Silkie breeding, genetics & showing

[thedragonlady]

The shows I've been to, I've felt a little out of place, because I'm usually one of the very FEW that bring silkies. So I'm brushing them, and fluffing their tails and adjusting their crests and spraying them up. So here I am with my son and he's holding and I'm fluffing, and we're a team and people come by to look at us and giggle at our birds! LOL (the most common comment is "which end is which?". I've had them called poodles many times by the LF people. They just bring a bird, throw it in the coop and take off. And here we are-- fluffing and I'll even break out the hair dryer on the rare occasion to get it just right. Which is why I asked Chickendales what he uses to fluff with-- TOTALLY shocked he did nothing else but washed and that was it. That is not how I've seen it done around here-- the other silkie people are much more serious than that. The silkie people get a little high strung about getting them all fluffed right. I don't have to do any other grooming usually-- I have beaks and toes already trimmed before I show up. The only other thing I might do besides fluffing is check the fluff around the vents and use baby wipes on feet and vent areas if it's bad. So far, haven't seen any shifty people, but I have seen others that didn't care about their birds. Did see someone bring in a bunch of hens that had bare backs from a rooster-- I thought that was terrible. The judge wrote 'condition' on their card and moved on. Some judges just won't judge them, others might go ahead.


That is bizarre about the bird. I have not bought any birds at a show. But I do keep money in my back pocket on me, just in case. Maybe keep a wallet in your back pocket from now on so you don't have to leave. Still, that was pretty rotten of her to do that.



Never heard of that! What do you do for it then? Run a course of injectible penicillin???

BRUSHING?? What for? You should do it all with a hair dryer to save feathering. Gently use your fingers to open any dry quills, but do not put heat on new, immature ones. They burn easily, and the feathers will be marked.

 

[chickendales]

The shows I've been to, I've felt a little out of place, because I'm usually one of the very FEW that bring silkies. So I'm brushing them, and fluffing their tails and adjusting their crests and spraying them up. So here I am with my son and he's holding and I'm fluffing, and we're a team and people come by to look at us and giggle at our birds! LOL (the most common comment is "which end is which?". I've had them called poodles many times by the LF people. They just bring a bird, throw it in the coop and take off. And here we are-- fluffing and I'll even break out the hair dryer on the rare occasion to get it just right. Which is why I asked Chickendales what he uses to fluff with-- TOTALLY shocked he did nothing else but washed and that was it. That is not how I've seen it done around here-- the other silkie people are much more serious than that. The silkie people get a little high strung about getting them all fluffed right. I don't have to do any other grooming usually-- I have beaks and toes already trimmed before I show up. The only other thing I might do besides fluffing is check the fluff around the vents and use baby wipes on feet and vent areas if it's bad. So far, haven't seen any shifty people, but I have seen others that didn't care about their birds. Did see someone bring in a bunch of hens that had bare backs from a rooster-- I thought that was terrible. The judge wrote 'condition' on their card and moved on. Some judges just won't judge them, others might go ahead.


That is bizarre about the bird. I have not bought any birds at a show. But I do keep money in my back pocket on me, just in case. Maybe keep a wallet in your back pocket from now on so you don't have to leave. Still, that was pretty rotten of her to do that.



Never heard of that! What do you do for it then? Run a course of injectible penicillin???

even i as breeder call them the poodle of the chicken world, poodles as show dogs have some most best in shows so be proud of your poodle that crow as i call them lol
and i do blow dry and fluff my birds but very rarelly do i do it at the show, and my birds look just nice as every one elses

 

[chickendales]

looking for showgirl\silkie breeders in texas for some looking get some birds let me know thanks

 

[sager:)silkies]

even i as breeder call them the poodle of the chicken world, poodles as show dogs have some most best in shows so be proud of your poodle that crow as i call them lol
and i do blow dry and fluff my birds but very rarelly do i do it at the show, and my birds look just nice as every one elses

i am the same i have everything done by the show when im at the show i do finishing touches to comb then put showsheen on them and make sure there clean normally dosent take me to long depending on how many im showing

 

[aoxa]

i am the same i have everything done by the show when im at the show i do finishing touches to comb then  put showsheen on them and make sure there clean normally dosent take me to long depending on how many im showing 

You getting excited for the national?

 

[Hawkeye95]

Yes. I have put them on water soluble Tetracyclin, as my pullet laid one similar and than laid a broken egg, and she was going downhill fast. Antibiotics and force-feeding and then lots of calcium. She is 1.5 months after treatment and is laying perfectly again. I thought I was going to lose her.
Injectable penicillin is recommended, but you need a vet to get that here. My only option was antibiotic powder.

My farm store keeps large and small bottles of penicillin in the front of the store in a fridge. I bet if you checked, you might find it. I buy the syringes and Pen there and then keep it in my fridge at home. It's great for bumble foot, too. Although, my silkies never get bumblefoot, but my Polish sure do!

BRUSHING?? What for? You should do it all with a hair dryer to save feathering. Gently use your fingers to open any dry quills, but do not put heat on new, immature ones. They burn easily, and the feathers will be marked.

