Silkie breeding, genetics & showing

[heirloomorps]

Tips for getting a white Silkie back to WHITE? I have tried whitening shampoo. It didn't work... all it did was make the white parts of her super white and shows the dirt MORE. Her crest is the worst area, just above her eyes. Feet, vent are not too bad. Another bath should fix those.

 

[gooselady]

Tips for getting a white Silkie back to WHITE? I have tried whitening shampoo. It didn't work... all it did was make the white parts of her super white and shows the dirt MORE. Her crest is the worst area, just above her eyes. Feet, vent are not too bad. Another bath should fix those.

I'm having the same problem. Someone told me to add a small amount of bleach to the bath water but I would be afraid to use it around the eyes. I bought some whitening shampoo but haven't tried it yet. If it doesn't work I will use it on my dogs.

 

[heirloomorps]

I'm having the same problem. Someone told me to add a small amount of bleach to the bath water but I would be afraid to use it around the eyes. I bought some whitening shampoo but haven't tried it yet. If it doesn't work I will use it on my dogs.

Someone else has told me hydrogen peroxide... again I would be afraid to use that near the eyes. I hope someone has an answer for us!

 

[chicksnthestiks]

Tips for getting a white Silkie back to WHITE? I have tried whitening shampoo. It didn't work... all it did was make the white parts of her super white and shows the dirt MORE. Her crest is the worst area, just above her eyes. Feet, vent are not too bad. Another bath should fix those.

Try a whitening shampoo for horses as their hair is coarse and those seem to work better. For around the eyes I wonder if the product for dogs tear staining remover would work. It is for around eyes.

 

[thedragonlady]

Tips for getting a white Silkie back to WHITE? I have tried whitening shampoo. It didn't work... all it did was make the white parts of her super white and shows the dirt MORE. Her crest is the worst area, just above her eyes. Feet, vent are not too bad. Another bath should fix those.

Once you get a Silkie really stained, not much will bring it back to snow white, except plucking it to grow back in. The key is using water bottles, and keeping the crests of show birds up in tape.Keep your show birds on dry kitty litter, which you screen every day. There is no easier way, if you want to produce top winning birds.

 

[emvickrey]

Try a whitening shampoo for horses as their hair is coarse and those seem to work better. For around the eyes I wonder if the product for dogs tear staining remover would work. It is for around eyes.

I agree. I bought a whitening shampoo for horses. The brand name is Vetrolin. It works great. You only want to use about 1/3 of the recommended amount and don't let your bird sit in it too long. You'll have a pretty blue chicken. Been there done that. My hen I was trying to get white is 3 years old, never had a bath and was in the breeding pen since she came of breeding age and lives on dirt floor. She was so white she looked like she had never been dirty other than the little bit of sunburn on the feathers on her hackle feathers. i was amazed even when I let her sit too long on the second bath. I always first bathe mine in Dawn dish liquid to remove any bugs that may be on them. Dawn kills any critter along with removes anything greasy or oily. Then after I rinsed that off I sat her in a 5 gallon bucket with about 2 1/2 gallons of water with the horse shampoo in it and I just swished it over her and worked it in her crest and tail feathers, foot eathers and the vent area. This stuff really works well. If you do manage to turn yours blue you can get them back white again by giving more baths with the dawn. I was glad I started working on her 2 weeks in advance to the show because when I turned her blue it took every bit of the time remaining to get her white again..

I've tried peroxide, shout dog whitener and none of it works like the horse shampoo. If you can't find Vetrolin make sure to find one that says it's for white or light colored horses to whiten their coat.

 

[chisNchickens]

I agree. I bought a whitening shampoo for horses. The brand name is Vetrolin. It works great. You only want to use about 1/3 of the recommended amount and don't let your bird sit in it too long. You'll have a pretty blue chicken. Been there done that. My hen I was trying to get white is 3 years old, never had a bath and was in the breeding pen since she came of breeding age and lives on dirt floor. She was so white she looked like she had never been dirty other than the little bit of sunburn on the feathers on her hackle feathers. i was amazed even when I let her sit too long on the second bath. I always first bathe mine in Dawn dish liquid to remove any bugs that may be on them. Dawn kills any critter along with removes anything greasy or oily. Then after I rinsed that off I sat her in a 5 gallon bucket with about 2 1/2 gallons of water with the horse shampoo in it and I just swished it over her and worked it in her crest and tail feathers, foot eathers and the vent area. This stuff really works well. If you do manage to turn yours blue you can get them back white again by giving more baths with the dawn. I was glad I started working on her 2 weeks in advance to the show because when I turned her blue it took every bit of the time remaining to get her white again..

I've tried peroxide, shout dog whitener and none of it works like the horse shampoo. If you can't find Vetrolin make sure to find one that says it's for white or light colored horses to whiten their coat.

That is what I use as well. What I do is first wash the bird with dish soap, then rinse. I then soap it up again with dish soap again and then add a couple of drops of the vetrolin to my hands and rub my hands together getting a good lather. I then apply to crest, beard, and tail. Then you can start lathering the bird all over. It may take a couple more times of adding the drops to your hands, lathering, and applying. You don't want to put this bluing shampoo directly on the bird. Use some sort of shampoo/dish soap first to dilute the vetrolin. If you even get a drop of it directly on the bird it will stain so quickly dilute it. It is a balancing act, but it works very well once you get the hang of it. You can apply it to the foot feathers directly, just not the silkied feathers.

 

[gooselady]

That is what I use as well.  What I do is first wash the bird with dish soap, then rinse.  I then soap it up again with dish soap again and then add a couple of drops of the vetrolin to my hands and rub my hands together getting a good lather.  I then apply to crest, beard, and tail.  Then you can start lathering the bird all over.  It may take a couple more times of adding the drops to your hands, lathering, and applying.  You don't want to put this bluing shampoo directly on the bird.  Use some sort of shampoo/dish soap first to dilute the vetrolin.  If you even get a drop of it directly on the bird it will stain so quickly dilute it.  It is a balancing act, but it works very well once you get the hang of it.  You can apply it to the foot feathers directly, just not the silkied feathers.

Thank you for all the help. Will be going to try to find some of this shampoo.

 

[ChickenLove6]

Does anybody know what colour my silkie cockerel is? He was mixed between my blue silkie cockerel and my white silkie hen.
Thanks in advance!

 

[PaintedFeathers]