Silkie thread!

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: To further elaborate this, with a white you have no way of knowing what colour or pattern genes the white is hiding. White is an OFF switch that prevents the colour/pattern genes that are present in the bird from showing. EVERY white can be different, so there is no way to predict what the white parent will bring to the mix.

You know with a splash parent that the offspring WILL carry the blue gene, and with a blue parent, they have a 50% chance of carrying it. You just do not know what that particular white parent will add.
At this time, we aren't wanting breeding/show quality colors (but that can (probably) change); we do like "funky" colors.

I thought White was the result of recessive genes. Remembering my high school genetics, to have the recessive characteristic show, you can't have any dominant genes. Granted this is with just two allels determining phenotype (I think I have that right phenotype/genotype - after all I feel like I'm doing great just to remember the correct words). Perhaps, chicken colors involve a little more than simple genetics.

CG
There is recessive white and dominant white. Dominance is ONLY in relationship with other alleles of the same gene. NOT in relationship to DIFFERENT genes. Having a recessive gene that is homozygous does not prevent other genes from showing, be they dominant or recessive.

Relatively speaking, chickens are genetically complex compared to many other animals.

 

[cindersga]

Sonoran ~ I read where oyster shells aren't even necessary unless their egg shells are weak. My silkies egg shells are strong and hard. They free range and are able to get lots of worms and various garden bugs and I use no pesticides in my yard or garden and organic non gmo feed. I have given them some electrolytes and vitamins when two of my first chicks got wry neck and then I am treating them now since I had some sneezing going on with the new chicks and their broody (along with Denegard).

Do you know how many days I should treat their water with Denegard?

 

[aaggjg]

Ok so my silkie started laying a few weeks ago.... She lays every couple of days... So she chatters a bit and goes into the nest box... If there is another hen in there she protests and stakes her claim..... She laid in the run twice .... So I thought we were making progress .... Well the last 2 eggs she was in the box a long time and came out.... So I went to collect her egg and both times they were at the bottom of the ladder to the coop on one of the rungs.... Ivegotto watch more closely ... I can't understand what she is doing..... I mean spending all that time in the nest to walk out and lay your egg on the ladder ... WHAT?? Is this a common silkie affliction

 

[themadchicken]

My silkies are 5-6 months old and not laying yet (closer to 6). Do silkies mature slower? Do i need to do something different? I have never had a hen go longer then 24 weeks. Their nest mate a bantam EE has been laying for 3 weeks. And the Bantam RIR nest mate rooster has moved up in line close to the top of the pecking order of 11 LF hens. Even the sillkie rooster acts like he is not ready to move up to his place in the pecking order. I have 3 silkie hens and 1 rooster and they are never far from each other like chicks act. Do i need to add some light to their coop. even thou all my bantams sleep together? They are free range in my yard from just before sunrise to just after sunset.

 

[aoxa]

You know, this is the second time I have heard a story like this! I think I will trim some feathers on the broody when/if I get one and hatch some eggs under her. I was looking forward to having a broody do all the work, but you all are scaring me!

If I have a broody that is dirty, I will bathe her and blow her dry and worm/treat for lice/mites at the same time. They aren't laying, so it's the best time to do it (treating for parasites). I have had the same thing happen with a broody. She had a dirty underbelly and I washed her. No more issues with that! It scared me as well, and I was shocked that I was there when it happened. I've also seen a broody with an egg stuck to her butt fluff. Another egg had broken and the goo had caused tangles and the egg was there for who knows how long. I cut it out.

There is recessive white and dominant white.  Dominance is ONLY in relationship with other alleles of the same gene.  NOT in relationship to DIFFERENT genes.  Having a recessive gene that is homozygous does not prevent other genes from showing, be they dominant or recessive.

Relatively speaking, chickens are genetically complex compared to many other animals.  

You must get so tired of explaining the white gene so often . You're very helpful!

My silkies are 5-6 months old and not laying yet (closer to 6). Do silkies mature slower? Do i need to do something different? I have never had a hen go longer then 24 weeks. Their nest mate a bantam EE has been laying for 3 weeks. And the Bantam RIR nest mate rooster has moved up in line close to the top of the pecking order of 11 LF hens. Even the sillkie rooster acts like he is not ready to move up to his place in the pecking order. I have 3 silkie hens and 1 rooster and they are never far from each other like chicks act. Do i need to add some light to their coop. even thou all my bantams sleep together? They are free range in my yard from just before sunrise to just after sunset. 

Oh yes.. They mature VERY slowly. My earliest layer thus far has been 8 months old.

Also my 1.5 year old hen is still laying. Another is molting and one is molting and raising chicks. I have a bunch of pullets about the same age as yours and I don't expect eggs for another couple months at least. - Just hope they start in February in time for breeding season!

 

[ChicksNherps]

I let my girls brave Sandy without going out to save them

but I broke down this morning and brought them on the porch to dry off

My splash is looking more and more terrible

I don't know why! She isn't molting like the other one so I don't know why her tail is looking so aweful... She has a couple hard feathers but I can't pull them, they won't come out. Anyone have any suggestions?

 

[aoxa]

I let my girls brave Sandy without going out to save them   but I broke down this morning and brought them on the porch to dry off 
My splash is looking more and more terrible   I don't know why! She isn't molting like the other one so I don't know why her tail is looking so aweful... She has a couple hard feathers but I can't pull them, they won't come out. Anyone have any suggestions?

Why would you want to pull them?

She looks like she's just dirty from the weather and elements is all..

 

[ChicksNherps]

Why would you want to pull them?
She looks like she's just dirty from the weather and elements is all..

No I know that, you can't see it in this picture but she has this one hard feather that sticks up out of her tail and it drives me NUTS! Maybe you can see what I mean in this picture, it's the best I could find but it's still hard to see. I put an arrow. When she stands correct it sticks straight up. I'm wondering if that's why she lost at the show, the judge was looking at her tail a lot. Also her tail seems to be shrinking? It used to be fluffier and now it's small and blah...

 

[aoxa]

No I know that, you can't see it in this picture but she has this one hard feather that sticks up out of her tail and it drives me NUTS! Maybe you can see what I mean in this picture, it's the best I could find but it's still hard to see. I put an arrow. When she stands correct it sticks straight up. I'm wondering if that's why she lost at the show, the judge was looking at her tail a lot. Also her tail seems to be shrinking? It used to be fluffier and now it's small and blah...

If it drives you nuts, grab it at the base and pull really fast.

But it looks fine to me.

As for her condition, she could be doing a slow molt. I have an EE born March 4th and she is molting now. I wouldn't have noticed if I didn't check her over last night. First sign was she fought being mated so drastically. I thought.. wow, that's weird.. A few days ago she was begging for the chicken butt handshake. She was screaming bloody murder when my cockerel Stanley got a hold of her.

 

[ChicksNherps]

If it drives you nuts, grab it at the base and pull really fast.
But it looks fine to me.

As for her condition, she could be doing a slow molt. I have an EE born March 4th and she is molting now. I wouldn't have noticed if I didn't check her over last night. First sign was she fought being mated so drastically. I thought.. wow, that's weird.. A few days ago she was begging for the chicken butt handshake. She was screaming bloody murder when my cockerel Stanley got a hold of her.

I haven't noticed any feathers coming off her, but maybe she is. I just hope she is fully feathered out come spring