Silkie breeding, genetics & showing

[sbriant]

This is my Silkie pullet, Effie. I'm planning on showing her this year. It will be my first time ever showing a chicken so I'm very excited. Could I get some critiques on her? I dont really know much about what a good silkie looks like.

 

[peepblessed]

This is my Silkie pullet, Effie. I'm planning on showing her this year. It will be my first time ever showing a chicken so I'm very excited. Could I get some critiques on her? I dont really know much about what a good silkie looks like.

How old is she?

 

[peepblessed]

We have a quad of grey Silkies. They produce nice chicks, but all of our breeders are lacking a really good crest.

If I put our grey roo over our best black hen, would the chicks just come out a darker grey or would they all come out black? Our roo is a medium grey color.

The other option is to get eggs/chicks from a breeder but we have had trouble finding a breeder who does grey.

Hopefully, you will get an answer from someone who really knows genetics on this but I would worry about introducing red into the gray. I hope someone who knows comments as I love to understand these kind of things.

 

[PaintedFeathers]

This is what I do also. I use my hovabator for incubation and my home made incubator for hatching. My hovabator is about 25 years old, has a fan and still works perfectly.

How did you make your home made incubator? I tried but failed =P

This is my Silkie pullet, Effie. I'm planning on showing her this year. It will be my first time ever showing a chicken so I'm very excited. Could I get some critiques on her? I dont really know much about what a good silkie looks like.

Unfortunately I don't think she will win anything, but it will be fun and a good learning experience! I had a fun time talking to experienced breeders about their chickens. Like peepblessed asked, how old is she? From these pictures, I can tell you her back looks too long, she doesn't have enough foot feathering and is lacking feathers on the middle toe. But she seems young, so she may grow into her body better by the show. Here is a picture of my hen who I consider "show quality"

 

[dogsgofish]

DID THE SAME AS YOU; i COULD NOT MAINTAIN A CONSTANT TEMPbECAUSE MY HOUSE DOES NOT MAINTAIN A CONSTANT TEMP. i TRIED TWICE WITH BAD RESULTS sORRY TO BURST YOUR BUBBLE BUT BELIEVE THEY WERE MADE TO SELL dON

 

[Sanna]

and can you believe she is still COVERED in pins! even her crest!

I'm so jealous!

If my white pullet looked like that, I'd keep her and find a white rooster for her. I was planning on breeding blue/splashes. Then I decided I wanted to add another color, and was thinking white. But then I remembered I have limited space. And then I happened to speak to a breeder who has a few different colors and she reminded me I could go with the BBS. Duh!!!

I have a nice black pullet. Actually, the older she gets, the better she looks! So I'll breed her to my splash cockerel also!

-----------------------
edit.

I forgot I took some pictures today. This is the black pullet.

And this was a few weeks ago. I probably posted this picture here. Her wings are looking better now than they did in this picture.



I'm showing this one in May, I think! And my blue hen!

Soon I'll be obsessed with all these chicken shows.

 

[heirloomorps]

I'm so jealous! If my white pullet looked like that, I'd keep her and find a white rooster for her. I was planning on breeding blue/splashes. Then I decided I wanted to add another color, and was thinking white. But then I remembered I have limited space. And then I happened to speak to a breeder who has a few different colors and she reminded me I could go with the BBS. Duh!!! I have a nice black pullet. Actually, the older she gets, the better she looks! So I'll breed her to my splash cockerel also! e ----------------------- edit. I forgot I took some pictures today. This is the black pullet. And this was a few weeks ago. I probably posted this picture here. Her wings are looking better now than they did in this picture. I'm showing this one in May, I think! And my blue hen! e Soon I'll be obsessed with all these chicken shows.

She is absolutely beautiful.

 

[Sanna]

She is absolutely beautiful.

Thank you

 

[PaintedFeathers]

quick question, can I add poppy seeds and/or sesame seeds to my FF? I feed both to my roaches, they are high in vitamins so they make a good gutload.

 

[ChickNmamma]

quick question, can I add poppy seeds and/or sesame seeds to my FF? I feed both to my roaches, they are high in vitamins so they make a good gutload.

I would say sure to the sesame seeds - chickens eat seeds. Not so sure on the poppy seeds.. don't they contain a narcotic? I don't know if chickens would eat seeds from a poppy.. I have California Poppies over here so I guess I will check when the seed pods pop. They are a lot smaller than most seeds I see the chickens eat.