Silkie Duck Thread

[peachncrm37]

We will be selling eggs this spring. 
Coyote Night Acres

Excellent, I haven't heard back from Holderrreads so it isn't looking like they'll have any adults available. Ill keep an eye on your website this spring thank you.

 

[mominoz]

Well, I'm back! Done watching Grandsons 5 days a week....wheeewww... I have now been able to start catching up on reading BYC again. Well my Silkies are starting to lay... I have ended up with 4 black females, one Smooth BlackBibbed drake, but breeding him back to the Silkie feathered females (3). I Only have 2 Snowy Silkie feathered drakes . So I have to put a white, a ? (have to look up her color, she is cinnamiony brown with some penciling (smooth). The other drake got a black smooth , and a mallard I believe female.smooth. I then have what may be fawn pair together, I think smooth. All from Holderreads, except the black girls which cam from my black smooth pair...but they are silkie. I may just hatch as many as I can to see what I get. Last year the snowy drakes were less than a year and not fertile....it may be a developmental thing. So I have 4 breeding groups set up ....only two not mixed colors.... at least I have 4 drakes....beginning to wonder if less drakes hatch......

 

[Amiga]

mominoz, good to "see" you, and your plans make my head spin!

 

[Coyote Night]

We are starting to get eggs! Checking fertility this week and based on that may be offering eggs soon. Girls are black bibbed, snowy, 2 blue fawn and boys are gray and pastel. All are top show quality from holderread and show proper silkie feathering. We will be selling in sets of 6 eggs since we only have 4 hens at this time.

 

[peachncrm37]

We are starting to get eggs! Checking fertility this week and based on that may be offering eggs soon. Girls are black bibbed, snowy, 2 blue fawn and boys are gray and pastel. All are top show quality from holderread and show proper silkie feathering. We will be selling in sets of 6 eggs since we only have 4 hens at this time.

Great! Never was able to get any pairs from Holderrread, they sold out.

So definitely will be looking forward to eggs!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Hello everyone, I am popping on to ask if anyone has an article or any incubating and duckling care tips for this breed? I would appreciate anything you can share!
Thank you!!

 

[bilsie]

I've never seen a Silkie, could someone post more pictures please, perhaps even a close-up of the feathers. Do the black Silkies have the iridescence of the Cayugas and the BEis? I have just bought a Trio of BEIs but upon closer inspection of the drake I find he has a lost of brown especially on his chest. I am a bit disappointed but I thought I better take what I could find. I didn't want to spend the summer duckless.

 

[Coyote Night]

Great! Never was able to get any pairs from Holderrread, they sold out.

So definitely will be looking forward to eggs!

Well no fertility yet. Since eggs started my gray male got really aggressive with the pastel male and they have been spending more time fighting than breeding apparently. Have them separated out now so hoping things change soon. I have some broodies that just got started and will be setting some under them and once I know fertility is good then I will offer some up.

Hello everyone, I am popping on to ask if anyone has an article or any incubating and duckling care tips for this breed? I would appreciate anything you can share!
Thank you!!

Incubating tip from me is use a broody hen. I'm not that great with duck eggs period but the silkie ducks are harder to hatch. Pretty much just treat them like the calls. 25 days incubation. As far as care afterwards brood them like any other duckling except be prepared for their jumping skills. I reared my first batch in a kiddie pool and they could jump right out only a few days old. They are quick too.

I've never seen a Silkie, could someone post more pictures please, perhaps even a close-up of the feathers. Do the black Silkies have the iridescence of the Cayugas and the BEis? I have just bought a Trio of BEIs but upon closer inspection of the drake I find he has a lost of brown especially on his chest. I am a bit disappointed but I thought I better take what I could find. I didn't want to spend the summer duckless.

I will try to get some up later in the week or this weekend. Busy days in the grooming shop since spring arrived. The blacks do have the green sheen.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: Thank you! I wet sanded them in a bleach solution that studies suggested doesn kill embryos last week in attempts to for more weight loss, seems thats my big issue, but I have only had one die so far. I think its around day 18 for them. I have some I put in on thurs as well. I see babies in most of them but this time I made sure the eggs were at least 7 days old before adding to incubator.

 

[peachncrm37]

Well no fertility yet. Since eggs started my gray male got really aggressive with the pastel male and they have been spending more time fighting than breeding apparently. Have them separated out now so hoping things change soon. I have some broodies that just got started and will be setting some under them and once I know fertility is good then I will offer some up. 

Oh sorry to hear that! My bator is full until June 1st so hopefully they'll be doing their jobs by then

Thanks for the update!