Silkie breeding, genetics & showing

[farmer boy]

Some of my girls can't see a whole lot, but are very savvy. They've been free ranging since 4 weeks. Very good at it now. They hang in the woods and in brush much of the day.

mines really funny she will sit there and look at me/sorta talk and the other 2 sneak off then she starts like spinning around trying to find them then she gets running as fast as she can go to try and find them lol .... later today i will get the pics for you

 

[redrocketrooster]

I have four eight week old chicks. Our white cockerel and blue are making quite rolling bird chirps. Whats that about? Is it a sign if a roo? We havent figured the blues gender yet. .

 

[chisNchickens]

plucking foot feathers is pretty difficult--I have tried to pull broken ones so that they will regrow new feathers, and have never been successful

I pluck foot feathers any time they break, use a good pair of needle nose pliers. Pinch at the base of the feather and give a hard yank. Be prepared for a bit of bleeding. It does not bother them as much as you'd think, they object to plucking around the eyes more than feet. I usually soak the feet in anitbacterial soapy water after plucking. I personally think the more feathering on the feet, the better and would only yank broken feathers.

 

[chisNchickens]

Can we lose the non-standard abbreviations?  No real answers for F1s, But eventually you could get blue partridge.  Buff X blue can get you a bunch of mutt colours, but you can also be ucky and have the genes line up right and get blues and buffs.  But that would probably be a very small percentage.  Pairing grey with black will vary depending on whether the black is gold or silver.

Agree. Lets not make things up please. It only confuses those trying to learn (myself included).

 

[Nikki816]

One of the chicks I got from a breeder a week or so ago I picked up yesterday to replace the zip tie that fell off its leg and noticed that its feet were messed up. (My bad for not checking them, but I trusted her word that they were fine). One foot is missing half a toe and the other is missing half a toe too, but it looks like would have had extra toes on that foot if it had grown

 

[Nikki816]

One of the chicks I got from a breeder a week or so ago I picked up yesterday to replace the zip tie that fell off its leg and noticed that its feet were messed up. (My bad for not checking them, but I trusted her word that they were fine). One foot is missing half a toe and the other is missing half a toe too, but it looks like would have had extra toes on that foot if it had grown

I meant to ask if its genetic or environmental/ incubation problem.

 

[ChickNmamma]

Quote: I have seen that before - one of the normal toes doesn't grow a toenail. I hadn't seen one that didn't even grow the toe..

I think it is genetic - but since the 5th toe can be suppressed by temperature fluctuations during incubation I wonder if it can cause this also?

 

[Jharper]

Poor fluffy. She can't hardly see anything with all those feathers in the way. LOL!

 

[Nikki816]

I have seen that before - one of the normal toes doesn't grow a toenail.  I hadn't seen one that didn't even grow the toe.. 

I think it is genetic - but since the 5th toe can be suppressed by temperature fluctuations during incubation I wonder if it can cause this also?

this was the only one out of the 4 chicks that has a skinnier comb and poofier head. There is one more I'm hoping maybe a pullet, her head poof stands up straighter than the other 2, but her comb is pretty wide. The other 2 have more of a slicked back looking poof and their combs are starting to grow. She may end up just being a layer for breakfast eggs.

 

[TNBarnQueen]

He does need to fill out more, but I would worry about those wings. Does he always carry them like that? Otherwise he has a lovely shape...

Actually I was catching the pics on the move. He was not too keen in staying still for me.

He is new and was not handled much by the previous owner. This is a really bad pic. It was in the hottest part of the day where the lighting was overhead. Really bleached out the colors. Hope to get better ones later. He is a real baby doll. Just has to figure out his job with the girls.