Silkie breeding, genetics & showing

[ChicksNherps]

Thank you,
I love blues!
Talking about blue silkies, my blue (last picture) Sophie isn't doing better. I am quite worried about her. I am starting to wonder if she doesn't have brain damage / head injury. She is extremely lethargic, sleeps all day with her head tucked in, barely moves, doesn't eat or drink and when I put her back in the coop on top of the roost with the other ones, she didn't have any balance. I had to bring her back inside the house where it is warm and cozy. I will wait a few days to see how she does

. Any suggestions?

sugar water, make sure she drinks it. Electrolytes may help too. Use a syringe and give it to her by hand if she isn't eating or drinking. Try giving her some food by hand too. You can just add water to the food to make it mushy, it's easier to feed that way.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I have the possibility on getting a gorgeous black roo, but he has some red leakage on his hackles. None of his offspring girls developed leakage but some of the boys did. Some of his brothers don't have any leakage but their offspring do.I know he won't be good for showing but what about breeding?

You will get a mix of opinions on this. Some say that red leakage makes for the best green sheen in offspring. This is something you will hear from breeders going back many years. Others say that it continues a fault that should be bred out, not maintained.

Personally I prefer to not have leakage, but if I had a dynamite cock with leakage and nothing near his quality without, I might try it on a few of my best girls.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Thank you,
I love blues!
Talking about blue silkies, my blue (last picture) Sophie isn't doing better. I am quite worried about her. I am starting to wonder if she doesn't have brain damage / head injury. She is extremely lethargic, sleeps all day with her head tucked in, barely moves, doesn't eat or drink and when I put her back in the coop on top of the roost with the other ones, she didn't have any balance. I had to bring her back inside the house where it is warm and cozy. I will wait a few days to see how she does

. Any suggestions?

Give her some B12. You can purchase injectible in feed stores, but what is probably easier is to purchase it in the vitamin section of a health food store or pharmacy. If you get the kind that dissolves under the tongue (methyl-cobalamin) you can add a few drops of water to dissolve and put directly into her mouth. Use a high-dose pill. The ones we have are, I think, 5000 mcg.

Make sure you are giving extra nutritious feed, check for lice/mites, and watch her poops. You can also give corrid or sulmet, but I would space it so that the B12 and coccidiastat are given a number of hours apart.

 

[LaPetiteFarmer]

sugar water, make sure she drinks it. Electrolytes may help too. Use a syringe and give it to her by hand if she isn't eating or drinking. Try giving her some food by hand too. You can just add water to the food to make it mushy, it's easier to feed that way.

Thank you. I gave her Tina's recipe and force her to drink some sav a chick electrolyte. She looks the same, but one thing is worrying me is when I touch her neck it seems she has some discomfort. She stands on her feet, but doesn't move at all and her head is tucked in, are those symptoms of wry neck?

 

[LaPetiteFarmer]

Give her some B12. You can purchase injectible in feed stores, but what is probably easier is to purchase it in the vitamin section of a health food store or pharmacy. If you get the kind that dissolves under the tongue (methyl-cobalamin) you can add a few drops of water to dissolve and put directly into her mouth. Use a high-dose pill. The ones we have are, I think, 5000 mcg.

Make sure you are giving extra nutritious feed, check for lice/mites, and watch her poops. You can also give corrid or sulmet, but I would space it so that the B12 and coccidiastat are given a number of hours apart.

Thank you, I am going to the store right now to get her all she needs.

 

[LaPetiteFarmer]

You will get a mix of opinions on this. Some say that red leakage makes for the best green sheen in offspring. This is something you will hear from breeders going back many years. Others say that it continues a fault that should be bred out, not maintained.

Personally I prefer to not have leakage, but if I had a dynamite cock with leakage and nothing near his quality without, I might try it on a few of my best girls.

That is exactly what the breeder told me about the green sheen in the offspring. I am still unsure about getting him but I am really having a hard time finding a black (gorgeous) 6 - 12 months old cockerel. If any of you have one let me know

 

[dogsgofish]

I bought three white silkies from a " knowlgeble" breeder that was supposed to be pure stock. Found that6 he was not so well educated on Silkies, The ywere hatched in feb 12One was bearded and said to be a cockeral WRONG, He said al cocks were bearded WRONG All thre are laying now and they are of three differnt sizes the bearded being the largest. Now I want to set some eggs but need a goo cockeral HELP.

 

[silkieloverz123]

Hope my Smokey splash is a splash not grey, because she/he is sooooo cute, BTWS she looks like a splash but she has some brown in her? Any ideas?

 

[BarnGoddess01]

I bought three white silkies from a " knowlgeble" breeder that was supposed to be pure stock. Found that6 he was not so well educated on Silkies, The ywere hatched in feb 12One was bearded and said to be a cockeral WRONG, He said al cocks were bearded WRONG All thre are laying now and they are of three differnt sizes the bearded being the largest. Now I want to set some eggs but need a goo cockeral HELP.

Welcome to BYC!

Hunt around on BYC. I'm betting you will be able to track down a cockerel in no time.

Good luck!!!

 

[peepblessed]

I have 3 different blues:

One very light:



One very dark:




And one in between:

I love the color on that last one!!

Thank you,
I love blues!
Talking about blue silkies, my blue (last picture) Sophie isn't doing better. I am quite worried about her. I am starting to wonder if she doesn't have brain damage / head injury. She is extremely lethargic, sleeps all day with her head tucked in, barely moves, doesn't eat or drink and when I put her back in the coop on top of the roost with the other ones, she didn't have any balance. I had to bring her back inside the house where it is warm and cozy. I will wait a few days to see how she does

. Any suggestions?

I was pretty worried that she had a brain injury. The two that I had that went through it survived. Many breeders recommend vitamin E capsules. Squeeze 400 mg 3 times a day into the mouth.

I bought three white silkies from a " knowlgeble" breeder that was supposed to be pure stock. Found that6 he was not so well educated on Silkies, The ywere hatched in feb 12One was bearded and said to be a cockeral WRONG, He said al cocks were bearded WRONG All thre are laying now and they are of three differnt sizes the bearded being the largest. Now I want to set some eggs but need a goo cockeral HELP.

Where do you live?

Thank you. I gave her Tina's recipe and force her to drink some sav a chick electrolyte. She looks the same, but one thing is worrying me is when I touch her neck it seems she has some discomfort. She stands on her feet, but doesn't move at all and her head is tucked in, are those symptoms of wry neck?

yes, can be. Such a shame...

I have 3 different blues:

One very light:



One very dark:




And one in between: