Silkie breeding, genetics & showing

[gooselady]

This ad is on Ebay. I'd swear that I've seen members post some of these photos here.This seller used my Buff Orp's photo last week. If these are your birds , please report Fraud to eBay.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/18-SQ-Silkie-Hatching-Eggs-Assortment-Includes-Lavenders-/261406809954?

Ione of my friends on FB was just talking about this, only with Chihuahuas. She said someone posted a picture of her Chihuahua on EBay. This is not right! Hope they get them stopped.

 

[chickieluver26]

hi I'm heading to my first show on the 15th of this month I am taking my two silkies scarlet and zoey. will ya'll critique them please?
heres scarlet



this is a slightly older picture her crest is now slightly bigger on both
this is zoey

zoey again
^older but shows her colors better^
her head
(note neither are full grown only pullets)

 

[thedragonlady]

I have some expensive silkies that I am hatching, and I plan to show them. Should I keep them on wire?, or should I just keep them on the ground with my other silkies and chickens. Please keep in mind that I dont want them to get dirty and plan to show them regularly.

I kept all my Silkies on Kitty litter, which was screened every day. They lived in show coops. The 2 key words in keeping Silkies in good condition are Clean, and Dry. Keeping them on wire breaks foot feathering.

 

[chickieluver26]

I forgot to add to my last post that they are both about 7 months old now

 

[gooselady]

I kept all my Silkies on Kitty litter, which was screened every day. They lived in show coops. The 2 key words in keeping Silkies in good condition are Clean, and Dry. Keeping them on wire breaks foot feathering.

Do you have any problems with them eating the litter? I also have some Silkies I hatched and plan on showing this fall.

 

[thedragonlady]

Do you have any problems with them eating the litter? I also have some Silkies I hatched and plan on showing this fall.

Np problems with them eating kitty litter. Get the white unscented for white birds. Do not use clumping litter. Just the good old clay stuff. Clean feet, put up crests, use pop bottle waterers, and screen the litter every day.Simple.

 

[mckeesbackyard]

Np problems with them eating kitty litter. Get the white unscented for white birds. Do not use clumping litter. Just the good old clay stuff. Clean feet, put up crests, use pop bottle waterers, and screen the litter every day.Simple.

thedragonlady, do you have a specific brand you use?

 

[thedragonlady]

thedragonlady, do you have a specific brand you use?

Any brand of white litter, that is clay. Sometimes you can get big bags at automotive supply stores. They use it to absorb oil spills.

 

[gooselady]

Np problems with them eating kitty litter. Get the white unscented for white birds. Do not use clumping litter. Just the good old clay stuff. Clean feet, put up crests, use pop bottle waterers, and screen the litter every day.Simple.

Thank you so much. I will get to work on my guys.

 

[tdew]

Glad to see this topic!!

Here is my "situation".. My 14 year old daughter has finally had a chicken spark her interest - the White Silkies - they are not only cute and friendly, but specifically, she can use food coloring to dye them fun colors without risking harm.. She is interested in breeding, showing and selling silkies and some crosses that she is looking to experiement with. So, for her birthday (April), I have ordered 15 White silkies straight run (couldn't buy them sexed), 5 White Pheonix, 5 White Cochin Bantams. I also ordered more for myself 5 Silver Laced Bantams and really wish I had found some Golden Laced bantams - then a bunch of brown egg layers to add to my standard flock. Her birds will be completely seperate and we are building a special coop and run just for her birds with seperate sections for each breed so that cross breeding is controlled. We plan to hatch the eggs in our incubator even though silkies are known for being good layers..

Does anyone have photo's of the crosses that we are planning? I have yet to find a white silkie/pheonix cross and am real curious to see how they look. In my mind, they are GORGEOUS!

Also, could someone respond with or possibly send me directly what standards we should cull out for breeding and showing? I have no experience with breeding (other than my chickens and turkeys for the pupose of adding to my flock) I have never even looked up to see what standards I should look for in poultry.. I am familiar with what general confirmation is from showing horses my entire life.. so terms will not exceed my knowledge (or what I can google! ) I really just need to know some good guidlines for breeding the right birds... a general "how to" build and maintain a farm that will be known for producing some high quality show birds and for developing some new-ish breeds of bird, then purifying the strain to standards..

Thank you for any advice, links to good web-sites, photo's and more! It will certainly help my daughter and I do this right. She is really going to be in charge of everything and I am just going to be there for advice, building coops and financing her project. Eventually this will be her senior year project that will look good on her college transcripts as she wants to be in the animal field/industry.

Thank you everyone!