Silkie thread!

[EZFarms]

Ive read that u cant get "show quality" birds from hatcheries but cackle hatchery says that they strive for show,meat,pet,etc poultry so should my silkies be showable? (At 4-H. Atleast)

 

[kabhyper1]

Ive read that u cant get "show quality" birds from hatcheries but cackle hatchery says that they strive for show,meat,pet,etc poultry so should my silkies be showable? (At 4-H. Atleast)

They might be. I have a pair of blue standard cochins from our local feed stores chick days last year. They get their chicks from Cackle. My pair turned out very nice. If the cochins are that nice maybe the silkies are too.

 

[EZFarms]

Ive seen the videos of their breeder flocks and other then seeing a few red combs they look good

 

[K Epp]

I have a friend who got very nice Silkies from Cackle. Beautiful Splash. I did see red on a couple of combs out of about 12 birds. Much better quality than those I got from feed store who orders from Idea.

 

[EZFarms]

Well ill have hopefully 10 silkies (5 blk 5 white) so i should atleast get one show quality?

 

[Suzierd]

I don't see any comb on the little partridge either. How old is she? My five month old boys have noticible combs. And I have a partridge pullet that doesn't have a huge crest. If she is over 5 months old I would say she would be showing longer slightly shiny hackle feathers and streamers on her head. My partridge Henley 4 and 5 months

Gemma is 4 months, Henley is so pretty!

 

[Sylvester017]

You think so!

Those tail feathers were starting to make me nervous. Here's another pic of the tail

My Partridge girl started to sprout a few little hardfeathers in her tail pouf right before her moult. But the males will have a few hardfeathers in their crest as well as their tail pouf plus they usually get a pronounced walnut comb. The males also seem to have a proud, head-held-high kind of stance where the girls seem to stand like a little ball lower to the ground. Maybe just me but that's what I've noticed in my limited 3 years. I had fun at the County Fair letting onlookers know which were the girls and which were the boys LOL - Smiles

 

[Suzierd]

My Partridge girl started to sprout a few little hardfeathers in her tail pouf right before her moult. But the males will have a few hardfeathers in their crest as well as their tail pouf plus they usually get a pronounced walnut comb. The males also seem to have a proud, head-held-high kind of stance where the girls seem to stand like a little ball lower to the ground. Maybe just me but that's what I've noticed in my limited 3 years. I had fun at the County Fair letting onlookers know which were the girls and which were the boys LOL - Smiles

Awesome! Thank you! I was really hoping Gemma was a girl.

 

[Sylvester017]

So my silkies got lice in the fall and are now starting to lose their beards. boo. How long will they take to grow back?

I assume you've already treated for the lice? I use Poultry Protector on my girls a couple times a month applied per directions plus spray it in all the crevices of their nesting boxes 1x/month. Clean straw is a constant daily chore. Now, as to how long it takes to grow back? They're established feathers always look like they're growing but I wouldn't expect full replenished plumage until after their next moult. I have a Partridge that went bald her first year I think from the mean Marans who was nasty tempered toward her. Then after her moult her beautiful crest and beard came back so cute and we no longer have the nasty Marans to harass the little Silkie anymore!

 

[KristyAnn]

You guys ever done the wood ashes in their area they dust bathe? Still haven't had a problem since then. I throw in that about once every two weeks or so.