Silkie breeding, genetics & showing

[ChicksNherps]

I have a question. I have been having a hard time getting the "chicken smell" out of my chickens after bathing. Does anyone have something they do that works? I was looking at using baking soda dog shampoo as well, but then I was thinking I may just be able to add a little to their regular shampoo. But there is a good dog shampoo from top performance with baking soda that smells like cotton, it has silk amino acids and vitamin b added to it too. But right now I use the top performance sea breeze shampoo which smells nice but it just doesn't get the smell out well. It is volumizing and shining shampoo and works good except for that.

 

[ChicksNherps]

Double post

 

[Adoravachick]

I have a question. I have been having a hard time getting the "chicken smell" out of my chickens after bathing. Does anyone have something they do that works? I was looking at using baking soda dog shampoo as well, but then I was thinking I may just be able to add a little to their regular shampoo. But there is a good dog shampoo from top performance with baking soda that smells like cotton, it has silk amino acids and vitamin b added to it too. But right now I use the top performance sea breeze shampoo which smells nice but it just doesn't get the smell out well. It is volumizing and shining shampoo and works good except for that.

A friend of mine puts a little show sheen in the rinse water, makes them smell fresh.

 

[ChicksNherps]

Would that make them too greasy looking? Could I mix that with the cider vinegar too? That is what I currently add to the rinse water because it cuts through any soap that might be left over

 

[thedragonlady]

I have a question. I have been having a hard time getting the "chicken smell" out of my chickens after bathing. Does anyone have something they do that works? I was looking at using baking soda dog shampoo as well, but then I was thinking I may just be able to add a little to their regular shampoo. But there is a good dog shampoo from top performance with baking soda that smells like cotton, it has silk amino acids and vitamin b added to it too. But right now I use the top performance sea breeze shampoo which smells nice but it just doesn't get the smell out well. It is volumizing and shining shampoo and works good except for that.

Though I no longer breed Silkies,but I did rather successfully for a lot of years. I washed my birds in Dawn dishwashing liquid. Rinsed well, and rinsed again in Downey fabric softener. If I was washing a white bird, I then did a final rinse in water with bluing added. Downey comes in all sorts of scents, and cuts eau de chicken rather well. Then blow dry, and powder vents, bottoms of feet, and beards with talcum powder to keep them clean. This was blown out at the show. Make sure you use 100% TALCUM powder, not cornstarch baby powder, or you'll turn those feathers to glue!

Vickie (Karesh) Dawson

 

[ChicksNherps]

Interesting... I do use dawn first, then my shampoo, then the vinegar water rinse. The fabric softener idea is quite an interesting idea. And how do you blow off the talcum powder at the show? Do you bring a blow drier? I want to go to a fair so I don't know how much electricity they will have.

 

[Adoravachick]

Would that make them too greasy looking? Could I mix that with the cider vinegar too? That is what I currently add to the rinse water because it cuts through any soap that might be left over

No, she just uses a little, a capful, so they don't come out greasy. I don't see why you couldn't add cider vinegar. I like the downy idea...so many wonderful scents.

 

[ChicksNherps]

I already use some stuff like show sheen after the bath, not as shiny makes it more natural looking, so I may try the downy idea with my volumizing shampoo and dawn, then maybe mix my shine stuff with the rinse instead of the show sheen so I don't have to buy more stuff. It is supposed to be diluted anyway. Thanks peeps =D

 

[mystdogs]

I suspect what is going on with that comb is that the expression for a rose comb is stronger than the expression for a pea comb, which gives you more of the rose comb traits (smaller wattles with a less well-developed beard). Here is a link to a rather complicated article written by Sigrid about combs, wattles and beards in Silkies. If you have a grasp of genetics it will probably make more sense to you than it does to me. It has a photo of a bird with a very similar comb to yours. http://www.chickencolours.com/What%20Wattles-lowres.pdf

As for your blue/black bird. I say she's dark blue because you can see a lighter underfluff. Blacks will be black/dark all the way through.

Fabulous article, I just got to glance at it but plan on reading it in depth later. Thank you

 

[thedragonlady]

Interesting... I do use dawn first, then my shampoo, then the vinegar water rinse. The fabric softener idea is quite an interesting idea. And how do you blow off the talcum powder at the show? Do you bring a blow drier? I want to go to a fair so I don't know how much electricity they will have.

Have hair dryer will travel....Yes, I always blew out my birds in the morning. There is always electricity somewhere. Sometimes Shorty and I had to take turns though!
Some of the guys called me "The Shake and Bake Lady", as once the judging was over, all birds were powdered for bugs before going back into their traveling boxes. Powder is great for Silkies. The key to keeping one in condition for months is to keep it DRY.

Just what worked well for me...