Silkie breeding, genetics & showing

[ChicksNherps]

never have i ever heard of somethin like this why on earth would u put hot blankets on a chick?????

the blankets weren't hot, the heat pad under the blankets was. I don't know it's a lone chick and she says unless it has a lot of fluffy blankets where it can snuggle in it cries so she refuses to keep the blankets out. It's not mine so she can do what she wants but she needs to know they are fragile and CAN overheat, it doesn't matter that they are supposed to stay warm they need to still be able to regulate their temps.

 

[thedragonlady]

I'm looking into getting into pure sq silkie breeding. I would love to have several in one pen, was told a good combo would be black roo, blue, splash hens. Any other color would probably give me some funky colors.

I know I will get pretty good splits in that mix, which is fine with me. I want to breed, sell, show - maybe. So am I on the right track?

Have you bred ,raised, and shown chickens before? Have you read the SOP for Silkies ? Have you studied show quality type?Are you willing to work with a mentor ? Do you have unlimited funds to start this endeavor with not only top quality quality birds, but coops, and runs, and feeding a gang of birds until you have bred birds good enough to show and win?

If the answers to all the above questions are "yes"; have at it. If not , go get a really top white trio,show them , and then breed them. You will learn a lot. Start with the basics, and learn.

 

[Feathersprings]

I'm looking into getting into pure sq silkie breeding. I would love to have several in one pen, was told a good combo would be black roo, blue, splash hens. Any other color would probably give me some funky colors.

I know I will get pretty good splits in that mix, which is fine with me. I want to breed, sell, show - maybe. So am I on the right track?

It isnt quite that easy but you can start out with that color combination. If you want to breed Splash color you might not want a black rooster . This how breeding that color works


Blue X Blue = 50% Blue, 25% Black, 25% Splash
Blue X Splash = 50% Blue, 50% Splash
Blue X Black = 50% Blue, 50% Black
Splash X Splash = 100% Splash
Splash X Black = 100% Blue
Black X Black = 100% Black

Breeding SQ is another whole problem! Even breeding SQ silkies to each other will not necessarily produce show quality. You should buy a trio of the best silkies you can to start breeding from. You also need to show so you can gauge you success at breeding SQ. You are on the right track as far as wanting to breed good quality and sticking to a plan of standard color or colors to start with. you are in the right place to find good silkies and to get all the information you will need to start a responsible breeding program! Good Luck!

 

[moomoodiddy]

the blankets weren't hot, the heat pad under the blankets was. I don't know it's a lone chick and she says unless it has a lot of fluffy blankets where it can snuggle in it cries so she refuses to keep the blankets out. It's not mine so she can do what she wants but she needs to know they are fragile and CAN overheat, it doesn't matter that they are supposed to stay warm they need to still be able to regulate their temps.

...wow....

 

[ChicksNherps]

...wow....

My thoughts exactly... She just doesn't get it.

 

[littlecritters]

Has anyone else ever experienced a silkie chick have a heat stroke?

I believe that we experienced heat stroke in our batch of shipped silkies that got lost in transportation. One arrived dead, the rest were breathing but non responsive. One was even passing blood...I tube fed him for weeks and then he passed away. He exhibited neurological damage and had deficits just like a human who suffered from a regular stroke. Another one of the group passed away a few weeks after that. The poultry specialist at Cornell U suspects that the others who survived will have residual problems and compromised immune systems.

 

[peepblessed]

I'm looking into getting into pure sq silkie breeding. I would love to have several in one pen, was told a good combo would be black roo, blue, splash hens. Any other color would probably give me some funky colors.

I know I will get pretty good splits in that mix, which is fine with me. I want to breed, sell, show - maybe. So am I on the right track?

If you start at the beginning of this thread and read it all you will see several of the problems you will need to be on the lookout for. I have studied everything I can on silkies for two years now and still learn new things everyday. It's well worth the effort. Many people helped me along the way.

 

[LaPetiteFarmer]

I believe that we experienced heat stroke in our batch of shipped silkies that got lost in transportation. One arrived dead, the rest were breathing but non responsive. One was even passing blood...I tube fed him for weeks and then he passed away. He exhibited neurological damage and had deficits just like a human who suffered from a regular stroke. Another one of the group passed away a few weeks after that. The poultry specialist at Cornell U suspects that the others who survived will have residual problems and compromised immune systems.

It always give me the chills when I read what you went through. I haven't heard of anybody who devoted so much of her time and tried her best to save them.

 

[ChicksNherps]

I believe that we experienced heat stroke in our batch of shipped silkies that got lost in transportation. One arrived dead, the rest were breathing but non responsive. One was even passing blood...I tube fed him for weeks and then he passed away. He exhibited neurological damage and had deficits just like a human who suffered from a regular stroke. Another one of the group passed away a few weeks after that. The poultry specialist at Cornell U suspects that the others who survived will have residual problems and compromised immune systems.

It's so scary when something like this happens. I'm sorry your babies didn't all make it, Peep seems to be fine now luckily!

 

[LaPetiteFarmer]

A month ago only one chick hatched from my shipped eggs and I believe her feet feathering are not that nice. Would you agree? When you cull at a such young age, do you cull for feet feathering as well or wait until they mature more?