Silkie breeding, genetics & showing

[Adoravachick]

At 7 months I would be 99 percent girl.

You would think right? This bird was recently put into my BBS breeding pen and the roo hasnt been aggressive, like he would if it was a cockerel. In fact, the roo dances. I can usually tell with certainty, this one threw me though.

 

[ket806]

Can we see your roo? Silkies are tempermental about laying lol my oldest is 10 months and she still hasn't layed, but the little girl I got from my friend should start laying sooner, hers all lay around 6 months.

You sure can!! I love showing my birds nice to finally get to talk to chicken people my husband doesn't enjoy it as much haha!
Here is my black roo and pics of my buff girls wings

 

[Hawkeye95]

I have to disagree. Everything else being equal, I'd take the bird with the wrong number of toes over one with a double toenail (regardless of whether it is a lobster claw or parallel pair from the same nailbed. Not a bird with 4 or 9 or 11 toes (or 4+6) can't be shown, but can be a breeder.

Interesting! I have a hen that has great toes-- except on ONE toe (one of the extra toes) has a single toe, good separation, not wide like it's internally fused with two sets of bones in it, but has a double nail. In fact, I didn't even notice she even had a double nail, they are so fused together. I think I took a picture of it. It basically looks like one nail with a divide down the middle. I'm going to use her anyway. Do you think that would be a big issue? I'll see if I can hunt down that picture I took. I don't think I would even have ever noticed except that I had clipped that nail and then was filing it and noticed the divide in the center of the nail.

They all have 5 toes the ones I am most interested to hear about are the white and buff!! I really appropriate everything!! Ik ugh technology haha

Honestly, you're not going to love what I have to say. First of all, these are all non-bearded birds. Which is NOT a fault, and has nothing to do with their quality-- just letting you know. So if anyone asks if you have bearded or non, you have "non". The buff is the nicest looking of them all. The rest are definitely hatchery quality birds, and I certainly would not breed them. The buff is likely a hatchery quality bird as well, and even if not, looks to be a pet quality. What color are you most interested in? I'd go with whatever color is really firing you up and makes you drool, and then go buy some eggs from Catdance or someone else that had really nice birds. Or buy a started pair or trio of them. Be VERY careful about quality. The cheaper the birds, the lesser the quality. That's just how it works, usually. I started out with hatchery birds, so I know what they look like. I finally got rid of my last two hatchery silkies about 4 months ago. They are nice birds, great pets! But you can't show them. But maybe that isn't what you want to do? Not everyone cares about showing. What is your goal with your silkies? If you're just wanting backyard pets to breed and and enjoy, you've got them! But if you are wanting to show, you don't have them. Also decide before you buy if you are wanting to breed non's or bearded's and don't mix the two. Stick with one or the other. Both are beautiful.

I like her too I thought so do you think their crests can bloom after a molt? I sure can I will get a shot of both wings and her feet i thought the whites wings looked wierd but wasn't sure if it was because she was about to flap or what. Does slip wing mean they are too far apart? I figured the black girl was a long shot lol but I didn't want to leave her out haha! Thank you oh so much for your input it helped tremendously and also assured some things I had right I will get those pics up in just a moment

Those crests will not grow any larger. They are topped out. I do have a bird right now that looks like that-- barely any crest, BUT because I had her before her molt, I know her crest will come back in nice and large and round. And her molt is mostly over, as are most birds-- and the crest is already coming in big.

You would think right? This bird was recently put into my BBS breeding pen and the roo hasnt been aggressive, like he would if it was a cockerel. In fact, the roo dances. I can usually tell with certainty, this one threw me though.

No idea either. It strikes me as a boy, though. And food for thought--- I added two new young cockerels to my bachelor pen tonight with 6 other boys in there-- and I had a couple of the older boys come over and "court" these two new guys!!

I was shocked they didn't realize the newbies were BOYS. But there they were, dancing and dragging their wings for these two boys.

No fights either! Usually there is a bit of a minor scuffle, but this time, the boys just were enamored with the newbies. And I might re-think the two 'boys' I put in there, but they are both crowing and have been for a couple of months.

