Silkie breeding, genetics & showing

[chisNchickens]

Okay, I had a heck of time getting these images. The weather and the birds were NOT cooperating. These are images of three birds. I tried to get decent ground pics for more natural looks. The first bird is Betty White, she is about a year and a half. She is still coming back from hatching and being a mommy but I think she is a bit light on the tail - will see if she gets more - but that is where I think she is lacking. The third pic is an older one and her tail looks a bit better so hopefully it will improve as she comes into condition.









The next four pics are of my Rachel. She is my favorite, and she got bv and reserve breed at her first show but there were only around a dozen birds there. She was almost seven months at the time and was defeated by a lovely partridge hen owned by Donna McCormick. The very last image was taken the day of the show, after I trimmed her eyes. She does have an ever-so-slight bonnet shape to her crest. I wish she had more foot feathering - or rather longer feathers.







Pic above after a bath, still a bit damp.


Pic above taken at almost seven months.

This is a bird I had in the breeding pen and decided to take her out and get her into condition for show. So she's a mess right now but you can still get an idea of her shape. She has the best beard of all my girls but has a bit of pink to her comb unfortunately. The last pic is after her bath before fully-fluffed. She is also a smaller bird than my other girls. I really like her despite the bit of pink so she stayed.








Feel free to use these pics to critique away...I was an art major in college so I am plenty accustomed to critiques and you won't hurt my feelings. It is the best way to learn, aside from showing. I don't have a show until August or September I think, so I have plenty of time to get these girls in condition.

 

[chisNchickens]

And ChickenMama...here is the partridge as of yesterday. She is really filling out and is almost looking too full in the breast so I have named her Dolly

She is looking a bit scraggly though. She is around fourteen weeks.

 

[ChickNmamma]

And ChickenMama...here is the partridge as of yesterday. She is really filling out and is almost looking too full in the breast so I have named her Dolly

She is looking a bit scraggly though. She is around fourteen weeks.

Thank you for the pictures, she looks like she is filling out nicely - but I would be tempted to call her Sasquach...

 

[Sanna]

Marge Best Dark Blue 7mo cockerel

You can send him over to my house any time!

Silkies are capable of all sorts of gyrations, as you all know ! Notice that the Blue boy's tail stays pretty much in the same position , no matter what his head and neck do.His back is not too short so that his center of balance is maintained.Look at illustrations of chicken skeletons, paying attention to the thigh and upper thigh angles.

Now that we're all asking questions, would you mind telling me more about my cockerel?
Here he was 8 months old.


This was taken almost a month later right after a bath.




These are the best pictures I could find. He lacks feathering on his shanks and feet aren't the best around, but other than that, I think you get a good idea on what he looks like. The first picture, he's a little bit upright and spent a lot of time moving around like that when he was younger. Now that he's almost a year old, it seems like he has dropped down a little bit, if that makes any sense? lol

 

[chisNchickens]

Thank you for the pictures, she looks like she is filling out nicely - but I would be tempted to call her Sasquach...

That is too funny, I almost named her Chewie for Chewbacca.

 

[chisNchickens]

Marge Best Dark Blue 7mo cockerel




Hit me with it

I can't comment as to color but he has a lovely shape. A very solid-looking fella too. I do agree on the tail. That single hard feather in the middle needs to be yanked (!!) I think that would be considered faking though...I like him.

 

[PaintedFeathers]

I would love to see a side shot of this boy showing his feet. My feeling is that his center of balance is too far to the rear. When he drops his tail, he has to bring his head and neck forward to keep his balance . Notice in the bottom photo the extreme reverse S curve from his beak to the very base of his neck when his tail is up. On Cochins and Silkies the angles of the thigh bone( Femur) and the Tibia ( lower thigh) are acute. On a Modern Game Bantam, they are very open. This is what affects balance.

How is this?

 

[chisNchickens]

You can send him over to my house any time!

Now that we're all asking questions, would you mind telling me more about my cockerel?
Here he was 8 months old.


This was taken almost a month later right after a bath.




These are the best pictures I could find. He lacks feathering on his shanks and feet aren't the best around, but other than that, I think you get a good idea on what he looks like. The first picture, he's a little bit upright and spent a lot of time moving around like that when he was younger. Now that he's almost a year old, it seems like he has dropped down a little bit, if that makes any sense? lol

He reminds me of a roo I had. He could be more compact and typey but technically everything is in the right place and he looks good. I would call him a better breeder quality roo right now. If he continues to fill out as he looks like he will, he should be really nice I think. I think I see a nice, wide stance with lots of space between the legs (second pic) and I like that. Does that make sense?

 

[chisNchickens]

How is this?

He looks good when he is moving...he is a gorgeous bird but there seems to be something off with the balance. Something I can't quite put my finger on.

 

[thedragonlady]

Okay, I had a heck of time getting these images. The weather and the birds were NOT cooperating. These are images of three birds. I tried to get decent ground pics for more natural looks. The first bird is Betty White, she is about a year and a half. She is still coming back from hatching and being a mommy but I think she is a bit light on the tail - will see if she gets more - but that is where I think she is lacking. The third pic is an older one and her tail looks a bit better so hopefully it will improve as she comes into condition.







I like this bird. I need to see them flat footed like the photos of the Partridge you just posted to really judge them, but she looks sound , and with nice wings. She could use more Poof to her tail, and foot feathering.I would put her crest up in paper tape to train it up more.

The next four pics are of my Rachel. She is my favorite, and she got bv and reserve breed at her first show but there were only around a dozen birds there. She was almost seven months at the time and was defeated by a lovely partridge hen owned by Donna McCormick. The very last image was taken the day of the show, after I trimmed her eyes. She does have an ever-so-slight bonnet shape to her crest. I wish she had more foot feathering - or rather longer feathers.

Rachel is on tippy toes here, but her legs are under her. More foot furnishings needed here too.Looks like her wings are good too. A very nice girl.





Pic above after a bath, still a bit damp.


Pic above taken at almost seven months.

This is a bird I had in the breeding pen and decided to take her out and get her into condition for show. So she's a mess right now but you can still get an idea of her shape. She has the best beard of all my girls but has a bit of pink to her comb unfortunately. The last pic is after her bath before fully-fluffed. She is also a smaller bird than my other girls. I really like her despite the bit of pink so she stayed.


Small is good! PLEASE put her crest up !. That will improve it no end. She has great fuzzy slippers too, and nice wings, as well as being balanced.Look where her feet are in the bottom photo. She's balanced front, and rear, and low in front. I can tell that you are an Art major by your birds. They have balance and proportion. Pretty girls. Now it's up to you to condition them.





Feel free to use these pics to critique away...I was an art major in college so I am plenty accustomed to critiques and you won't hurt my feelings. It is the best way to learn, aside from showing. I don't have a show until August or September I think, so I have plenty of time to get these girls in condition.