Silkie breeding, genetics & showing

[PNWGirl]

.....My kids want to show them in 4-H and FFA, so I think maybe that will give us a starting point. Who knows? I just think Silkies are beautiful, and wanted some, lol.

Nothing wrong with that!!! My first three are companion animals and I do not love them any the less.

Sheila

 

[Hawkeye95]

Loralee,

I like your comparison to a nice pullet, very educational (both responses were).

Sheila

Thank you.

Thanks for such quick responses! Hawkeye, that picture sure helps a LOT. Looking at them side by side, I can see what you mean about the back length, and distance between head and tail. I have a lot to learn, but am not giving up. My kids want to show them in 4-H and FFA, so I think maybe that will give us a starting point. Who knows? I just think Silkies are beautiful, and wanted some, lol.

Glad that helped-- I'm a visual person. If I can't see it, I just don't understand it. You will LOVE 4-H! That is how I got started with chickens back when I was a kid! I showed Polish my dad raised. Now I've got my own family, I have always wanted silkies since I was a kid and I finally get to have the say-so. My dad would never get me silkies-- said they were too much work. Well, he was right about that, but even so-- totally worth it! My son is currently showing in 4-H and I am teaching him everything I am learning. We both go out and check wings and we talk about type in the various birds and I have him "help" me select which birds to sell off so we can keep only the best. Start 'em young!! I have fond memories of doing the same thing with my dad and our Polish. I'm so glad you are wanting to show; showing and doing Showmanship is really so much fun. Don't be afraid to do Showmanship either-- just dive right into it, even if you don't know what you're doing at first. You will learn FAST!
Here is my son doing Showmanship:

Hawkeye...just finished washing my girls for the the show this weekend and thought I would show you that she is indeed a paint...they both are paints...but for some reason you just can't see all the spots when she is fluffy...she also has the orange frosting...
here she is fluffy






and here she is all wet today having her bath...

OMGosh, I would not have believed these guys had spots! You can't see any spots on them from your pictures. You kept insisting and I was thinking-- she's kidding!? LOL I have to say, what big beautiful crests you have even when wet! These are gorgeous birds. I hope you have a great time showing! I think even with the off color, they are very flashy birds!

 

[Me & Jack]

Janine-- I have been selling off a lot of birds and am down to just 3 cockerels on my grow outs.. they aren't even crowing. Well, one did try to crow, but haven't heard him again. I've been looking at their wings, and I'm not sure whether to keep him or not, even though he is looking fantastic so far on type, and is also smaller than his daddy. Better comb, too. I need to go get a picture of his wings. I can't tell if they are immature at this point, or if they have the secondaries swept back. I will be really sad if he has "split" wing too. Sigh. I'll go get a picture.

I hate that: everything looks good except for one thing. You can drive yourself nuts--and end up with too many birds--by always hanging on to those with just the "one thing". Regardless, wings are a biggie with me, so if they are truly less than decent than I would say pass for a better boy. Unless he is your best, in which case only pair him with girls with better wings and go from there. No sense in getting rid of him if he's got other things going on that you want to keep. But, well, like I said, you'll drive yourself nuts! LOL

 

[dwegg]

Thanks Hawkeye...I know paints don't breed true ect but she does have spots in there but just not flashy spots...I am starting to think that a show is not for me...am too anxious already and worried that my girls are now in the garage and not outside with their coop mates...oh well

 

[Me & Jack]

Thanks Hawkeye...I know paints don't breed true ect but she does have spots in there but just not flashy spots...I am starting to think that a show is not for me...am too anxious already and worried that my girls are now in the garage and not outside with their coop mates...oh well

I was overwhelmed with the prospect of showing too before I went to my first show. In fact, I had my birds all bathed and ready on Friday, but when my alarm went off at 5am on Saturday I panicked and decided to go back to bed. The next show I forced myself to take my birds and coop them in the night before the show. The next morning I had no choice but to get up and go to the show because I had to be able to bring my birds home. I ended up having a great time, even though only one of my birds placed well. So, if you're feeling like it's not for you I'd say, Wait! Go one time, and take only one or two birds so it's not such a chore to get ready before hand. After you coop your birds in decide to spend the day learning all you can from judges and other breeders and don't worry how your birds place, in fact, just assume they won't do well and then if they do you will be pleasantly surprised. And take a friend -- it's a lot nicer to have someone to hang out with than to stand around nervous and feeling awkward all day.

Just go!! Go and have fun. Don't worry what anyone else thinks of your birds and do it for the experience. I promise that once you've done that first show you'll want to do another, and another....

