Silkie thread!

[Fancychooklady]

Well, I am just getting into breeding to try to help with some of the feed, wire, treats, etc. This is the 3rd time in a year that i am rebuilding my flock and i just got into ornamental breeds. I want to have quality and ive been reading on breeding- so would it be ok for me to breed the babies back to their father or is that weird?

Line breeding is quite common and breeding offspring back to parent stock is acceptable but if you breed sibling to sibling you will eventually start to see things like , straight comb, red comb, extra toes, cross beak, smooth feathers and of course there is the possibility of some real health issues.
If you want to breed a nice line you will need to cull out all imperfections and only keep the best for next years breeders. Btw the word ' cull ' doesn't have to mean kill, I manage to find most of my Roos homes.

 

[khawks]

Line breeding is quite common and breeding offspring back to parent stock is acceptable but if you breed sibling to sibling you will eventually start to see things like , straight comb, red comb, extra toes, cross beak, smooth feathers and of course there is the possibility of some real health issues.
If you want to breed a nice line you will need to cull out all imperfections and only keep the best for next years breeders. Btw the word ' cull ' doesn't have to mean kill, I manage to find most of my Roos homes.

Yeh, with the ornamental breeds, I would definately try to relocate them first before I had to kill them. I appreciate your advice. If you have been reading this entire converstaion, you will see that these three birds i have came from a hatchery-not the best quality. So I'm thinking of just selling them altogether and getting some good quality.

 

[Sylvester017]

Yes its normal for hatchery birds. Breeder birds and show silkies actually have walnut combs. But hatchery's go for quantity and not quality. So genetic booboos happen .

Even show breeders can get boo-boo's in their breeding projects - Silkies w/SC, or 6 toes on one foot and 4 toes on the other, etc. They are usually good pet birds and sold by the breeder very cheap or given away to good pet homes. Hatcheries just ship without the care or pride a show breeder has.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Yeh, with the ornamental breeds, I would definately try to relocate them first before I had to kill them. I appreciate your advice. If you have been reading this entire converstaion, you will see that these three birds i have came from a hatchery-not the best quality. So I'm thinking of just selling them altogether and getting some good quality.

Yes, I understand that you can only do the best with what you have. There are some breeders here on BYC, if you want to get into the breed I would find one close to you and place an order.
Silkies are real little ' heart stoppers ' regardless of the quality they all have their place . Some people are more than happy with pet quality and if you have no intention of showing , why not?

 

[Fancychooklady]

Here's my little Priscilla with her adopted Wyandotte and sussex chicks 2 days old.

 

[khawks]

Yes, I understand that you can only do the best with what you have. There are some breeders here on BYC, if you want to get into the breed I would find one close to you and place an order.
Silkies are real little ' heart stoppers ' regardless of the quality they all have their place . Some people are more than happy with pet quality and if you have no intention of showing , why not?

I dont have any intention of showing right now, but you never know for the future- so i would want people to be able to say that they received a quality bird from me!

 

[Fancychooklady]

I dont have any intention of showing right now, but you never know for the future- so i would want people to be able to say that they received a quality bird from me!

I breed mine as close to ' standard ' as possible because some of my customers will want to show and I sell hatching eggs so most people will want to see the parents.

 

[I<3MyChickens-Jewel&Flash]

Keeping fingers crossed I have more females then males.

My flock has been changed. I removes deformed 2 deformed chicks with beak issue I got from a friend. Luckily they went to good home.

Now I have these members.
Ichabod my infertile roo. Never could remove him. He's my buddy.

Lydia. Who I've had for 3 years.

Lydias 2 babies named karma and Amy until further notice

Karma

Amy

Kira

Damon? Idk male or female

Felicity my disabled rescue the indoor hen.

Her no legs

Amd last Willa

I'm hoping Damon is a male. So he can be my main roo for breeding. And hope karma and Amy are hens roo. And hope willas female. If one roo I'll have to rehome. Any thoughts?

 

[Sylvester017]

Keeping fingers crossed I have more females then males.

My flock has been changed. I removes deformed 2 deformed chicks with beak issue I got from a friend. Luckily they went to good home.

Now I have these members.
Ichabod my infertile roo. Never could remove him. He's my buddy.


Lydia. Who I've had for 3 years.


Lydias 2 babies named karma and Amy until further notice


Karma

Amy


Kira


Damon? Idk male or female


Felicity my disabled rescue the indoor hen.

Her no legs


Amd last Willa


I'm hoping Damon is a male. So he can be my main roo for breeding. And hope karma and Amy are hens roo. And hope willas female. If one roo I'll have to rehome. Any thoughts?

Aww - however does Felicity get around with no legs? How old is she? Such a precious Partridge.

 

[I<3MyChickens-Jewel&Flash]

Aww - however does Felicity get around with no legs?  How old is she?  Such a precious Partridge.

She is still getting use to it. It'll take her a while. But she uses her wings a lot. Gets to food bowl alright.