A wire dog brush!

You don't actually brush it thru-- but use it to backwards fluff the tail and a bit on the crest and hackles. Works great! My blow dryer is a cold one-- it's neat! It's not a heat dryer. But it gives you the air that will help really fluff them up. Works wonders, I promise!

even i as breeder call them the poodle of the chicken world, poodles as show dogs have some most best in shows so be proud of your poodle that crow as i call them lol
and i do blow dry and fluff my birds but very rarelly do i do it at the show, and my birds look just nice as every one elses

Ah yes, and I'm a big fan of poodles, anyway! Your shows must be a lot closer than mine. Unfortunately, because I live out in the sticks (I claim the closest city to me as my own--Wichita) but I'm actually rural-- it has taken me around 5 hours to get to a show-- the closest one I've been to only took me a little over an hour. So in which case, after they've all been in a kennel for that long-- trust me-- they NEED a good fluffing! LOL I would LOVE it if I didn't have to travel so many hours to get to shows. The next show is Oct 27th and I'm estimating it will take me 5-6 hours to get there. I'm pretty sure I'll be fluffing when I get there, too! I don't squeeze them all into one carrier-- but for some reason, they do like to pile up next to each other and flatten themselves out on the drive up. If you have any other tricks or tips-- let me know! I'd love to hear what everyone does.

 

[aoxa]

My farm store keeps large and small bottles of penicillin in the front of the store in a fridge.  I bet if you checked, you might find it.  I buy the syringes and Pen there and then keep it in my fridge at home.  It's great for bumble foot, too.  Although, my silkies never get bumblefoot, but my Polish sure do!  


A wire dog brush!     You don't actually brush it thru-- but use it to backwards fluff the tail and a bit on the crest and hackles.  Works great!  My blow dryer is a cold one-- it's neat!  It's not a heat dryer.  But it gives you the air that will help really fluff them up.  Works wonders, I promise! 

Ah yes, and I'm a big fan of poodles, anyway!  Your shows must be a lot closer than mine.  Unfortunately, because I live out in the sticks (I claim the closest city to me as my own--Wichita) but I'm actually rural-- it has taken me around 5 hours to get to a show-- the closest one I've been to only took me a little over an hour.  So in which case, after they've all been in a kennel for that long-- trust me-- they NEED a good fluffing!  LOL  I would LOVE it if I didn't have to travel so many hours to get to shows.  The next show is Oct 27th and I'm estimating it will take me 5-6 hours to get there.  I'm pretty sure I'll be fluffing when I get there, too!  I don't squeeze them all into one carrier-- but for some reason, they do like to pile up next to each other and flatten themselves out on the drive up.  If you have any other tricks or tips-- let me know!  I'd love to hear what everyone does.    

Already checked on that. Nope. We don't even carry Oxine here. I had to ship it from the US. Cost me more in shipping than the product itself.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Already checked on that. Nope. We don't even carry Oxine here. I had to ship it from the US. Cost me more in shipping than the product itself.

Oooooh, right! I keep forgetting you are in Canada! Gosh, sorry! Well, here, penicillin is super easy to find! It's carried in most farm stores around here. I use it on my horses, chickens... everyone! Great stuff, stops staph and most bacterial infections. But it wont cross the barrier of the brain if you have a more serious problem. So that is when you have to break out the Baytril-- and that I do have to get it from a vet. But I've found that easy enough to do, as well. So sorry about your shipping woes and the lack of available products. What a bummer.

 

[aoxa]

Oooooh, right!  I keep forgetting you are in Canada!  Gosh, sorry!  Well, here, penicillin is super easy to find!  It's carried in most farm stores around here.  I use it on my horses, chickens... everyone!  Great stuff, stops staph and most bacterial infections.  But it wont cross the barrier of the brain if you have a more serious problem.  So that is when you have to break out the Baytril-- and that I do have to get it from a vet.  But I've found that easy enough to do, as well.  So sorry about your shipping woes and the lack of available products.  What a bummer.

Yes - it is definitely a bummer. I do have a new vet tech friend, so maybe she will help me out in the future with getting anything of importance It's nice to know people lol.

There is really nothing here in terms of meds for the animals OTC.. We have very little for antibiotics. I am really glad that the stuff I used did it's job. She was in such shape that she couldn't stand up or eat. Now she is perfect and I am so glad I caught it! I didn't have any supplemental calcium when they started laying. They just had grower ration. Since then they all have an abundance of oyster shell available at all times.

 

[ChicksNherps]

BRUSHING?? What for? You should do it all with a hair dryer to save feathering. Gently use your fingers to open any dry quills, but do not put heat on new, immature ones. They burn easily, and the feathers will be marked.

I use a wire slicker and fluff them up, It breaks up the stiff feathers well. I have heard of and seen some people using a flea comb but I find the slicker works best. Unfortunately I forgot to bring it to my show but oh well. I thought mine looked beautiful compared so some lol