Silkie thread!

[TAMMACLEAN]

Quick question. I have a baby slash silkie that is lacking some middle foot feathering. Mom and dad both have very nice foot feathering. I'm just wondering if I should breed her back to dad and the babies would have correct feathering? Or would it just be a chance? She's very fluffy otherwise.

 

[PsycoPeep]

--- that reminds me...I need to trim the nails on my adult birds that I got at the swap. They're starting to curl! Poor dears!

--- RockerHen - Cute story about your over protective hen!

---Sheeshshe - Try getting some of that rubber mat stuff that you use to line your kitchen cupboards with. They're only $.94 per roll at Walmart and I got a ton on sale 2 for $1! You can even wash & bleach them and hang them to dry and reuse another time. That'll help so the babies don't get splay leg. Maybe someone else suggested this alraedy, IDK, but I'm not done catching up on all my reading, yet. LOL!


--- I just love looking at all these chick & chicken pics! It never gets old, does it?

 

[MidsummerNight]

LOL What did you think about the rooster impersonation? Classic yes? The story about Liza who saved her chicks always gives me goosebumps

What an expert crower. I wonder if he can trick a hen... The story with Liza had me in tears and the hubby looking at me like

I first tried with some tape and a little cardboard piece but that was too slippery. That's why I switched to band-aids, they had more texture to them. Make sure it's not one of the slippery kind if you do go with band-aid. Otherwise they'll keep doing splits. lol I also put a towel in my brooder, so the chick could get a better grip with his/her band-aid booties. That worked out well. It is tough doing it by yourself, but practice makes perfect! If I got it done, you can do it also! Wasn't it hysterical? The rooster guy had those crows down pretty good. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I loved little Liza! I wonder if other breeds would have done the same..?

Maybe a Cochin? Other than that I don't know. Silkies seem almost human like. They are a little bit different from other chickens I think. Probably due to longer domestication as a pet. I like to compare them to the Manx.

 

[peepblessed]

I thought so. I'm very excited to see how mine turns out. Only thing I'm a little bummed about is the middle toe on it's left foot. I thought I had those curled toes fixed, it was looking good. All toes were straight. Then several days later the middle toe turned sideways...

They're two weeks old now. I can't imagine I can fix that toe anymore. Oh well. At least we have one straight middle toe!

It's not to late to straighten the toe.

 

[sheeshshe]

so, the chick can't stand with them things. seems to be splay leg as well now. and he doesn't open his eyes. should I keep trying or put him down? I dont' know what to do!

 

[peepblessed]

Well my 4 month olds are filling out more. Any opinions of them?
Booker my cockerel (wet feet)

Ashes my pullet ( Also wet feet. They were looking for bugs after the rain.)

Love their wings and coloring. They look very nice for their age.

Ethel. She has shiny wing feathers and neon blue ears!


Lucy. She has neon purple ears and silver shiny wing feathers.

I have no clue as to age of these two. I was told they were both lavenders. What is a lavender, blue, self blue, and true blue?What documentary?

Ethel is self-blue (lavender). They are the same thing but self-blue is the correct name. Lucy is self-blue cream (porcelain). They are very pretty!!

Quick question. I have a baby slash silkie that is lacking some middle foot feathering. Mom and dad both have very nice foot feathering. I'm just wondering if I should breed her back to dad and the babies would have correct feathering? Or would it just be a chance? She's very fluffy otherwise.

This could be a good choice as long as father and daughter don't share a common fault.

 

[Suzierd]

so, the chick can't stand with them things.  seems to be splay leg as well now.  and he doesn't open his eyes.  should I keep trying or put him down? I dont' know what to do!

Sounds like needs vitamins or a sugar water boost. Avian super pack is reall y good when they are havering feet trouble.

 

[6 littleHens]

Thanks peepblessed!

 

[Sanna]

OK, I changed it to wound tape. but, totally the splits was going on! and he still can't figure it out. I may have to put him down he always has his eyes shut. it is very strange.

How old is your chick? Give it a few days. That's how mine started and of course I was freaking out, thinking it was going to die or something.

It didn't look good when it hatched to begin with. It had it's eyes shut, or at least half way shut, most of the time. I thought it was going to en up with splayed leg after I taped the toes, but once I made sure the footing wasn't slippery and the chick figured out how to walk with the booties, it turned out fine. And after day 4 or 5, it started to perk up and get stronger and stronger. Now I have a happy little self-blue chick. And it keeps up with the bigger ones just fine! Hopefully that's the case with your chick also.

Thank you all for such a helpfully info! Just one more thing as Im pretty concerned about marek s possibility, he cannot walk just goes creeping on his "knees" , do you think at this level of leg mites infestation could cause him to be lame like that?

Scaly leg mites like that shouldn't affect his walking at all. I had a couple that had the mites much, much worse and they were walking just fine.

Maybe a Cochin? Other than that I don't know. Silkies seem almost human like. They are a little bit different from other chickens I think. Probably due to longer domestication as a pet. I like to compare them to the Manx.

Maybe a Cochin. I hear they're very, very broody and good moms also. I haven't had a broody Cochin yet, these are my first Cochin girls this year.

It's not to late to straighten the toe.

Oh, good! I'll find some more of those band-aids and tape the toes.

 

[MidsummerNight]

Omg. One of my Cochin girls decided this morning she wants to go broody. I keep tossing her out of the nest box and she keeps letting me know how much that irritates her lol battle of the broody hen!