Silkie thread!

[judy mclean]

 

[judy mclean]

 

[Frindizzle]

Silkie People, anyone care to enter?

Frindizzle's Hen Show! - Closes in 7 Days! *Restart!*

 

[Frindizzle]

Cute!

 

[Sylvester017]

Just a few pics from the baby pen this year to give an example of what they all turned out like.

What cuties! I LUV Partridge! May I ask what one does with so many Silkies?

 

[destiny_56085]

What cuties! I LUV Partridge! May I ask what one does with so many Silkies?

I breed for the show ring. These aren't just a couple of backyard pets per say.... I usually have about 50-80 adults between my breeding pens. I get as many out of the shell in late fall and early spring as I can. Ones with obvious dq's are culled at hatch. Put about 200 or so into pens to grow out and see if they turn into anything decent or not. At the end of the year they either go into the show string, replace old breeders, or are sold as extras. This year with the AI epidemic, I really didn't raise much and just put birds back in my own breeder pens and have a handful of extra cockerels. I haven't played with the partridge silkies since about 2006, so they are my fun project pen.

I also raise bantam salmon faverolles, bantam polish in 3 varieties, standard cochins, have a few standard light brahmas, 2 varieties of African geese, 1 Toulouse, rouens, muscovies, American Show Racers, and Bohemian Pouters. I've been the state rep for the American SIlkie Bantam Club since 2009 and also am active in the MN State Poultry Association and MN State Pigeon Association.

 

[RubyNala97]

now I must begin silkie homework! thanks you guys and @Cynthia12 more breeds coming up

Sally doing silkies!!! so excited!!!

Got 2 Paint Silkies, Hopefully I Get A Roo And A Pullet So I can Breed My Own. I'll Keep Ya Updated! Anybody Got Paints???

I hatched paint eggs in early October. Only 2 chicks are paints. The others were silver or black with the silver gene. I'm really hoping for a girl and boy too. Plus I am getting some hens this month from Judy Lee! I'd love to see pics as yours grow out! Here's my two:

Not as many spots as I'd like but their type is good and pigment is dark!

I breed for the show ring. These aren't just a couple of backyard pets per say.... I usually have about 50-80 adults between my breeding pens. I get as many out of the shell in late fall and early spring as I can. Ones with obvious dq's are culled at hatch. Put about 200 or so into pens to grow out and see if they turn into anything decent or not. At the end of the year they either go into the show string, replace old breeders, or are sold as extras. This year with the AI epidemic, I really didn't raise much and just put birds back in my own breeder pens and have a handful of extra cockerels. I haven't played with the partridge silkies since about 2006, so they are my fun project pen.

I'm trying to start a breeding program for this spring with paint silkies. Can you be more specific when you say that you cull at hatch for obvious dq's? What are obvious dq's? Like toes and skin color? I'm just learning and I'd like to get serious, so any info appreciated. And any suggestions for what to do with extra cockerels?

 

[sara1226]

I don't mean to interrupt this thread, but I have a strange problem with my silkies, and I posted somewhere else but didn't get much of a response...looking to see if anyone else has had an issue like this.

I have a year old silkie who has had foamy eyes over the past few months off and on. Each time I see it, I get scared it's something contagious and I run her into our garage to separate her from the flock. Only to find that it clears up and goes away in a few hours. This has happened at least 3 times! My husband noticed that she has a weird habit of sticking her whole beak in the dirt (and sometimes even water), and she might be getting her nostrils clogged with debris, then she can't breathe well and her eyes start to foam. It also seems like her nostrils are smaller and more narrow than my other chickens are.

After it rained here recently this happened again, and it was so bad both eyes were foaming and she started breathing heavy when she got scared, causing them to foam more. So.. Here we go back into the garage for some vet rx and TLC. We were thinking it wasn't contagious, due to the fact that this was only occasionally, and there has NEVER been any nasal discharge or sneezing, activity level is good, but now I just saw my silkie Roo with a foamy eye. Now what? He looked like he had dirt in his nostril too, but I don't know. I have my hen still in the garage on Tylan 50, just to be sure, and because I think it's possible she got so much junk in her respiratory system, that she may have an infection. But now she has had clear eyes since last night.

Do I treat them all with Tylan? I read it's not good for laying hens though. I'm so lost right now I don't know what to do. Has anyone else had nostril and/or eye problems with their silkies. Any advice is hugely appreciated right now.... Please and thanks!!!

~Sara

 

[destiny_56085]

At hatch I cull right away for 6th toes, 4 toers, if I can see single combs starting, skin color, double nails, feathering to mid toe, splay legged ones, etc. At about 4-6 months I cull for color, bumpy combs, wings, etc. On colors I have pretty well started in, I cull hard for everything and only hold back the best. In project colors, you have to be a lil more lenient til you build up your breeding stock. In cockerels, I keep best 1-2 of each variety back for breeding, 1-2 more for showing and sell rest of good ones to other breeders. Culls go to pet homes if they can and rest go to Asian friends for their dinner.

 

[Banaynaychicken]

this little beauty It hatched out yesterday

ME WAAANNNTTTT. Wish my mom would let me breed my chickens /~\