Silkie thread!

[ESofVA]

If you don't show you can try trimming up their bums and eyes

Nope, I don't show. Just for fun but I want nice chicks. It doesn't cost any more to raise good quality than poor quality after the initial expense of purchasing the roo and hen. I want them to be better than hatchemy but they don't have to be show quality. Two of my hens are nice...a black and a blue... the new roo and hen are really nice as I bought then from a lady I have gotten a few chicks from and she shows. My roo is calico and I don't think? they can be shown. The hen is blue.

Ok on trimming...I have no problem with hat.
But, how long before they start laying again???

 

[abmaddox1981]

Moving a bird is stressful, and can bring out illnesses that are kept under control when the bird is not stressed. Those illnesses can pass on to your whole flock. Also - the bird can get sick from what you have in your area, and it is much easier to treat one sick bird than your whole flock.

If you have a large dog crate he can live in that for the quarantine period. You can put one of your birds in with him for company, and to see if she has any bad reactions to what he is carrying, or if he has any reaction to what she is carrying. If you have a carport or any shade outside he can be kept in that area. Better safe than sorry.

I totally agree with this. We go to the auction a lot, and even though there is a vet there to check the animals as they come in, sometimes they don't get sick until AFTER you get them home. I have a 3ft by 8ft run for quarentine. Before I built this though, I would put them in a large cage (if it was just one or two) and put them in one of my storage buildings with plenty of fresh air and sun for 5-7 days just to make sure. I got burned once, never again!

 

[ChickNmamma]

Quote: I think Calico can be shown under AOV, but can't go any further. Mixing Calico and Blue will get you a bunch of mixed up colors, and those can't be shown unless you can find good color names for them. If they are just for pets, and you sell any chicks you don't want to keep strictly for pets then it works.

My experience with broodies have been if the eggs all went away they will sit on air for awhile. If you have any fake eggs under them remove those too. Then something switches off and they go back to laying again. One of the Silkies took about 2 weeks. The other one.. well she was still setting on air until I took pity on her and gave her two eggs. She had been setting on nothing for I think almost 2 months. I even switched pens on her and she went back to setting. That usually works by putting them in with a new rooster that won't leave them alone to set. It didn't work this time. The one Silkie that quit earlier I used to throw off the nest every time I found her on it and "throw her off" was literal - I would pick her up and toss her out into the pen - as far as she would go. Not a graceful landing - and rolled over a couple of times, then all the other chickens would rush over to confront her.. and she would go into the head down feathers out clucking stance and run away with the rooster chasing after her.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I'm off to pick up the blue catdance roo! yea!!!!!!!!!!

quarantine ideas? I don't know where to quarantine. ahh. I can't see having a rooster in my house!

Try the laundry room or a spare bathroom that is dark and as far from sleeping areas as possible. Also not near a vent that carries sound to sleeping areas.

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

No I'm not. I'll look and see if I can find some. Thank you.

You can find it at just about any grocery store.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

 

[Runningdoe]

This is the silkie rooster my daughter is taking to the county fair. Can anyone tell me if his feathers are ok?I am trying to pick the best boy and girl.

 

[ChickNmamma]

Awwww.. I

peeps!

 

[PaintedFeathers]

This is the silkie rooster my daughter is taking to the county fair. Can anyone tell me if his feathers are ok?I am trying to pick the best boy and girl.

He is cute

For a non-bearded at a fair he may do okay. What is she showing him as? Buff or red? Red is an AOV color buff is a recognized color. I can't tel if he's red or buff but I would show him as buff that way he can compete against all the others. If you decide to get nice "show quality" stock down the road, beardeds are more widely bred and further along quality wise than non-beardeds. You can get nice non-beardeds but you have to find a really good breeder. Also look for nicely feathered feet, almost like they are wearing large slippers

5 toes is a must, and well spaced with no extra or missing toe nails. Nicely tucked wings without a gap when you extend them (unless the feather is just missing, in this case you can see the folicle). A nice poofy crest, with females having a small, flat, black comb and males having a larger (but not huge) mulberry colored walnut comb. Nice body fluff with a poofy tail without a lot of hard feathers. Here is a picture of my best little boy, we are also going to shows this fall. Tell your Daughter good luck in her show! How far away is it? I would suggest "coop training" him and conditioning him. Use a small dog crate and keep him in there until the show. Get him used to being taken out and put back in without freaking out. Also give him a bath when he goes in as well as the day before the show. Keep him clean in fresh litter, white clay cat liter works great(make sure it is natural non-clumping). Here is a link to my thread on grooming silkies before a show: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/752452/grooming-silkies-for-show

 

[Runningdoe]

Yours are gorgeous! Had I known that hatchery chicks were not as nice as breeder chicks....oh well. Next year we will go with a breeder. Sh is also taking a female. I will post pics of them. Thanks for the response!