Silkie breeding, genetics & showing

[ChickNmamma]

Thank you so much

You know so much about chickens, color that silkie come in that will help me if get some or want to breed them,
And how to work with puting pics on the web page.
Sorry if you had said this but how many chicken and silkie( and what colors) do you have?
Have you ever done f4 because you know so much about them?
-do silkies eat a lot more than must breeds
- are they hard to hatch


Thank you

You are welcome.

To post pictures on the web page - you mean in your posts? You can do that when you reply - there is a box above that looks like a picture - if you click on it you can download pictures off your computer. If you are on a tablet or a phone it might not work the same.

I have 4 silkies right now - a Partridge Rooster, a Buff hen, and two Blue hens.
I haven't done 4H but I have spoken to a few who have, and they were the ones that told me about how great the Silkies were. I recommended the breed a couple of times to other people looking to get into showing birds too. They really are a nice breed!
The do NOT eat a lot more food - to me they actually seem to eat less - they are bantams.
The Silkies with a vaulted skull I have heard are hard to hatch.. and I have been reading of a few people who have been having troubles hatching them in an incubator - but if you give your eggs to a Silkie broodie you probably won't have much trouble, which is why I bought one originally.

Oh, by the way - you CAN'T have just ONE silkie! They are too cute!

 

[chickd]

http://custom.photoshelter.com/c/greenfusestock/

Have pics of colored silkies

Bye
Thanks

 

[ChickNmamma]

Quote: Sigrid claims they are all in stock. www.chickencolours.com

Thank you so much for that link. I was browsing around there and found the most absolutely amazing article on un-bearded silkies and wattles - it has answered my questions about breeding bearded to non-bearded in so much detail.

It also answered the question about the Showgirls and Na genes.. he says
"Showgirls should be
bred with the bowtie otherwise
they loose 30% of their feathers
when pure for naked neck (Na)."

So the Na/Na birds have less feathers, and continuing breeding Na/Na x Na/Na will eventually give you no feathers.. which was what I remembered. If anybody else is interested in reading this very informative article about combs, wattles, and touching on the history of Silkies - you will find it here: http://www.chickencolours.com/pagina14.html

The English is sometimes hard to follow, but the ideas and explanations are amazing, and great pictures to show exactly what they are talking about. I couldn't read it all at one sitting, I had to digest it and go back and re-read it.

I think I am going to have to save up my money and buy that book - if they do such a great in-depth job of explaining genetics for just this one teeny portion of the bird - how much can I learn about colors?

 

[littlecritters]

Hi, 
I'm looking for help in designing a "dream" coop or barn for my daughter that will be a walk in and handicap accessible. Looking to have 3-4 breeding pens plus growout area(s). Please come over to this thread and share your insights.  

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/756086/top-tips-ideas-for-dream-coop-or-barn-handicap-accessible

All thoughts and ideas will be appreciated. 
Regards, Tina 

 

[Feathersprings]

Hi,
I'm looking for help in designing a "dream" coop or barn for my daughter that will be a walk in and handicap accessible. Looking to have 3-4 breeding pens plus growout area(s). Please come over to this thread and share your insights.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/756086/top-tips-ideas-for-dream-coop-or-barn-handicap-accessible

All thoughts and ideas will be appreciated.
Regards, Tina

I came back here and saw you had actually answered some of my questions I asked on the other post

 

[PaintedFeathers]

Need some help. I think Nori may be egg bound. I have been able to feel an egg inside for two days at least, may have been in there for longer. I soaked her yesterday and "lubed her up" with some olive oil, but still there today. It does feel closer to her vent than it was, but is it normal for it to feel sideways? I made a picture diagram yesterday when the egg was a bit lower of where it was and how it was positioned. I tried massaging it forward and kind of working it up but nothing yesterday. If she doesn't lay it by this afternoon should I try to manually help her again? She keeps standing with her chest down and her tail up and wings slightly held out. She doesn't seem lethargic though and was eating and drinking yesterday.

 

[ChickNmamma]

Need some help. I think Nori may be egg bound. I have been able to feel an egg inside for two days at least, may have been in there for longer. I soaked her yesterday and "lubed her up" with some olive oil, but still there today. It does feel closer to her vent than it was, but is it normal for it to feel sideways? I made a picture diagram yesterday when the egg was a bit lower of where it was and how it was positioned. I tried massaging it forward and kind of working it up but nothing yesterday. If she doesn't lay it by this afternoon should I try to manually help her again? She keeps standing with her chest down and her tail up and wings slightly held out. She doesn't seem lethargic though and was eating and drinking yesterday.

I wish I could help you more, but it sounds like you are doing what you can do. Continue to soak her and manipulate that egg gently - it needs to come out. If it breaks that is very bad... I have never had one recover from the infection they get inside. I suppose you could try surgery, but that would be one very expensive chicken and I don't know of many vets that would do that.

You said she is eating and drinking, is she pooping normally? The position you describe indicates discomfort.. Is she isolated from the other chickens? I had a problem with an egg bound hen that the rooster jumped on and broke the egg and I lost her. The egg in that position I think follows the tract but it has dropped down lower than it should be. I would keep trying to nudge it up closer to the vent so hopefully she can push it out.

I hope it comes out ok

 

[peepblessed]

I wish I could help you more, but it sounds like you are doing what you can do. Continue to soak her and manipulate that egg gently - it needs to come out. If it breaks that is very bad... I have never had one recover from the infection they get inside. I suppose you could try surgery, but that would be one very expensive chicken and I don't know of many vets that would do that.

You said she is eating and drinking, is she pooping normally? The position you describe indicates discomfort.. Is she isolated from the other chickens? I had a problem with an egg bound hen that the rooster jumped on and broke the egg and I lost her. The egg in that position I think follows the tract but it has dropped down lower than it should be. I would keep trying to nudge it up closer to the vent so hopefully she can push it out.

I hope it comes out ok

I believe this is excellent advice. I would use KY rather than oil. It's what the vets use. I would probably lube twice a day. Praying all goes well....

 

[PaintedFeathers]

I wish I could help you more, but it sounds like you are doing what you can do. Continue to soak her and manipulate that egg gently - it needs to come out. If it breaks that is very bad... I have never had one recover from the infection they get inside. I suppose you could try surgery, but that would be one very expensive chicken and I don't know of many vets that would do that.

You said she is eating and drinking, is she pooping normally? The position you describe indicates discomfort.. Is she isolated from the other chickens? I had a problem with an egg bound hen that the rooster jumped on and broke the egg and I lost her. The egg in that position I think follows the tract but it has dropped down lower than it should be. I would keep trying to nudge it up closer to the vent so hopefully she can push it out.

I hope it comes out ok

I believe this is excellent advice. I would use KY rather than oil. It's what the vets use. I would probably lube twice a day. Praying all goes well....

Okay we're back from the vet, he actually was able to remove the egg whole, but he gave her a sort of external c-section. He had to slowly pull out her ovaduct, kind of turn it inside out, but when he got to the egg it was actually sort of twisted in the membrane of the ovaduct so he had to make an incision to remove it then stitched her back up. Now to keep her from laying anymore I'm trying to make her go broody so she will stop. Any suggestions? I got some of the plastic easter eggs and filled them with sand and gave them to her in a covered kennel.

 

[delisha]

Sorry to hear of your egg bound silkie..that is a bummer.