 

[ket806]

Interesting!  I have a hen that has great toes-- except on ONE toe (one of the extra toes) has a single toe, good separation, not wide like it's internally fused with two sets of bones in it, but has a double nail.  In fact, I didn't even notice she even had a double nail, they are so fused together.  I think I took a picture of it.  It basically looks like one nail with a divide down the middle.  I'm going to use her anyway.  Do you think that would be a big issue?  I'll see if I can hunt down that picture I took.  I don't think I would even have ever noticed except that I had clipped that nail and then was filing it and noticed the divide in the center of the nail.


Honestly, you're not going to love what I have to say.  First of all, these are all non-bearded birds.  Which is NOT a fault, and has nothing to do with their quality-- just letting you know.  So if anyone asks if you have bearded or non, you have "non".  The buff is the nicest looking of them all.  The rest are definitely hatchery quality birds, and I certainly would not breed them.  The buff is likely a hatchery quality bird as well, and even if not, looks to be a pet quality.  What color are you most interested in?  I'd go with whatever color is really firing you up and makes you drool, and then go buy some eggs from Catdance or someone else that had really nice birds.  Or buy a started pair or trio of them.  Be VERY careful about quality.  The cheaper the birds, the lesser the quality.  That's just how it works, usually.  I started out with hatchery birds, so I know what they look like.  I finally got rid of my last two hatchery silkies about  4 months ago.  They are nice birds, great pets!  But you can't show them.  But maybe that isn't what you want to do?  Not everyone cares about showing.  What is your goal with your silkies?  If you're just wanting backyard pets to breed and and enjoy, you've got them!    But if you are wanting to show, you don't have them.  Also decide before you buy if you are wanting to breed non's or bearded's and don't mix the two.  Stick with one or the other.  Both are beautiful.



Those crests will not grow any larger.  They are topped out.  I do have a bird right now that looks like that-- barely any crest, BUT because I had her before her molt, I know her crest will come back in nice and large and round.  And her molt is mostly over, as are most birds-- and the crest is already coming in big.

Thank you so much for the input! I do want to show silkies, kinda wanted to do bearded! These silkies were given to me from a friend and she had them as pets. I was just curious of what people thought and to also help me see what and what not to look for I have actually looked into cat dance and I am hoping to maybe get some eggs from her soon) thanks for your input it helped a lot!

 

[ChicksNherps]

I'm a photofiliac haha!

DERRRRR

"Come slave! I am ready for my pedicure"



and all dry!

 

[Hawkeye95]

Thank you so much for the input! I do want to show silkies, kinda wanted to do bearded! These silkies were given to me from a friend and she had them as pets. I was just curious of what people thought and to also help me see what and what not to look for I have actually looked into cat dance and I am hoping to maybe get some eggs from her soon) thanks for your input it helped a lot!

I mentioned Catdance, but I don't have a single bird from her! I just see all the great hatches people get from her and I think it's easy to order from her, which is why I suggested her. Before you buy, try to ask around who everyone is really happy with.

Look at PeepBlessed's avatar! Do you see the "S" shape? THAT is what you are looking for. Then you have to add in good wings and toes and cushion, etc, etc... Peep's avatar is of a very nice pullet. Sonoran's avatar is of an amazing pullet as well! So keep those in mind when you look at silkies.
I have a boy that I'm really happy with that has that nice shape:


I have other nice boys, but none that quite look as nice as this guy all around! But you want that nice big crest-- even on a boy, and the cushion helps fill in the tail, soft tail feathers-- all of this goes for boy/girl. So NO hard feathers. No back-- the tail and neck should meet in the middle. You're looking for type-- that general round S shape.


I have an example of a boy that has a hard feather in his tail and is lacking in cushion: (he's young, so I am hoping he fills in more, but who knows!?) See the one hard feather sticking out the top of his tail? That's bad!

And the lack of cushion in his tail makes him look kind of rangy. Since he's 5 months-- I'm hoping that fills in. He's from excellent lines and it's possible he might still have some filling in, as boys do mature slow.




Me and Jack, Sonoran, ChickenCrazee, etc-- or those of you that are showing--- I'm done for the season until Spring for shows (and I've never showed him, he's too young and not quite "there" anyway). What would you do with that one hard tail feather? I'm tempted to pluck it and see if it grows back in soft????? Good idea/Bad idea???? Input on that. I don't want to deceive anyone of what is naturally there. Just wondered if that feather might molt out on it's own when he matures or if it's safe to pluck and see what happens? Is that ethical?? I don't want to do anything that would be wrong or hide anything. Never come up with that before, so I don't know what is right or wrong.

