Silkie breeding, genetics & showing

[chickendales]

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.

i can sell hens and chicks but all my roosters that i cant sell end up as dog food rooster are a dime a dozen here

 

[peepblessed]

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

Exactly. That is why I might use a hen where as I wouldn't use a roo.

 

[peepblessed]

Thanks for all the imput, guy and gals. New question - When you are removing a roo from a two roo pen, when will the eggs be securely fertilized by the remaining roo?

 

[aoxa]

Thanks for all the imput, guy and gals.   New question - When you are removing a roo from a two roo pen, when will the eggs be securely fertilized by the remaining roo?

I've heard 30 days to be sure many times over

 

[peepblessed]

I've heard 30 days to be sure many times over

I should have pulled both of them and waited for blanks....

 

[Me & Jack]

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.

LOL -- I bought a hoof file so that I could try to keep my horse's feet looking shapely and smooth between trimmings. Darn it, but I could barely hold the thing let alone wield it to get a nicely filed down hoof. I gave up. Decided I would just rather pay the farrier to break his back than mine. LOL

 

[Hawkeye95]

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?

I might still use him if his type was amazing. And that is kind of what I've got going on now-- a boy that is starting to look way nicer than anything I have. I might risk the wings and hope for 50% good chicks and get rid of the others. I think I'm going to give it a shot. Especially since all of my hens now have excellent wings-- I got rid of everything else.

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.

Oh they do! I sold a couple of roosters earlier this summer for $10 a piece (eating prices) and a hispanic guy came to get them. I KNEW he was eating them! LOL I sold off some more roosters after that with a bit of a hardened heart-- and I just don't care anymore. They might as well be eaten since I didn't think they were good for breeding.

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.

Mornings must not be his thing. My roosters are all pretty frisky and will breed the fencing given half the chance first thing in the morning! And uh... NO WAY would I trim my own horses! ha!! Besides, two of them take a special angle to reset the coffin bone. You couldn't pay me enough to do that job.

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

Beautiful!! Why are you not breeding silkies anymore??? You're here, you seem to love them...? What were your favorite colors to work with?

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

Yeah, I hear every other day from people the rooster is half your flock, I totally get it. And pretty much all the time, respect that. BUT... there are other factors that might out weight an other wise "bad" decision! LOL Like amazing crest and type... when you have nothing else like it and you haven't seen anything else like it. I have a ragged, uneven wing, that is held pretty well and tucks up nice, but it's not the greatest wing. I might go so far as to say it's even so/so or bad? BUT.. it's not split, and the hens I'm pondering using him over have excellent tight wings.... What to do, what to do!

I really want that type. I'm probably going to go for it and hope for 50% good wings and move on.

I should have pulled both of them and waited for blanks....

that would have been a really great idea! A better idea, actually. Too bad you didn't think of that first. I've heard it takes 2 weeks. I just don't know. I'd go with the 2-3 weeks. I know since I do AI, it doesn't really even last THAT long! If I don't do AI every 3 days, I have infertile eggs on the 4th or 5th day. So by not breeding by the 4th or 5th day-- nothing, nada. But do you want to chance that... no idea. I'd wait the 2 weeks.

LOL -- I bought a hoof file so that I could try to keep my horse's feet looking shapely and smooth between trimmings. Darn it, but I could barely hold the thing let alone wield it to get a nicely filed down hoof. I gave up. Decided I would just rather pay the farrier to break his back than mine. LOL

I'm with you, girl!! NO WAY do I want to do that. Heck no! LOL I'm content holding the lead rope and letting my farrier do his job. It's money well spent, IMO.

 

[chickendales]

I should have pulled both of them and waited for blanks....

i just hatch the chicks knowing that some could carry it see how many pop up and if he related to the hen it already in your flock some where

 

[aoxa]

I might still use him if his type was amazing.  And that is kind of what I've got going on now-- a boy that is starting to look way nicer than anything I have.  I might risk the wings and hope for 50% good chicks and get rid of the others.  I think I'm going to give it a shot.  Especially since all of my hens now have excellent wings-- I got rid of everything else.  


Oh they do!  I sold a couple of roosters earlier this summer for $10 a piece (eating prices) and a hispanic guy came to get them.  I KNEW he was eating them!  LOL  I sold off some more roosters after that with a bit of a hardened heart-- and I just don't care anymore.  They might as well be eaten since I didn't think they were good for breeding.  


Mornings must not be his thing.  My roosters are all pretty frisky and will breed the fencing given half the chance first thing in the morning!  And uh... NO WAY would I trim my own horses!  ha!!  Besides, two of them take a special angle to reset the coffin bone.  You couldn't pay me enough to do that job.

Beautiful!!    Why are you not breeding silkies anymore???  You're here, you seem to love them...?  What were your favorite colors to work with?


Yeah, I hear every other day from people the rooster is half your flock, I totally get it.  And pretty much all the time, respect that.  BUT... there are other factors that might out weight an other wise "bad" decision!  LOL  Like amazing crest and type... when you have nothing else like it and you haven't seen anything else like it.  I have a ragged, uneven wing, that is held pretty well and tucks up nice, but it's not the greatest wing.  I might go so far as to say it's even so/so or bad?  BUT.. it's not split, and the hens I'm pondering using him over have excellent tight wings....  What to do, what to do!     I really want that type.  I'm probably going to go for it and hope for 50% good wings and move on.

that would have been a really great idea!  A better idea, actually.  Too bad you didn't think of that first.  I've heard it takes 2 weeks.  I just don't know.  I'd go with the 2-3 weeks. I know since I do AI, it doesn't really even last THAT long!  If I don't do AI every 3 days, I have infertile eggs on the 4th or 5th day.  So by not breeding by the 4th or 5th day-- nothing, nada.  But do you want to chance that... no idea.  I'd wait the 2 weeks.


I'm with you, girl!!  NO WAY do I want to do that.  Heck no!  LOL  I'm content holding the lead rope and letting my farrier do his job.  It's money well spent, IMO.

How do you do AI?

Never mind. Google is a wonderful thing

 

[thedragonlady]

Hawkeye,

I no longer have a good place to keep them, and being newly married, don't want to tempt myself with showing on a regular basis. I've always had LF too, and I've always wanted to breed Buff Orps. I had a chance to buy some really great Imported English Buff Orps, and I jumped at it. Hubby loves the eggs too!

Shorty still owes me two trios if I ever want back in! He's safe for now......

OOPS! My favorite colors were always the ones you could win with...White, Black, Grey, Buff, and Partridge. Too many people trying to show too many experimental colors, as novices now.Get the beginners to buy and READ a standard!