BTW, I sometimes go to shows just for fun -- and I don't even take any birds. LOL

 

[sager:)silkies]

Hawkeye...just finished washing my girls for the the show this weekend and thought I would show you that she is indeed a paint...they both are paints...but for some reason you just can't see all the spots when she is fluffy...she also has the orange frosting...
here she is fluffy






and here she is all wet today having her bath...

they both are very pretty birds and u gota love the way silkies look when they get a bath

 

[Hawkeye95]

I hate that: everything looks good except for one thing. You can drive yourself nuts--and end up with too many birds--by always hanging on to those with just the "one thing". Regardless, wings are a biggie with me, so if they are truly less than decent than I would say pass for a better boy. Unless he is your best, in which case only pair him with girls with better wings and go from there. No sense in getting rid of him if he's got other things going on that you want to keep. But, well, like I said, you'll drive yourself nuts! LOL

Yes, wings are a big deal. This is how I got in this mess! My rooster does not have split wing--- but I think he is the one that has contributed to all of this split wing showing up in my grow outs. My hens have perfect wings--they fan out beautifully. My rooster however, has what I might call a very weak wing. He is so typey and just beautiful, so I used him before I really considered the wings. But instead of ending up with a few weak looking wing like him-- I ended up with very distinct split wing. It was a disaster. I didn't even mean to do it, because by the time I realized his wings really weren't "all that" (after a discussion on the other silkie thread-- is when I realized he didn't have the best of wings) I already had a lot of chicks from him. I crossed my fingers and hoped I'd have a good selection anyway with good wings. I've ended up with only a very few that have decent wings. The majority of them have issues. So I just can't see myself ever using a bird with so-so wings ever again. I guess with this grow out boy-- he is just SO good looking.... I can't bear for him to have bad wings, too.

I never did get that picture... I need to do that today. I have preschool to drop off and errands, so maybe this afternoon I'll see if I can get him pulled and get them taken. Anyway, this season I'll be much smarter about what I'm breeding. I just need a good rooster!

Thanks Hawkeye...I know paints don't breed true ect but she does have spots in there but just not flashy spots...I am starting to think that a show is not for me...am too anxious already and worried that my girls are now in the garage and not outside with their coop mates...oh well

I agree with Janine-- you just need to go! Don't worry about your birds doing well, just think of it all as a learning experience to help you breed better. Really, it's just fun to talk to everyone else and see what they are doing. I've found everyone to be very friendly, I think you'll enjoy meeting people there. You also have nice birds, so you have nothing to worry about--even if they don't do well, no biggie. I've only run into one very competitive person that was a bit standoffish about talking about her birds. But everyone else was giving very forthcoming about tips, and ideas on how to do better-- from transportation, grooming, when to water/feed, etc! Let them have a bit of food and water before hand, but then take it away right before judging. I bring wet wipes and spot on carpet cleaner to touch up rears and feet. Careful not to overdo anything, they stay wet a long time unless you bring a blow dryer. Which I always do, but so far have never had a change to use it while at a show. I just figure it's an emergency measure! ha! I still have a lot more to learn about silkies, they are nothing like showing hard feathered birds.

 

[dwegg]

thanks for the encouragement...i got a bit overwhelmed yesterday after washing, prepping ect...hopefully I will calm down by the end of the week....

also, can anyone tell me what to expect with getting my birds checked by the vet at the show...they get tested for something? can't remember...but how do they get tested?

 

[Hawkeye95]

thanks for the encouragement...i got a bit overwhelmed yesterday after washing, prepping ect...hopefully I will calm down by the end of the week....

also, can anyone tell me what to expect with getting my birds checked by the vet at the show...they get tested for something? can't remember...but how do they get tested?

Ahhh, are they doing the Pullorum/Typhoid testing there before the show? That would be for your 90 day certificate (or whatever your State regulates and decides to call it). They usually charge a few dollars per bird-- nothing too expensive. They do a swab down the throat and then stick that in a chemical. Then they will lay your bird on his back on a table and spread out one wing, they will pluck away a few feathers under the wing to expose a good vein, and then pat the vein they are hoping to use and then poke the vein with a sharp needle and draw up the blood and deposit it on a piece of glass where they should already have the chemical that will react to the blood. If it shows up grainy with bumps in the blood-- that's BAD. If the blood keeps a smooth texture and remains the same color-- that's good. I'm surprised they would do that right before a show though. Usually they offer testing a week ahead of time you can sign up for or they have other testing dates you can get in on. It's stressful on the bird. If you want to become NPIP, then that would be a good time to ask the vets who does the avian testing for it and have them come out.

 

[ChicksNherps]

Depending where you live. I just had my flock NPIP tested and it was free. The state has a grant.