 

[Feathersprings]

Thank you so much for the input! I do want to show silkies, kinda wanted to do bearded! These silkies were given to me from a friend and she had them as pets. I was just curious of what people thought and to also help me see what and what not to look for I have actually looked into cat dance and I am hoping to maybe get some eggs from her soon) thanks for your input it helped a lot!

I dont think you would be unhappy with her Silkies. I have a couple from her eggs I bought from someone else and bought these two girls from her recently.They are both very nice!These two are under 6 months old.

 

[Adoravachick]

No idea either. It strikes me as a boy, though. And food for thought--- I added two new young cockerels to my bachelor pen tonight with 6 other boys in there-- and I had a couple of the older boys come over and "court" these two new guys!!

I was shocked they didn't realize the newbies were BOYS. But there they were, dancing and dragging their wings for these two boys.

No fights either! Usually there is a bit of a minor scuffle, but this time, the boys just were enamored with the newbies. And I might re-think the two 'boys' I put in there, but they are both crowing and have been for a couple of months.

Hopefully, I'll have an answer soon. Maybe just a little slower to mature? I wish with crest was a little larger though, everything else is very nice on this bird.

 

[littlecritters]

THANK YOU! I will try that as well!!

Just want to add that Tapatalk allows you to upload pics that are on your mobile device w/out using photobucket. You can even open up a reply, take a photo with your device and it will be embedded directly into the post. Pretty handy...

I think I am going to just pet him out.  I don't want to put myself behind the ball by breeding him and being unhappy with the result because it showed up.  I discovered today that I have a true black chick that is a little cockerel.  He is only a few weeks old, but the wattles are there and they are a little red. I'm not hurting for boys at the moment...I have ALOT.

Any thoughts on the sex of this one by looking at the body type and stance.  There aren't any wattles or comb....

My thought is that the comb would be more developed at 7 months, if it is a roo. You may not know with this one until it crows or lays an egg.

 

[ket806]

I mentioned Catdance, but I don't have a single bird from her!  I just see all the great hatches people get from her and I think it's easy to order from her, which is why I suggested her.  Before you buy, try to ask around who everyone is really happy with.  

Look at PeepBlessed's avatar!  Do you see the "S" shape?  THAT is what you are looking for.  Then you have to add in good wings and toes and cushion, etc, etc...  Peep's avatar is of a very nice pullet.  Sonoran's avatar is of an amazing pullet as well!  So keep those in mind when you look at silkies.
I have a boy that I'm really happy with that has that nice shape:


I have other nice boys, but none that quite look as nice as this guy all around!    But you want that nice big crest-- even on a boy, and the cushion helps fill in the tail, soft tail feathers-- all of this goes for boy/girl.  So NO hard feathers. No back-- the tail and neck should meet in the middle.  You're looking for type-- that general round S shape.  


I have an example of a boy that has a hard feather in his tail and is lacking in cushion:  (he's young, so I am hoping he fills in more, but who knows!?) See the one hard feather sticking out the top of his tail?  That's bad!     And the lack of cushion in his tail makes him look kind of rangy.  Since he's 5 months-- I'm hoping that fills in.  He's from excellent lines and it's possible he might still have some filling in, as boys do mature slow.   




Me and Jack, Sonoran, ChickenCrazee, etc-- or those of you that are showing--- I'm done for the season until Spring for shows (and I've never showed him, he's too young and not quite "there" anyway).  What would you do with that one hard tail feather?  I'm tempted to pluck it and see if it grows back in soft?????  Good idea/Bad idea????  Input on that.  I don't want to deceive anyone of what is naturally there.  Just wondered if that feather might molt out on it's own when he matures or if it's safe to pluck and see what happens?  Is that ethical??  I don't want to do anything that would be wrong or hide anything.  Never come up with that before, so I don't know what is right or wrong.

8-0 that makes SO much since! Thank you!!! The pictures helped A TON!!! I'm so excited I'm learning!!!!!