Silkie thread!

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Do Silkies have the same problems with mites and rain that crested breeds have?

I was thinking about adding some silkies to my little flock but am not sure if they have the same difficulties that other crested breeds have.

Thanks,

Kimberly
 
Quote:
No???

I didn't think so.

I dbout im going to find perfect buff silkies, because there is on 'perfect' animal out there. So i would probably want to breed them, but I don't want to have a lot of pens to keep pairs/trios/quads, can i still help improve the breed/variety and not be over my head with chickens?

Well then you probably don't want to work with buff silkies. The very standard written for them is set up for failure. If you want the nice dark skin required on a silkie, you have to breed for the black tailed/partridge based buffs. You are going to encounter alot of smut in the tails and wing primaries in a quest to get the dark skin. If you want the nice clear golden/wheaten based buffs, you encounter problems with too light of down color and going back to red or light greyish skin color again. To get good buffs for the show ring, you have to raise alot. Be prepared to send alot to pet homes. Its nothing more than a fine balancing act to try and get a bird with dark enough skin and very little smut in the coloration. Those birds aren't always going to breed true either. Hatch 100 chicks and you might end up with 5 truly good enough to show. This is just looking at coloration...take into consideration conformation and you might have 1 decent one. Buffs also change color with molts too. A chick that starts out clear may have alot of black by the time its 10 months. Some of your darker ones will molt out clearer. They are frustrating! I've played with them so many times over the years and sold out/given up many times.
 
Quote:
Probably more problems. The feathering stays wet for a long time and it takes forever for the bird to dry compared to hard feathered birds. Lice/mites are just something you learn to deal with if you have silkies. They don't usually roost and are on the ground all the time. Its like 1 big dustmop or Swiffer to attract bugs. You learn to keep a preventative program as well as checking/treating any birds on a regular basis.
 
Quote:
I didn't think so.

I dbout im going to find perfect buff silkies, because there is on 'perfect' animal out there. So i would probably want to breed them, but I don't want to have a lot of pens to keep pairs/trios/quads, can i still help improve the breed/variety and not be over my head with chickens?

Well then you probably don't want to work with buff silkies. The very standard written for them is set up for failure. If you want the nice dark skin required on a silkie, you have to breed for the black tailed/partridge based buffs. You are going to encounter alot of smut in the tails and wing primaries in a quest to get the dark skin. If you want the nice clear golden/wheaten based buffs, you encounter problems with too light of down color and going back to red or light greyish skin color again. To get good buffs for the show ring, you have to raise alot. Be prepared to send alot to pet homes. Its nothing more than a fine balancing act to try and get a bird with dark enough skin and very little smut in the coloration. Those birds aren't always going to breed true either. Hatch 100 chicks and you might end up with 5 truly good enough to show. This is just looking at coloration...take into consideration conformation and you might have 1 decent one. Buffs also change color with molts too. A chick that starts out clear may have alot of black by the time its 10 months. Some of your darker ones will molt out clearer. They are frustrating! I've played with them so many times over the years and sold out/given up many times.

Oh man, So im just going to pic a different variety!
big_smile.png
lol Hummm... what to pick...
 
Quote:
Well then you probably don't want to work with buff silkies. The very standard written for them is set up for failure. If you want the nice dark skin required on a silkie, you have to breed for the black tailed/partridge based buffs. You are going to encounter alot of smut in the tails and wing primaries in a quest to get the dark skin. If you want the nice clear golden/wheaten based buffs, you encounter problems with too light of down color and going back to red or light greyish skin color again. To get good buffs for the show ring, you have to raise alot. Be prepared to send alot to pet homes. Its nothing more than a fine balancing act to try and get a bird with dark enough skin and very little smut in the coloration. Those birds aren't always going to breed true either. Hatch 100 chicks and you might end up with 5 truly good enough to show. This is just looking at coloration...take into consideration conformation and you might have 1 decent one. Buffs also change color with molts too. A chick that starts out clear may have alot of black by the time its 10 months. Some of your darker ones will molt out clearer. They are frustrating! I've played with them so many times over the years and sold out/given up many times.

Oh man, So im just going to pic a different variety!
big_smile.png
lol Hummm... what to pick...

blue black splash always fun
 
Quote:
Technically you can breed him to whatever you want to. He looks like a crossed up mutt though. Red skin, single comb, non-standard color....

cuckoo are known for there problem with red skin the cuckoo color is geneticly linked to yellow skin and red combs
 

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