Silkie thread!

[Sonoran Silkies]

Good Morning, Everyone. I have 3 silkies (out of 17) that I'm hoping are either show quality or at least BQ. I am working on a blue/black/splash pen and want to make sure and certain that these are good enough to use to breed and hopefully create SQ offspring. I've been either buying chicks or hatching eggs for the last year because 1. I enjoy the challenge and interaction with this breed, and 2. It's the least expensive way for me to work toward really beautiful silkies.

Here are pictures of Mysty-Blue, BB and Cleo/Cleon. I am not positive of their sexes yet, so hopefully you can even suggest your guesses about that along with a critique of each bird.
I really appreciate your expert opinions...

Mysty-Blue and BB are 23 weeks old and Cleo/Cleon is 16 weeks old



Mysty Blue is a dark blue and was my first egg to hatch for me:


BB also a dark blue. Comb is different (bigger) than Mysty blues, but I don't see streamers? Personality is mellow and never chestbump but still not convinced "it's a girl"!

I apologize about the outside photos and glare. They kept laying down in a "lump" after their bath.

And last is Cleo Patra. I'm suspicious that s/he has streamers and a bigger comb -but s/he is a sweet little cuddler (smallest of ALL my silkies). Either way, I'm hoping Cleo will be a good candidate to the B/B/S breeding pen.

Here is one more picture of Cleo showing kind of a roosterish stance? The picture also shows her/his feet which I forgot to closeup.

Please let me know what you all think of these 3 silkies for the start of my b/b/s breeding pen. I've sold and/or re-homed 9 of my chicks and still have 8.

There is one other splash that I might keep, but it has a single comb (from a mixed silkie/cochin mom or grandma?). Unsure of its gender also, but s/he has a huge crest, tight wings, good foot feathering, etc. I think it might be a rooster too.

What are your thoughts on keeping a single combed hen/rooster in the pen if all others have proper combs? Here is a picture of her/him, named Powder Puff:

Pretty sure Mysty is a pullet, and that BB and Cleon are cockerels. Not 100%, though. Powder Puff is definitely worth keeping; a single comb is easily bred out, and his type looks very nice!

Do check the tail though; make sure it is not crooked. Photo makes it appear that it might be, but it could just be the photo angle. That is NOT something you want to have to deal with.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

We have our state fair coming in a bout 6 weeks and I was really hoping to be able to have my DD show but all of our best hens are broody and our 2 rooster arn't in the best of shape from freeranging and getting picked on by the girls..... We have 2 pullets I am considering to have her enter the Jr class with but not sure if i am just wishfully and its pointless to enter or not. We have been to a few shows but they didn't have a large turn out for silkies at the last couple so I am still learning what goes and what other people have. I know the breed standards but I mean more or less about what sort of compitition there is for younger pullets, etc... As far as entering pullets what age is a good age to start showing them? I know obviously under a year but these are immature birds so how well developed should they be?
Below is pictures of the 2 pullets I am thinking? Please keep in mind they have been in a coop with lots of others and freeranging so they aren't perfect but I will be seperating them into cages for the next 6 weeks and giving them limited free range time alone. Also they were not cooperating with the camera and its just my phone and its really crappy.....



Normally she has really good wing placement and her tail is up straiter but she was trying to jump off and I just pushed her chest back before snapping the shot.



What do you think? How well do you think they would do in a Jr. pullet class shown by my daughter? We will not be showing 4h at fair this year as we didn't make it in time but we have until Aug 15th to get the paperwork in for open Jr. classes so I am thinking that would be our best route.....? The black is friendly and does great in a cage while the porcelain needs a little work on socializing.....

The porcelain looks to me like a cockerel, and is way too young to fare well in a show, IMO. The black pullet would do much better, and an extra 6 weeks of maturing will help.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

HELP!
If I were to take one of my hens to a Fair to show. What do I need to do? I have read through the fair rules, healt requirements etc. I just don't have a clue what showing your bird involves? How does it all work? What do I do?
When it's time for my bird to be judged, do I personally need to do something or does the judge take the bird out?
I think I better go to a fair or two and watch what happens before I take a bird myself. But maybe some of you that already have the experience, could give me good advice?

For exhibition you show up at coop-in, put your very clean bird into its assigned cage, put food and water in the cage, and then sit back and relax until it is time to take your bird home. At judging, the judge will one by one take each bird out of its cage, look it over and then put it back. For the best birds, they may get handled several times. After handling, the judge will mark the coop card with the bird's placement. Champion birds may be moved to different cages to make a Championship Row.

