Silkie thread!

[AnRamire]

Have any of you noticed that your silkies aren't interested in treats? I've tried everything and they just walk away nonchalantly.

My Silkies don't like very many treats at all. My BO on the other hand, go nuts for just about any treats

. The only treat my silkies seem to like, are live meal worms. I've purchased packed meal worms and wound up giving them to my BO's because they had no interest at all. . They don't even like fruit or veggie tid bits

I was hoping I I could train them to eat out of my hands but they are way to skidish

 

[Ducks4us]

Mine are way to skittish too. Which is a little disappointing as i read about how calm and gentle they are. And easy to tame. But my large egg layer chickens are way more tame! At this age my big ones would sit on my lap and follow me around. I will have to try live mealworms. My husband gave them an earthworm and they went wild over that. But they never eat the dried mealworms i give.

 

[QueenMisha]

This Silkie is all white but today we found one single black feather on the head. What does it mean. ?????

Just color leakage. Like the chicken version of a birthmark. Even in birds which are pure for a color there's likely to always be one or two individual off colored feathers. If she's a pet it doesn't really matter, if she's for show you can just pluck it out beforehand.

 

[QueenMisha]

So - update on my Sex Link Silkie project and general Silkie project.

I hatched a total of two Silkies in my 4/21-4/22 hatch. The first was the cockerel I posted originally; he's doing quite well and getting big. Although all the ones after him have been good quality, he's actually laughably bad quality; only 5 toes, single-ish comb, and of course the light legs (not that that was unexpected and in this context that is actually turning out to be a total lifesaver since the white spot is... unexpectedly difficult to find).

Since then:

- I hatched another chick from that batch. This one was a bit shrink wrapped and required assitance but came out fine. Partridge coloration, dark legs, nice toes and comb. Now, because I had white hens in the same breeding pen as the Cuckoo, there are two options: Either A. 3/4 chicks from those eggs were sex linked females, or B. Some were female sex link offspring and some are simple Partridge X Partridge offspring from one of the white hens, since that seems to be the color that one of them is hiding (more on this in a little bit).

- I autopsied the second of the two eggs which did not hatch. Also Partridge, dark legs, good toes, good comb, and female upon autopsy. Again, could be coincidental offspring from the white or true sex linked offspring.

- I've had another hatch yesterday/today. I have produced two more Partridges - both with dark skin, nice toes, nice combs. I also produced a Blue - apparently that's the color my other White hen is. It's not what I'm breeding for but gosh it's cute. My mom called dibs on it as soon as I showed it to her.

I've also now moved my Silkie breeders around; my Red Patridge male is now covering my Cuckoo female, and my regular Partridge male is covering my Black female (though I don't think she's laying just yet.

Also - I had about 10 eggs in storage, and I took a guess at which one was the Cuckoo's. There were five of those. She lays a different egg from the whites - it's longer, with a pinkish tone and white speckles, similar to a Dominique egg. She laid another today (in segregation from other hens) and confirmed my thoughts. So I now have five confirmed sex link eggs in the incubator. I'm also going to check my previous few batches and see if I have any more of hers already cooking.

Group photos of the past week's hatches:

 

[Fancychooklady]

Have any of you noticed that your silkies aren't interested in treats? I've tried everything and they just walk away nonchalantly.

Try a little cooked rice with raw egg mixed through.

 

[jas humbert]

So, Misha you are learning all kinds of things. Interesting beginning. I will be excited to follow to see what your next partridge/cuckoo hatch looks like.

I see on the buy/sell/trade- hatching eggs section- 24 hour auction- pg 1170, someone has some sex-link EEs. that they created themselves- jerryse. Looks like partridge and cuckoo to me. I expect you are on the right track. They also advertise the same EEs on e-bay with more pictures, including chicks showing male/female difference. Not as clear spots as I would have liked but some overall color difference. Might be worth a conversation about how they got to where they are.

 

[QueenMisha]

So, Misha you are learning all kinds of things. Interesting beginning. I will be excited to follow to see what your next partridge/cuckoo hatch looks like.

I see on the buy/sell/trade-  hatching eggs section- 24 hour auction- pg 1170, someone has some sex-link EEs. that they created themselves- jerryse.  Looks like partridge and cuckoo to me. I expect you are on the right track. They also advertise the same EEs on e-bay with more pictures, including chicks showing male/female difference. Not as clear spots as I would have liked but some overall color difference. Might be worth a conversation about how they got to where they are. 

Good point! I'll check out their birds when I get a chance.

Sex Links definitely seem like an important and largely unexploited resource for the backyard breeder and keeper. Sex Link Silkies, Sex Link Bantams, Sex Link Easter/Olive/Chocolate Eggers... so much potential for these birds and yet, surprisingly, so few people working on them. I personally plan on pioneering my own lines of Sex Link EE, Sex Link OE, Sex Link Chocolate Eggers... and of course Sex Link Silkies! Just as soon as I move into my own place and can get a more professional and biosecure set up going. At that point I'm hoping to start making my own "proprietary blends" of multiple strains within multiple breeds, with an emphasis on sex linking or Autosexing ability, and pet and/or egg color qualities. Those definitely seem to be the big trends these days, ESPECIALLY colored eggers. Working at a chicken shop which sells pullets, I think I've gotten more requests for Easter Eggers/Ameraucanas/Marans/Welsummers than almost all other breeds combined. Heck, we can usually sell out of 75-100 EEs in a week or less, and Marans are now on a reserve-only basis because they're in such high demand. Had Welsummers a few weeks back... I predicated we'd sell out of them within the first ten customers of the day. I was close, it was thirteen if I recall correctly.

I don't intend on selling any of this year's (or probably next year's hatch) due to health issues, but I consider these very important test runs and possibly the start of lines I may try to continue propagating via hatching eggs once I move out, if by some miracle I manage to create something worth keeping or which can't be easily replicated. I've got a lot of "book knowledge" but this being my first year hatching purebreds/purposeful hybrids, my practical experience is limited and I'm doing what I can to fix that.

My next hatch is due May 1st-2nd. I think I have a total of 8 Silkie eggs in that batch... all 8 still seem to be developing well. I'm always anxious waiting for them. I spaced this hatch a little further apart than my previous ones, because I ran out of room in my Octagon 20. Lol, that's one problem I forgot to include in my plans for a staggered hatch... I'm putting another Brinsea Mini on order tonight to help remedy that issue. In the meantime, fingers crossed more of my hens decide to brood when I actually want them to... fat chance but I can hope!

 

[Silkie2]

[COLOR=0000CD]FOUR TO SIX MONTHS OLD IS MY FAVORITE SILKIE AGES. THEY'RE ADULT FEATHERS COME IN SO NEW AND FLUFFY AND THE FEATHERED LEGS ARE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL TO BEHOLD. ONCE THEY START ROMPING OUTDOORS THEY HAVE TOO MUCH FUN GETTING DIRTY:[/COLOR]

Aww! Silly silkies! She looks adorable!

 

[moomoodiddy]

Trying to decide if I should bring in the naked neck gene to my cuckoo sizzle project? Votes?

 

[QueenMisha]

Trying to decide if I should bring in the naked neck gene to my cuckoo sizzle project? Votes?

I vote HECK YES! Would love to see a Cuckoo Sizzle/Showgirl. If you do make em, I'll tell ya right now I'd love to buy some.