Silkie thread!

[mama2my4]

Yeah, I was planning on showing him.

It's not a DQ though, is it?

Not a DQ, just a deduction. The SOP doesn't state a size, just that horns are not acceptable.

 

[RockerHen]

Yes, but she lives inside and gets poop on her. She is also going to be a therapy chicken so she has to be used to getting regular baths. She's really good about it and I have found giving her regular baths keeps the wax down so it doesn't shed everywhere. I bath my other two anywhere from once a week to once a month. Depends on if there is a show coming up.

does she not have dry skin from so much bathing? bathing removes a lot of natural oils, and doing it so often may not give her time to replenish them.

 

[buckskinluvr]

Maybe I have spoiled the heck out of my birds or something but my silkies are like dogs. If I don't pen them up they come running when I get home. They will sit in the middle of the driveway and make me get out and move them. When I go in their winter pen now they pull on my shoe laces, the strings on my sweater and they peck at my hands. They are so curious! I hope the new babies are just like their parents in temperament!

 

[RockerHen]

Not a DQ, just a deduction. The SOP doesn't state a size, just that horns are not acceptable.

I found this point deduction chart on Hat Trick's website, hope it's helpful

http://www.hattricksilkies.com/files/beardedwhitesilkiejudging_sheet.htm

 

[ChicksNherps]

does she not have dry skin from so much bathing? bathing removes a lot of natural oils, and doing it so often may not give her time to replenish them.

nope. I use johnsons baby shampoo. It doesn't remove the natural oils from the feathers but it cleans the poop off and makes her smell nice.

 

[peepblessed]

(Also, I originally posted this in the injuries forum, but haven't had a response, so maybe I'll have more luck here?) Hi. My silkie hen (3.5 months old) goes into a sort of trance and lifts her head up slowly, drops it back down again and then raises it slowly again. She does this a lot. It's not like she's trying to hold her head up - she can do that fine. And she doesn't seem to be sick in any way. I'm wondering if she has some brain damage (maybe from being pecked in the head by my roo). She also sometimes stands facing the corner and will do that for ages. Has anyone else had their silkies do this?

Mine do that when their crest and muffs are blocking their vision. A good trim will give her a life if that is the problem.


Regarding horns. My understanding is they may cause some point loss in a show and some judges are more picky about them than others. They are common but not desirable.

 

[Three Silkies]

I think you're right. Thanks for the tip.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: You need to teach them to let you handle them. Pick them up when they are asleep at night. Sausage roll them in a towel and using baby nail scissors trim the feathers that actually block vision. Hold the head still with the hand that is not using the scissors. You probably don;t need to trim much to allow them to see better. Just enough that their eyes are not completely covered.

Afer the trim, unwrap and hold in your lap for awhile, gently stroking their back and under their beak (seem to love that). Try to get them to eat a treat from your hand. Repeat several evenings and you will have a devoted friend who comes running for cuddles.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: Add oatmeal, rice and wheat to her diet. THe whole grains tend to firm up the poop. Probiotics help also.

 

[aoxa]

Add oatmeal, rice and wheat to her diet. THe whole grains tend to firm up the poop. Probiotics help also.

Works for mine. I've began feeding them Fermented Feed (very rich in pro-biotics) and the butts have never been so clean. No runny poops at all.

They have oats, barley and wheat mixed in with their grower that is fermented.