For showmanship, you will take your bird and handle it in front of the judge, answering questions about chickens in general and your bird in specific. You will show off different parts of the bird such as its wing, keel, hackles, etc. With some shows, birds must be entered in exhibition to be entered in showmanship, and in others they cannot. And everything in between; it depends on the specific show's rules. And not all shows have showmanship.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: That depends on where you live. Every state has different rules. Most western states have no testing requirements. I think Oregon may be an exception (it's either Oregon or Washington, and I never can remember which, and I am not certain what the specific requirements are). In a lot of western states getting NPIP tested is very difficult to impossible.

 

[tilosi]

Hawkeye, thank you so much for the link about split-wing. I tried to follow the discussion the other day but could not log into the other site because I'm not a member. The pictures from 'Hattrick' were SO helpful and I feel like I know what I'm looking for now. Also, thank you for examples of correct "type". I guess I'm a visual person because it all makes since now! By the way, do you think we can TEACH a few of our silkies how to stand and have the "look"-LOL! Or is it a "if they've got it they've got it" kind of thing?

To show my gratitude in answering my long post, here is a little bit of CUTENESS for ya'll to enjoy! Of course, anyone else is welcome to critique and guess genders of my 3 chicks.

These are my 4 precious chicks that I hatched from Mary Robbins Blue/Black pens back in February:

I have some of these in lock down right now!

And another set in the incubator. Can't wait to see what/who I get. I saw your other pics and they are beautiful.....I hope mine will be as adorable....feel free to post more pics of them!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

when and what age do silies stop laying eggs at?

Hi! I have got a trio of Silkies, a pullet a cockerel and 1 who we aren't sure what sex he/she is. Is it true that Silkies stop laying in the summer?

do silkies stop laying at age 4? What age do they stop laying eggs please and thank you.

There is no specific age at which any chicken stops laying. All of them lay more frequently their first year or two, and then slow down to some extent, but although the number of eggs is fewer, their size is larger. Heavy production birds such as sex-links tend to stop laying earlier than birds that are bred and live a more natural life that includes spells of broodiness. I've had silkie hens that were ten and still laid occasionally. At 6 years I still expect regular laying.

My birds lay less in the summer--because we have very, very hot summers, and it is quite stressful. Egg laying here rarely slows down in the winter--because our winters are fairly mild, and have plenty of daylight--not stressful. All birds lay less when stressed, so look at local climate and individual conditions to determine the amount of stress rather than blanket statements.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Ok guys--I heard back about the pretty trio...the roo is 2 1/2 years and the hens are 2 years old. Is this too old

to give me a good number of babies and get my breeding program started? I want to go look at them tomorrow, but wanted some input. Thanks so much for all the help!
AND, I have chicks pipping!!!

Go get 'em!

 

[tilosi]

I'm going!! Thank you...the age worried me at first, but after doing a little searching, not as worried. And, I really trust your judgement! YAY!!

 

[peepblessed]

Ok guys--I heard back about the pretty trio...the roo is 2 1/2 years and the hens are 2 years old. Is this too old

to give me a good number of babies and get my breeding program started? I want to go look at them tomorrow, but wanted some input. Thanks so much for all the help!
AND, I have chicks pipping!!!

Definitely not too old!! Congrats on the babies!! Looking forward to photos of all your new comers!!

 

[aoxa]

There is no specific age at which any chicken stops laying.  All of them lay more frequently their first year or two, and then slow down to some extent, but although the number of eggs is fewer, their size is larger.  Heavy production birds such as sex-links tend to stop laying earlier than birds that are bred and live a more natural life that includes spells of broodiness.  I've had silkie hens that were ten and still laid occasionally.  At 6 years I still expect regular laying.

My birds lay less in the summer--because we have very, very hot summers, and it is quite stressful.  Egg laying here rarely slows down in the winter--because our winters are fairly mild, and have plenty of daylight--not stressful.  All birds lay less when stressed, so look at local climate and individual conditions to determine the amount of stress rather than blanket statements.

I have a good friend that lives in NM, and with her description of the climate, it is stressful enough for humans, can't even imagine little furry chickens!

Mine don't lay well when it is above 90. At 80 they are panting That's Canadian bred birds possibly? haha They do REALLY well through the winter!