but not quite spaced like most lobster claws. Lobster claws will get you DQed as they are extra toes.

At least these birds don't have two nails growing out of one nail bed. Nevertheless, I didn't keep him for breeding.

Okay-- wow, I've never seen this in person! Great picture!! I wasn't sure what you meant by lobster claw either! I think photos like these are worth their weight in gold to explain what you're looking for and talking about. Thank you!

OKay-- I found the pictures I was talking about with the double nail. Single toe/bone in it. If you look closely, you can see the growth rings go straight across the nail(s).
Click to enlarge to see it better if you'd like.


(Picture BELOW-- nail is on the right of the picture)


Thoughts on this? This is a bird with fantastic type and everything else is good on this bird-- wings, etc.. I really need the type on this bird.

 

[peepblessed]

I'm a photofiliac haha!

DERRRRR

"Come slave! I am ready for my pedicure"



and all dry!

That second picture really made me laugh!

 

[ChicksNherps]

She either has dominant white or splash (I would lean toward the latter), with whichever replacing black (smutty) pigment. She might have come from a porcelain breeding, but onl inherited one copy of lav (as her buff colouring is not diluted).

She's from a partridge breeding. She was partridge at hatch.

 

[Adoravachick]

Great pictures on the toes!

One of the "boys" in the cockerel pen laid at egg today!!!!! I don't know who, but I'll do a vent check tonight when I go to the barn. Alot of guilty little faces watching me check the nest boxes.