Silkie breeding, genetics & showing

[Adoravachick]

LOL mine are all molting, so perhaps yours are too, and when they are, they do get a bit uninterested? You can resort to AI.

LOL!! Last thing I need is a donkey. More farrier fees every 6 weeks with another set of feet to be trimmed up. Sigh. Whoa, your alfalfa is high, but ours is pretty high too. I don't ever feed it. I feed brome, and I never buy the square bales-- it's a total rip off for the money. I have a semi truck haul in lots of round bales and drop them off. Then I use my tractor with hay pick to lift and move them into place. But every time I do that, its nearly 1K. Ah well. The things we do for our hobbies! Chickens are cheaper!

I havent seen any feather loss or anything like that. He has been pretty cranky though, when I let them out in the morning, he runs after everyone and pecks them. Maybe he is re-establishing that he is in charge...but he's just miserable in the AM. He's like a miserable old man. The rest of the day he is fine, he cheers up.
I have a few roosters that are shaping up nicely, so maybe they will do a better job than poor Eli.

As far as a farrier, my dad took up trimming our horses hooves himself. Saved us alot of money, unless you have a horse that requires pads or special shoes, trimming yourself is pretty easy.

 

[aoxa]

I havent seen any feather loss or anything like that.  He has been pretty cranky though, when I let them out in the morning, he runs after everyone and pecks them.  Maybe he is re-establishing that he is in charge...but he's just miserable in the AM. He's like a miserable old man.  The rest of the day he is fine, he cheers up. 
I have a few roosters that are shaping up nicely, so maybe they will do a better job than poor Eli. 

As far as a farrier, my dad took up trimming our horses hooves himself.  Saved us alot of money, unless you have a horse that requires pads or special shoes, trimming yourself is pretty easy.

My boys are always like this in the morning. I think the girls are less inclined to squat for them this time of year or something. They then get all moody and desperate and try to catch them by using extreme pecking measures.

 

[thedragonlady]

Quote:
Hawkeye, Just click on my name which will take you to my page.

 

[Adoravachick]

Hawkeye, Just click on my name which will take you to my page.

She is beautiful!

 

[thedragonlady]

Thank you! Somewhere I have photos of some of her very WHITE chicks too. A few had been Show Champion.

 

[chickendales]

How many people truly buy silkies for butcher? I wouldn't. That sounds really weird to me. Some starters would buy a cockerel like this. I did. His issues weren't the wings. More of the colour and the semi wattles around his beard. He never went to the stew pot and is living a much better life. I'm sure there are many out there just like me.
Not everyone is breeding for show remember

His wings can't really be that bad if you are even considering breeding him.

the asians pick up every silkie they can at swaps

 

[chickendales]

I agree, just starting out, I would take a bird like this too.

I was pondering this very thing today! I have a cockerel with an "A" rating in every area but wings. I don't believe they are split but definitely aren't a perfect fan. He carries them well. If it was a pullet I would make a try but a cockerel? I just don't know.... Do I sell the poor guy on craigs as a pet and send him to the stew pot?

remember the rooster is 1\2 your flock by useing roosters with things that you dont like remember all the hen you breed to him could throw that trait to there babies and if there related then the trait well come out for shure

 

[aoxa]

the asians pick up every silkie they can at swaps 

I have yet to see anyone of any culture other than Caucasian at the swaps/sales. One British couple. We aren't really culturally diverse it seems

 

[chickendales]

I have yet to see anyone of any culture other than Caucasian at the swaps/sales. One British couple. We aren't really culturally diverse it seems

they come out woodwork here seen like there first ones at swap tring get there pick cheep birds if they where smart they wait till end when people are leaveing and are willing to deal

 

[aoxa]

they come out woodwork here seen like there first ones at swap tring get there pick cheep birds if they where smart they wait till end when people are leaveing and are willing to deal

Silkies sell so well here. We have a lot of kids in 4H that want them. I was actually the only one at the entire sale that had them. I was open about the faults. Most just wanted them as pets.