Silkie breeding, genetics & showing

[Adoravachick]

You probably do want to try to find out what this is, especially if you lose the third bird. There is a vaccine for Mareks. Not everyone's cup of tea but if you know you have a problem, you might want to consider it.

Yes, I am thinking of vaccinating my juveniles. I do have some chicks that I just hatched and more in the incubator, so I will be getting some vaccine just to get it out of the way. My question is, can my juveniles also be vaccinated? I have a pen of juvis ranging from 9 weeks to 16 weeks, can they be vaccinated as well?

 

[silkieloverz123]

Maybe grey? But i'm no color genetics expert.

I think the babies are Buff and partridge! Good luck!

 

[LaPetiteFarmer]

give her time, i'm sure she's in a lot of pain. You would feel like crap too if you were scalped!

Even though i feel horrible on how she is feeling and looking, you are pretty right

 

[LaPetiteFarmer]

Roughly $100. And well worth every penny!

Thank you. I will definitely get it in the near future.

 

[LaPetiteFarmer]

I must be having a stroke of bad luck. After losing our black show hen suddenly, last night we lost our Mille Fluer D'uccle hen. No symptoms, just dead. She has always been separated from the others in the barn because she flies. I don't know what to do.
This morning I went down to the barn and my blue cockerel (not my breeding one) is lethargic, off balance, and his legs are very wobbly when he walks. Almost to the point of walking on his hocks. I am completely at a loss and I am worried about my breeders remaining healthy. Any ideas on what this cockerel has? I am now worried I will lose my whole flock one by one.

I am really sorry

 

[LaPetiteFarmer]

I have some eggs incubating but one "exploded"and stuck to the egg turner. Should I leave it in there or try to remove it?

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

You need to clean and disinfect. It exploded because it was rotten, which means bacteria, which can spread to the other eggs and kill them.

 

[BandofBantams]

So my question is, do you breed bearded silkies to each other & non-bearded to same. Or do you mix it up w/ non-bearded roo to bearded hen? If no, then why not? If yes, then what do you get, etc. if I understand it right, the Silkie gene is recessive, but which is dominant on the bearding? I have a gorgeous white non- bearded roo that I'm thinking of breeding next spring but I'd have to get a a Silkie hen. Currently, his ladies are 2 Buff Orpingtons & 2 SLW..I have 4 Frizzles too but I understand things can go bad there. Anyway, the 2 flocks are separate because the top Orpington, Ginger runs the frizzlesx off. LOL.....chicken drama

 

[chisNchickens]

I have a breeding question. I've been hatching a few chicks from my Grays. I've been getting a variety of shades. Some really dark some really light.

This is an example of a light one. Is this color acceptable for a gray?

I hatched one just like that, here is what she looked like at around four months. I was told she was a splash/partri mix - expressing both splash and partridge coloring.

 

[chisNchickens]

I have a question for those of you who have been breeding for years...does temperament seem to be genetic? I have not read much on the subject pertaining to silkies, and am curious if any observations have been made by long time breeders. I ask because I have a pullet out of the same group who is very skittish, the others are not. She is a lovely SQ bird, (or was - a hawk just ripped her wing off) and I am wondering whether to even include her in my breeding program. I don't care for the skittish ones. I know as with many other traits, it is often a crap-shoot and one can probably hatch out sweet tempered birds from skittish ones and vice versa. Just thought I'd ask...