Silkie Duck Thread

[Coyote Night]

Do you guys find these to be a little slow growing?

Mine don't seem to be slow growing. About average in my opinion.

Can anyone fill me in on how the genetics work with these.

The silkie genetics are recessive. So you have a smooth feather would be like a normal duck then if you ad a silkie gene on that you get a silkie carrier they will appear smooth feathered, but have 1 silkie gene. 2 silkie genes gives you a silkie feathered duck. I've found that the degree of silkie feathers vary on these guys so silkie feathered to silkie feathered a few generations produce the best feathering. All the silkie ducks now seem to have call duck in them. This was done to introduce new colors to the breed but with that you are now seeing the heterozygous silkies which are the silkie carriers that are smooth but carry 1 silkie gene. Hope I didn't confuse you too much.

 

[Skink]

I'm interested in owning a small group of backyard ducks. These are super cute, but the information out there is really sparse! Are Silkie Ducks sports from call ducks? Are they loud like calls are/what is their noise level? How do they do in hot weather?

I apologize if these questions have already been asked in this thread, I skimmed and didn't see them but I'm also bleary eyed with morning! Thanks in advance!!

 

[QuackerJackFarms]

Coyote night acres started a Facebook group called "silkie ducks" to try and locate more people with them. Surely there are more!

 

[mominoz]

I have about 30...from my Holderread ones. hhmmm. what do you want to know? I have 2 whites, (who seem to be the noisiest). A noisy black, and the others (snowy mallard, mallard,some that are maybe pastels or cinnimon /butterscotch. Chocolate.) who are quiet. I think it depends on the individual. You can see the call duck in them as some have short beaks ....and others longer like mallard....and I think the blacks look like East Indies....I had some early ones that were larger in the beginning, (2) in my first shipment. Then I think Holderread bred them to be smaller.(he mentions to not overfeed them when small). This is the first year I may sell some...I am trying to 'find' the colors in them and separate them.

 

[learycow]

Coyote night acres started a Facebook group called "silkie ducks" to try and locate more people with them. Surely there are more!

Can you post a link? I can't find it

 

[Coyote Night]

Can you post a link? I can't find it

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1771506859740414/

 

[mominoz]

About drowning. .....They can. I have lost 2 adults this week, sheeeshhhh! This is a warning for those with silkies. I lost my favorite female, reddish head, creamy body with Cinnamon colored flecks and wings. aarrgh. I had her and 3 other females in with 2 drakes carrying blue/fawn type coloration for breeding . found her in the water pool, figured drakes accidentally drowned her. But next day in another pen of all females , found another healthy female in water. So that combined with us having used tupperware bins that were 8" inches deep, and found cold, weary birds 'stuck' in bin. I put rocks to get out of bins or a ramp. I thought the more shallow Home depot concrete mixing bins I use a lot (2 sizes here, one smaller for smaller pens and the larger for larger ducks)were 'shallow' enough.... Not it seems! arrrghh!
I have also noticed "Some " have trouble 'jumping out', then I noticed: not the smooths.... but the younger or more silkie (particularly if under a 1 year), seem to have the most trouble, but didn't take the extra precautions at the time.... I believe now that they can't get "lift" to get out of the pools, much like babies. It is also more likely when they are "molting" and both females were in molt........Well....duh! (have had a few Dutch hookbill almost grown drown also in water bucket and pool....So ,even if they 'Can' swim..... I am beginning to think, they are at more risk for drowning.....
They also 'shiver' when my other ducks don't.... even if they have a house, they seem to "need" more bedding in their houses sorta like a chicken....(this is in N Georgia).

 

[seramasoncall]

I'm so sorry about your silkies. I really appreciate the warning!

 

[LauraHope]

Thanks for the warning. I've send in my request and money order for a pair of silkies adults for thei fall/winter. Not sure what color il get. And once I get them and they are setting, I'm for sure buying other color eggs to hatch under the duck from coyote.

 

[mominoz]

Well, now , this is bizarre. I have switched back and forth with layer that is 15% and 22% (I mix with other whole grains for my duck flocks, along with free ranging in daytime (not Silkies)... mainly because I have over 100 birds and live in a small farm community. I can use Flock raiser for my babies (and give some with a mix to the Silkies)...
But here is the Bizarre... I have a 1 yr old fawn female , who is just now getting Angel wing with new feathers (she is smooth showing heterozygous)... !!!

The only thing I can think , is she is on the 22% layer mix (has 4 other grains I mix with it)... and it can affect the growth , even after they are grown! Wonder if this is like the Sebastapols twisted wing that shows up later....?
I had switched to the 22% ( I add some grains) during molt , thinking they seemed to feather out better than when I used the 15% ( a quality issue?).... but this makes me think I will definitely drop it out and go back to the 15% and suppliment it some other way. OR it could be a mineral thing.... it claims to create more double yolks... and I have had some ducks lay some.... so whatever is in it ...looks like feed can create problems in adults too.....