Silkie breeding, genetics & showing

[groundpecker]

This is the pesky Cooper's Hawk I was mentioning earlier in the week -- hiding under the bush (one of my chickens' favourite spots!) by my barn door, hoping to catch an unsuspecting bird. (He left immediately after I took his picture although he actually let me frame up to get this one. He's a bold little bugger!)

That one has gotten a bit too brave. I say SSS the darn hawk.

 

[ChicksNherps]

Adorable!! Cute, cute bird! I sure hope it's a girl. The hackels are dark... which usually indicates boy. But blues are supposed to have a darker head and neck anyway with a bit of a lighter body, so it's a good color so far. But I noticed that the crest is lighter and the neck is darker...... so that is a sign of a boy, but just wait and see before you get too worried. They change colors a bit in there-- or at least my blues sure do. Really good toes, but lacking on the middle toe feathering, but not to worry, that is something that is doable and can work out with good breeding to a bird with better feathering. And you might get chicks that pop up better anyway, it's hard to say. So far, looking like a nice bird! I really like the color on this one!


awww, that is really sweet! Sounds like she's going to be really laid back! Do you have kids in 4-H or doing shows? If so, that would make a good Showmanship bird when it's matured! The judges really like calm birds that handle easily.

Actually I recall her saying she was born in late august early september area, so 3 months.about. I checked the comb to see how large it looked and it looks like my pullets did, but here's to hoping it's a girl! I don't have any kids but I show now, and I have a therapy cat so it would be awesome to have a therapy chicken too! Just need to figure out the steps... don't want to bother with delta society again.... She does have some darker feathers on her head so the light might just be the baby fluff growing out, they do change colors drastically as they get older! Also, looking back at Nori's baby pictures, her foot feathering didn't look very good either, but now it's great, so maybe they will grow in.

 

[peepblessed]

This is the pesky Cooper's Hawk I was mentioning earlier in the week -- hiding under the bush (one of my chickens' favourite spots!) by my barn door, hoping to catch an unsuspecting bird. (He left immediately after I took his picture although he actually let me frame up to get this one. He's a bold little bugger!)

These are what hang around here. Very bold indeed!

 

[Me & Jack]

This is the pesky Cooper's Hawk I was mentioning earlier in the week -- hiding under the bush (one of my chickens' favourite spots!) by my barn door, hoping to catch an unsuspecting bird. (He left immediately after I took his picture although he actually let me frame up to get this one. He's a bold little bugger!)

Beautiful! Wish he'd take the hint and get lost. Shame to have to SSS him, but a gal's got to do what a gal's got to do.

 

[chisNchickens]

Beautiful! Wish he'd take the hint and get lost. Shame to have to SSS him, but a gal's got to do what a gal's got to do.

Is that legal? Not that I care....but I thought it was illegal to shoot hawks? Maybe just certain breeds.

 

[chisNchickens]

Question: how many times can I collect from a male each day?

 

[windzbreezy]

nice

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: It is a federal crime to shoot (including shooting at, but missing) all raptors. Penalties are pretty severe, so unless you have a spare $10K you are looking to pay in fines, along with 6 months to 10 years in prison, it simply is not worth the risk. Put some of that extra $$$$$ into protecting your birds instead.

Technically, it is possible to get a permit that would allow you to trap or shoot a specific bird, but you would have to show that you have gone to great efforts to protect your birds, along with a lack of results, and fairly substantial losses. Pretty hard to meet all that criteria.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Quote: It is a federal crime to shoot (including shooting at, but missing) all raptors. Penalties are pretty severe, so unless you have a spare $10K you are looking to pay in fines, along with 6 months to 10 years in prison, it simply is not worth the risk. Put some of that extra $$$$$ into protecting your birds instead.

Technically, it is possible to get a permit that would allow you to trap or shoot a specific bird, but you would have to show that you have gone to great efforts to protect your birds, along with a lack of results, and fairly substantial losses. Pretty hard to meet all that criteria.

I don't believe it is legal to "do in" hawks in Canada either. In fact, I have no intention of SSSing the Coopers Hawk or any of the hawks that show up at my farm, as much as they might frustrate me. (As you can see, I'm FAR more likely to aim a camera at them, than a gun.) The fact is, the Coopers Hawk isn't really a threat to my free-ranging large fowl. He is much more interested in sparrows, finches, junkos, chickadees, etc. The easy stuff. I wouldn't dare let the Silkies free-range unsupervised with him around, however, BUT - when the Coopers Hawk is around, the Red Tails very likely aren't and those guys ARE a threat to my large fowl.

 

[Me & Jack]

I don't believe it is legal to "do in" hawks in Canada either. In fact, I have no intention of SSSing the Coopers Hawk or any of the hawks that show up at my farm, as much as they might frustrate me. (As you can see, I'm FAR more likely to aim a camera at them, than a gun.) The fact is, the Coopers Hawk isn't really a threat to my free-ranging large fowl. He is much more interested in sparrows, finches, junkos, chickadees, etc. The easy stuff. I wouldn't dare let the Silkies free-range unsupervised with him around, however, BUT - when the Coopers Hawk is around, the Red Tails very likely aren't and those guys ARE a threat to my large fowl.

Legal, schmegal! (Just kidding...I swear.)

Honestly, though, I agree that it's better to invest more time/energy in protection and prevention than in trying to "eradicate" any singular threat. But one question, out of curiosity: why do Coopers Hawks keep the larger Red-Tailed birds away? Are they more aggressive?