Silkie breeding, genetics & showing

[racuda]

When are you hatching? If you want to keep bantams small, you must hatch them, and raise them when it's WARM. They will eat less, and stay smaller. Most really large fowl are raised in the North because they must eat a lot ton stay warm. Very small bantams do not survive well there.Ever seen a small Polar Bear?

Hmmmm....interesting theory.

 

[thedragonlady]

Hmmmm....interesting theory.

Worked for Me! Now I'm fighting to raise really BIG English Orpingtons in S.C. This will be interesting.I did have success with LF SLWs in Georgia, and learned a lot.

 

[aoxa]

 When are you hatching? If you want to keep bantams small, you must hatch them, and raise them when it's WARM. They will eat less, and stay smaller. Most really large fowl are raised in the North because they must eat a lot ton stay warm. Very small bantams do not survive well there.Ever seen a small Polar Bear?

Where do you get that from? I have plenty of bantams and I live North. :/ All are properly sized and healthy. Bantams are actually just as popular (if not more so) then large fowl here.

 

[racuda]

Worked for Me! Now I'm fighting to raise really BIG English Orpingtons in S.C. This will be interesting.I did have success with LF SLWs in Georgia, and learned a lot.

You know, the deer in NC are a lot smaller than deer in WI. I'm not sure if it is environmental or genetic.

 

[racuda]

Has anyone seen Silkies with a beak that is not square to the head? It's not scissor or cross beak. The upper and the lower are aligned. I would like to know if it is genetic because the bird in question is nice otherwise.

I'll take a pic tomorrow. Meanwhile here is a sketch.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Hi Hawkeye, I sent you a PM.

Wow...ear infections, head shaking...I'll have to check on those next...too big? Who'd had thought? Now I have to weigh my birds...there is a lot to consider.
I just gave one of my girls a serious haircut around the eyes...it was a very tricky experience with small sharp scissors! Bit I am very happy she can see and I got hair out of her eyes...poor thing...now I am going to check all mine and cut everyone that is not going to the show...

The main problems I am up against are wing issues currently and being too heavy. I'm mostly happy with my type, toes and crests (still room for improvement!). But yes, so many things to consider. And being too heavy or having bad wings can put you entirely out of breeding or showing. At my last show, the judge DQ'd my cock for being too heavy. He just knew by picking him up instantly that he was too heavy. I was shocked! Put me in a tail spin because I had been breeding him and could have kicked myself for not being more cautious about checking weight! I'm crossing my fingers that one of my boy grow outs will be small.

When are you hatching? If you want to keep bantams small, you must hatch them, and raise them when it's WARM. They will eat less, and stay smaller. Most really large fowl are raised in the North because they must eat a lot ton stay warm. Very small bantams do not survive well there.Ever seen a small Polar Bear?

I'm hatching in the early Spring and growing out in the summer. And we're HOT here-- the highs we had this summer were 118 and everyone here was losing birds left and right due to heat. (not me, I have a water mister system on my birds) I'm going to venture to say that growing them out in the heat didn't effect their weight since I am noticing a couple of jumbo birds out there. And honestly, I know I'm fighting against some heavy genes here. I unknowingly bred my nicest cockerel to my hens and he turned out too heavy. So I made that mistake all on my own with no help from the weather. From now on, I will weigh all my birds before I decide to breed them.

You know, the deer in NC are a lot smaller than deer in WI. I'm not sure if it is environmental or genetic.

ha, that's funny!! Our winters are pretty mild, and we have insanely hot summers-- as I said above, well into the 110-118's here. For weeks and weeks on end! Our deer are HUGE!! Seriously, they are like horses! I'm voting genetic.

You know what is funny? Some guy was on the other silkie thread asking about how to breed silkies into bigger birds to make them into meat birds. Well, he could take two or three of my boys, they would sure help his project of breeding jumbo sized silkies! It's a shame, too, they are so good looking. I need a runt. LOL

 

[Hawkeye95]

Has anyone seen Silkies with a beak that is not square to the head? It's not scissor or cross beak. The upper and the lower are aligned. I would like to know if it is genetic because the bird in question is nice otherwise.

I'll take a pic tomorrow. Meanwhile here is a sketch.

Yes indeed! I know exactly what you are talking about. I have a bird that is NOT a cross beak, but is instead a 'twist'. I've done quite a bit of reading up on it and the consensus is that there is a divided argument on whether it is a genetic defect or a product of an environmental cause-- like positioning in the egg before hatch. The entire skull becomes a bit twisted. I have a bird with this condition and she's my only one. Her upper and lower beak align perfectly! It is just twisted! Here is her picture. Does yours look like this? If so, I'm afraid you will have people argue over genetic vs environmental. BUT--- regardless, I would not breed them.

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

Has anyone seen Silkies with a beak that is not square to the head? It's not scissor or cross beak. The upper and the lower are aligned. I would like to know if it is genetic because the bird in question is nice otherwise.

I'll take a pic tomorrow. Meanwhile here is a sketch.

squish beak is what I call it for lack of a better term, incubation issue is what I was always told.

 

[Hawkeye95]

squish beak is what I call it for lack of a better term, incubation issue is what I was always told.

I am leaning towards that conclusion as well after asking several people and trying to read as much as I could find on it. My bird has gotten no worse, and it's not a matter of filing her beak or anything of the sort. She has perfect alignment.... it's just twisted to the side.

But what I did discover is that it pops up enough in all breeds, that it's a more common defect than I imagined. It's certainly not limited to silkie hatchings.

ETA-- I still have her, but I have already found her a home where the person just wants her as a broody.

 

[ChicksNherps]

What is the acceptable weight range for silkies? I have one that is quite small and frail feeling, and one that is very solid.