Silkie Thread! Talk about your Silkies and post pics of your Silkies

[Tropical Chickies]

Everyone has such nice silkies!!! I LOVE EM

 

[Freckle Face Farm]

Quote:
My hubby said I can have as many chickens as I want, they aren't as expensive as horses!!! LOL

 

[adubsroit]

Trying to figure out what color our little lady is. She is 21 going on 22 weeks, no name yet but she's a sweetheart. She seems to be a sort of blue buff, we thought maybe a red leaky lavender, but maybe porcelain, but she is also hatchery stock (got her from PGG) - anyone's guess is as good as mine. Our silkies are our friendliest birds, even the male is quiet and doesn't harass the girls.


Here she is at about 3 days old.

This is her just yesterday days ago.

We know they aren't show quality, but some people are interested in adding Silkies to their flock so we're planning to breed her to this guy, Sasquatch our Silkie cockerel:

 

[pennie1]

Question everyone, no pictures.
What would you get if you crossed a buff with a very dark partridge?

 

[adubsroit]

According to the chicken calculator (http://kippenjungle.nl/kruisingKipFlexTree.html), with a buff and partridge you would end up with buffs that have color variations (black and brown in the tails). However, I am not an expert but the calculator has not let me down yet. Play with it yourself, and when in doubt I am sure someone on here may have a better answer for you than I do.

 

[destiny_56085]

I finally got the camera out to the barn..... Here are some pics from my growout pens from this year.

Here are some of the older cockerels:

And some of the younger cockerels... I also have an older cock that is severely molting in with them.

From the pullet and baby pen. They range all the way from 6 weeks to 9 months in here. I just pull birds and sell as I find faults and if anything resembles a male. There are 4 of those porcelain/pastels in there too.

My old hens...ughhh most are in a horrible molt right now.

Lots more pics if you click on the main page of my photobucket site. I think I snapped close to 150 yesterday. Within the next month I have to pick out the ones I will be showing in October and they will get preliminary baths and crests shaped. In November, everyone will be separated again into breeding pens by color and conformation. I think I should have enough for 2-3 pens each of blacks and whites and a small pen of each splash and buff. Still undecided if I should keep or sell those porcelains. Will probably start the incubator again in December.
Amy

 

[silkieluver_07]

Quote:
You should keep those porcelains Amy and see what they produce. I'm going to have to find a lavender or porcelain male because my two look to be pullets. I need to take individual pics and send them to you of my birds growing out. I'm thinking about keeping two cockerels and maybe 10-12 pullets. Still deciding if I want to keep the buffs or find new homes for them since I want to hopefully start working on the porcelains

 

[lakota_elder]

Sure wish I lived closer.... I'd happily help you sort out and clean out your pens of your chick overload...!!!!

 

[SunshineSilkies]

Very nice Amy!

 

[destiny_56085]

I ended up selling the older cockerel of those porcelains. I just didn't like his coloration at all..... way too much bright red and looked more like a calico. That younger smoky colored one has me thinking cockerel.... The 2 youngest are barely feathering out and it will be a while til I can tell sex. I keep telling myself that I don't do AOV's..... My mom saw those pastels and was drooling. Maybe they can be her project for next year.

I was trying to cut down on birds.... I sold off 52 of the youngstock in August. Right now I'm at the point where the oldest ones are keepers. Some of the young ones have potential and need some time before I decide on selling them. I also just met one of the 4-H families that got some black chicks from me in january. I bought back 4 pairs..... cockerels are all totally clear black and every one is looking nice. This year is also my rebuilding phase for the whites. Unless that had super major faults, they are held back. I also bought 3 really nice cockerels and 4 pullets from Beth Sevenich on the whites.