Silkie thread!

[bluenkimchi]

I don't have any pictures, but some of those silkies were HUGE compared to my silkies.

Well, when ever you go to your next bird show and can get pics, would be lovely to see

 

[BuckNBark Farm]

Well, when ever you go to your next bird show and can get pics, would be lovely to see

Will do! I have pics of different shows, but I would have to put mine side-by-side to show how bigh they are! And how small mine are! I think that mine are smaller than the norm. Been trying to build them up forever. I use high protein, but they need to chubby up!

 

[bluenkimchi]

Will do! I have pics of different shows, but I would have to put mine side-by-side to show how bigh they are! And how small mine are! I think that mine are smaller than the norm. Been trying to build them up forever. I use high protein, but they need to chubby up!

I don't think the protein feed is the problem of them not being large size. You have to select big body types/body mass as well. All the fluffy feathers are just making the bird appear bigger than it actually is. After body size is selectively breed, then the fluffy feathers can be bred back. Just my thought, not any actual experiences or projects that have been done in the past of mine

Those two in the pictures from my first post aren't fluffy like SQ birds are, but have really big body mass compare to their feather ratios. They were bred for the meat market, so that's why they are big body and not fluffy/heavy feathers.

 

[K Epp]

Pam your boys are "both" big compared to my girls. Mr Silver Britches has decided he is a boy. LOL. I just had to buy 7 checks to ho with them. They will be pullets.

 

[kabhyper1]

The 2 month olds. Man this hatch has me baffled on sex. All of my whites so far before these little ones have hatched female. I could tell pretty early with them. These are going to make me wait. lol

 

[Fancychooklady]

The 2 month olds. Man this hatch has me baffled on sex. All of my whites so far before these little ones have hatched female. I could tell pretty early with them. These are going to make me wait. lol

Mmm, I think that # 3 is a roo. That's a very prominent beak. Great for defending your girls.

 

[bantambury]

I Thought you needed 10 hens for every one roo?

Not quite. I mean anyone can have a hen per roo ratio but i just go with the trio ratio. I figured if i had 2 hens per roo its not any different than the trios

 

[kabhyper1]

Mmm, I think that # 3 is a roo. That's a very prominent beak. Great for defending your girls.

You would think, but it's sister has the same beak, so does it's mother. lol They keep you guessing.
Her sister.

 

[SilkiesForEver]

I LOVE watching Silkie's grow up.

 

[Sylvester017]

Not quite sure what constitutes a ' serious ' breeder , but we have 50 acres and my chooks occupy 2 of those acres. I've been breeding silkies for several years and I also breed Wyandotte and sussex.
Silkie eggs are significantly smaller than sussex and most people I sell to are looking more for a pet than a dual purpose bird. I have more than 30 Wyandotte and have never had a nasty one amongst them. Yes it does come down to temperament selection and common sense. If there is any argy bargy the perpetrator is removed and placed in the ' sin bin '. Once they are returned to the flock the pecking order will have changed. The theory of bigger animals picking on others is one I would have to disagree with. We have 8 horses over 16 hh and it is the 10 hh pony that bosses every one around. Meet Rosie

Some people luck out with their mixes and some don't. You've been incredibly lucky with both your property space and animal mixing. On our tiny cottage backyard our Silkies are the oldest in the flock now so the alpha order has switched to the Silkies being the rulers of the roost - now that the troublemakers are gone. I like that kind of arrangement where the smaller ones are at the head of the order. It's amazing to finally see LF submit to the 2-lb Silkies. Older and seasoned IS better LOL

By any chance Fancychooklady is your cute little pony older than the bigger horse? Sometimes priority rights on the property is first and all animals introduced afterwards submit - not always but it's worked that way with our barnyards. We once had a palomino color Shetland Pony that was a real pill and he definitely thought he was alpha of the barnyard. We didn't keep him long. My daughter never played with dolls but loved animals so we scaled down the size of pets we kept after the Pony situation - dogs, cats, chickens, parrots, budgies, and canaries were WAY easier but having the Pony for even a little while opened my daughter's eyes to the responsibility involved in livestock care. We were told the Shetlands can be nastier tempered than regular horses.

My Pop's huge horse was the gentlest animal on the farm but he sold it off after investing in a War Surplus Caterpillar tractor to do his farm work. I miss the 1940's on the farm. I remember my folks built a huge windowless 8 x 8 foot square hallway in the center of the farmhouse for those times when lights-out were announced during the War years.