Silkie breeding, genetics & showing

[ChicksNherps]

Are silkie chicks more susceptible to pasty butt?

I hatched 15 and it seemed that I had to wash a lot of butts, more than regular chickens. It doesn't make sense since all chicks are downy at first.

I think so. Mine have been. But have you heard of using fermented feed? It help solidify the poops.

 

[TNBarnQueen]

I think so. Mine have been. But have you heard of using fermented feed? It help solidify the poops.

I started doing something different because I was having so many problems with PB. First for 3 weeks I used shreded white paper for the tanks....no chips. AND, as I think this is the most important. In using a light for heat. Keep their temp around 90 dropping to 85 in 5 weeks. I have not a case of it sense and I have hatched over 300 chicks since I started doing it that way. I think the direct heat from the bulb is hat dries everything up quick. SO a little poop dries quick then more..then more and you have pasty butt. Also look into Brinseas Ecoglow brooder heater. Around 70 but well worth the money...NO BULBS to deal with and it is adjustable as the chicks grow.

 

[thedragonlady]

Thanks...will get some pics tomorrow if the rain permits. Here is one of my blacks. But they are not real good pics and she was still recovering from a molt.

LOVE that TRUE Black ! You ought to show this bird. Looks like good wings too !

 

[TNBarnQueen]

@Dragonlady..Thanks!..I have been so fortunate to have very dark blacks. I am going to post more pics of her and a few others I am considering. I will do 2 chickens per post so it won't be so long.
Why do they pose so nice til you have a camera in hand??
his is Angus...........Crest





I am not sure about her wing...looks split to me but..she just came off her nest 4 days ago when she hatched out her brood. Don't know if that will make a difference. Would this DQ her?





Please overlook her bottom...as I said...she just hatched out a brood and she is one of those who simply will not leave the nest. Will bathe her as soon as I can take the chicks away.



This is my boy Chester He is coming out of his molt






So...that is 2 of my main breeders. I forgot to show their feet. They have nice toes but feet are really dirty right now too. Probably couldn't get goods one. And we have 6 more days of rain....UGGHHHH

 

[TNBarnQueen]

PIC HEAVY

OK....next is my little self blue. Lilac 6 mo .old pullet




This is another black I would like to show. The one of her cushion is not good when I took it outside in the sun but she is a deep black like her mother Angus







Now...this is a silkie that came from paints. 6 mo. old. I bought a dozen eggs from a woman and she said they sometimes turn out this color. I had not talked to anyone else about that. Would I be able to get paints out of her? Or would she be considered Buff?





Thanks to everyone for taking time to critique my beauties!

 

[ChicksNherps]

PIC HEAVY

OK....next is my little self blue. Lilac 6 mo .old pullet




This is another black I would like to show. The one of her cushion is not good when I took it outside in the sun but she is a deep black like her mother Angus







Now...this is a silkie that came from paints. 6 mo. old. I bought a dozen eggs from a woman and she said they sometimes turn out this color. I had not talked to anyone else about that. Would I be able to get paints out of her? Or would she be considered Buff?





Thanks to everyone for taking time to critique my beauties!

The lavender pullet may turn out nice, her tail is a little flat but it may have been how she was standing. The black looks to have too many pin feathers in her tail, I don't know how old she is if that would change over time. The buff looks nice, her back's a bit long but if her crest fills in a bit more she may have good luck showing as buff, but should be fine to breed anyway with a shorter backed male.

 

[TNBarnQueen]

Thank you so much Kayla. The second black one is 7 mo old and does have a lot of pin feathers. I could feel them when I was holding her. I have a blue roo that honestly looks like a porcupine! His head and hackles is nothing but pin feathers and with the covering being white he looks so funny.
I love my little lavender. And yes...she does have a nice cushion. The cage she was on was not really ideal for taking pictures cause the links are wide and I was hurrying before it started raining. I am going to bring her in tomorrow and give her a good bath. I don't want my roo breeding her cause she is really tiny and I am afraid he will hurt her.
Thanks so much Kayla...I hope some of the others comment too.
@To those who do comment please do not hesitate to point out bad traits..it will not bother me..but that is how I will learn. Where is everyone??

 

[thedragonlady]

@Dragonlady..Thanks!..I have been so fortunate to have very dark blacks. I am going to post more pics of her and a few others I am considering. I will do 2 chickens per post so it won't be so long.
Why do they pose so nice til you have a camera in hand??
his is Angus...........Crest





I am not sure about her wing...looks split to me but..she just came off her nest 4 days ago when she hatched out her brood. Don't know if that will make a difference. Would this DQ her?





Please overlook her bottom...as I said...she just hatched out a brood and she is one of those who simply will not leave the nest. Will bathe her as soon as I can take the chicks away.



This is my boy Chester He is coming out of his molt






So...that is 2 of my main breeders. I forgot to show their feet. They have nice toes but feet are really dirty right now too. Probably couldn't get goods one. And we have 6 more days of rain....UGGHHHH

The Black's left wing looks fine in your first photos. You need to clean up her Butt NOW for the health of the chicks, if nothing else.Check if the axial feather is missing on that wing. She may be starting another molt as she has hatched chicks.

You need to put Chester, and all your birds on kitty litter for his feet.2 key words concerning Silkies...CLEAN and DRY.Chester looks very long and narrow to me right now, with a lot of too hard feathering .It's hard to tell much else from these photos. Try placing them on a flat surface, not on wire, to photograph them.

 

[thedragonlady]

PIC HEAVY

OK....next is my little self blue. Lilac 6 mo .old pullet




This is another black I would like to show. The one of her cushion is not good when I took it outside in the sun but she is a deep black like her mother Angus







Now...this is a silkie that came from paints. 6 mo. old. I bought a dozen eggs from a woman and she said they sometimes turn out this color. I had not talked to anyone else about that. Would I be able to get paints out of her? Or would she be considered Buff?





Thanks to everyone for taking time to critique my beauties!

I like this buff.She is light, but nice. Does she have any other color feathers besides buff?

 

[TNBarnQueen]

Thank you so much Dragonlady...I do appreciate all of your advice very much. Usually my silkies are on sand but the recent downpours has destroyed my pens. I think sand is the only way you can keep them clean and dry outdoors. I was afraid Chester would be a bit hard in the cushion. I don't know why he looks so long in the pics. I will try to get better pics when I have time and on a better surface. I wanted to get some feedback ASAP so I could decide who may go to the Newnan, GA show and I could put them up...especially the girls so Chester would not mess their feather and crests up.
The woman I got the buff from said I could not call them buff...I guess because they carry the paint gene but they look buff to me.

She is lighter in color in the cushion and under the wing part. I would like to show her just to get feedback. At this point that is the only reason I show mine is to get judges opinions and they have been so nice to do so. I showed Chester last Nov. and he took 2nd in variety. Absolutely knocked my socks off! There where A LOT of white cocks there. At 8 mo. is that old enough to show as a pullet?
If the weather does not get as lousy as they say I am doing butt washings today. They do not like it but I can't stand it! I have just changed feed and even doing it gradually has given them a bit of a runny stool. Is there any type of conditioning feeding I can use to prepare for the show?

Here is what my project bird for a sillkie looks like. I am thinking since both are crested though different types it will take a few generations to breed true. From the oopsy crosses that I have gotten with silkie and another breed they always passed on the 5 toes. This is my diluted Polish. I will finish with that til I get better pics of my possible birds to show. You have helped me eliminate it down to 3 to choose 2 from.