Silkie thread!

[bantambury]

My breeding pens are set up as follows:
1 blue Sizzle (frizzled) roo with 2 splash Silkie hens
1 splash Silkie roo with 1 blue Sizzle (frizzled) hen, 1 blue or black frizzled Silkie and 1 blue Silkie hen.
1 black Silkie roo with 1 black or blue Sizzle (frizzled) hen, 2 black or blue Sizzle (smooth) hens and 3 black or blue Silkie hens.

So, my Sizzles are all mixed in with Silkies and the Sizzle rooster isn't being housed with any of the smooth Sizzle hens. I'll probably end up switching them around again at some point and put the 2 smooth Sizzles in with the frizzed rooster at some point though. All of my Sizzles at this point are either really dark blue or black, so I've set them up so I can get some splashes out of them. The only reason I know the Sizzle rooster is blue is because he's given me splash chicks when set up with the blue and splash hens (same with the blue Sizzle hen, when paired up with the black rooster, I got blue and black chicks, it was easy to see they were blue in chick down, but not so much now that they've feathered out). I'm not really sure if the others are blue or black, so the breeding pens will help me determine their colors as well. I don't usually keep blues that look black, but I need all of my Sizzles for my project, so they're staying for now. Once I start getting chicks that start out blue and stay blue, I'll sell all of the blues that look black.
It doesn't really matter which gender is carrying the frizzle, in my opinion. I get smooths and frizzles out of the hens and the rooster, and haven't noticed a difference in the number of frizzles depending on which gender is supplying the frizzle gene.

Good luck with your frizzles, you'll have a lot of fun breeding them!

thanks so much! I love my frizzles. such a fun breed! BUT heres my problem:
my rooster is 50% Japanese 50% silkie, so my chicks/line would have 25% Japanese or at least some percentage of it in the blood. did I ruin the breed, and I should stop the program now, or does it matter? since frizzles are ornamental?

 

[DesertChic]

Ugh my roos are fighting.

Mine have been going through the motions for a while too. One of my roos is fierce and powerful for such a small bird, and the other is a dancer for the ladies, who really don't seem to appreciate his efforts.

 

[nayeli]

thanks so much! I love my frizzles. such a fun breed! BUT heres my problem:
my rooster is 50% Japanese 50% silkie, so my chicks/line would have 25% Japanese or at least some percentage of it in the blood. did I ruin the breed, and I should stop the program now, or does it matter? since frizzles are ornamental?

I wouldn't say you ruined the breed, but any of his chicks won't be purebreed "frizzles" no. The line will have 25% like you states.

 

[Tammylr]

I wouldn't say you ruined the breed, but any of his chicks won't be purebreed "frizzles" no. The line will have 25% like you states.

All you have to do is breed back the silkie traits while trying to add in the frizzle gene. May take a while but will look cute.

 

[katatonic123]

Mine have been going through the motions for a while too. One of my roos is fierce and powerful for such a small bird, and the other is a dancer for the ladies, who really don't seem to appreciate his efforts. 

They've gone at each other before but today there was blood, lots of growling (if you can call it that) and feather tufts everywhere. I have separated now but they will have to bunk together tonight. Too cold to leave one by himself in the cage he's in.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

bantambury- if you keep breeding back to Silkies, as stated above, they'll begin to look more like them (if Sizzles are your goal). Most folks use Cochins to introduce the frizzle gene because they have feathered shanks and the same overall round shape. But, lots of people also use Polish as well (I guess since they're crested).
You have to add the frizzle gene somehow, yours just cane from a Japanese (I used a Cochin because its what I had when I started my project).

 

[only1bgirl]

I have my broody girl in the house so I can keep an eye on her and take her for potty breaks. Her hatch mate sister has been missing her so I let her in once a day to visit where she plops in the nest beside her and fakes broodiness for about an hour or so then takes off back outside. I realized tonight when I took her off the nest for a break that she was sitting on ten eggs not eight. Silly sister has been laying and broody girl rolls em under her. Chicken antics! I'm really going to have to watch her closer, think I'm going to quickly put an x on eggs on her next break so if her sister adds anymore I can pull them.

 

[TOOCLOSE]

When hatching babies with my silkies - back in the day? I used a low sided cardboard box. I put either fresh cut grass, dried, in the box or soft hay. I'd then put the box in a dog crate. I put a bowl of water and a bowl of feed close by so all she had to do was reach out to get to them. I'd take her out in the evenings when I got home from Army job and before I left! Never had any messes in between the potty runs to deal with! Those are some real stinkers after holding them for hours.

TC

 

[TOOCLOSE]

I have my broody girl in the house so I can keep an eye on her and take her for potty breaks. Her hatch mate sister has been missing her so I let her in once a day to visit where she plops in the nest beside her and fakes broodiness for about an hour or so then takes off back outside. I realized tonight when I took her off the nest for a break that she was sitting on ten eggs not eight. Silly sister has been laying and broody girl rolls em under her. Chicken antics! I'm really going to have to watch her closer, think I'm going to quickly put an x on eggs on her next break so if her sister adds anymore I can pull them.

Sounds more like sister has a new place to lay her eggs! And has sister to keep her company too! LOL
Too cute!

TC

 

[TOOCLOSE]

They've gone at each other before but today there was blood, lots of growling (if you can call it that) and feather tufts everywhere. I have separated now but they will have to bunk together tonight. Too cold to leave one by himself in the cage he's in.

What do you do for bloody areas?
I wash the blood off and then apply the baby desitine to the affected area!
That stuff cures everything! And no other chicken wants to mess with it either!

TC