Silkie thread!

[BelleFarm]

Um... Silkie?    He is a Partridge Silkie.

Serious SNIP after drooling again.

No - the long/short feathers didn't work.  Goggle showed long feathers - that's supposed to be a girl trait.. so I was hoping and wishing.

I would suspect it will be black - Black is dominant over Buff.  The chick shows some of the buff trait around the face - but Black will probably dominate.

There are two other solid black chicks besides this one, but makes sense. It will be interesting to see what happens

 

[BelleFarm]

Aww it's beautiful =) Might end up looking like a BCM 

That would be fun if it did

 

[chickee]

Sorry to hear you lost one. I don't like the vaulted skulls, I hear people talk all the time about them getting injured. Maybe you could make them a helmet. They are so cute though!

Too bad the vaulted skulls make for better crests. I have bantam Polish and they have vaulted skulls and I have never had any head issues with them. Hoping for the same luck with the Silkies

 

[chickee]

Um... Silkie?

He is a Partridge Silkie.

Serious SNIP after drooling again.

No - the long/short feathers didn't work. Goggle showed long feathers - that's supposed to be a girl trait.. so I was hoping and wishing.

I would suspect it will be black - Black is dominant over Buff. The chick shows some of the buff trait around the face - but Black will probably dominate.

The ones with the longer wing feathers are the suspected roosters. I have the same thing with my BLRWs. The pullet chicks have shorter wings and their tails are slow to feather in.

Um... Silkie?

He is a Partridge Silkie.

Serious SNIP after drooling again.

No - the long/short feathers didn't work. Goggle showed long feathers - that's supposed to be a girl trait.. so I was hoping and wishing.

I would suspect it will be black - Black is dominant over Buff. The chick shows some of the buff trait around the face - but Black will probably dominate.

 

[ChickNmamma]

Quote:

Quote: Actually that isn't true. The birds without the vaulted skulls can have crests equal or greater than the ones with vaulted skulls. Once they grow up it is hard to tell which ones have it and which ones don't, without feeling their heads. It will make the shorter crests appear larger, but if you have the larger crests then vaults are not necessary.

The vaulted skulls were introduced to the Silkies when they were crossed with the Polish, probably in the 1800s. It was not an original breed trait - it was added to make the crests larger, which it did. It didn't make them larger because of the vaulted skull, but because of another gene for large crests which is also carried by the Polish. Beards were also added, they are also not an original Silkie trait.

I prefer the ones without the vaulted skulls because the breed didn't have it, so its not bulit for it - and the skulls are thinner, they get holes in them and they do have problems...

 

[ChickNmamma]

Quote: It depends on which parent has the slow feathering gene, and it didn't work on any of my Silkies. I feather sexed a bunch and showed 7 girls and 2 boys - and I got 5 girls and 4 boys. Some boys had long feathers, some had short (Donna/Don had short).. same with the girls. It didn't match their sexes.

I had two GLW and I was sure they were boys because they feather sexed short - because in all the other LF breeds I have ever had the males have the slow gene and the females don't (Ameraucanas and EEs are this way). I don't think it was ever bred into the Silkies so they are all over the map...

Let me know if it works for your bunch, because it sure didn't work on mine!

 

[kimmerjo]

I just got silkies today!! My first chickens ever. There is 7 hens 1 rooster. They're in ruff shape tho . I think they have mites.... ewww. skinny things also. But I couldn't leave them at that place horrible conditions. Any suggestions how to get them healthy & happy. Are there any special things I need to know about silkies?

 

[PaintedFeathers]

I just got silkies today!! My first chickens ever. There is 7 hens 1 rooster. They're in ruff shape tho . I think they have mites....

ewww. skinny things also. But I couldn't leave them at that place horrible conditions. Any suggestions how to get them healthy & happy. Are there any special things I need to know about silkies?

Congrats, but sorry your experience isn't a good one. Get some vitamins/electrolytes/probiotics, and raw ACV and give it to them in their water. I alternate between using vitamins and unfiltered apple cider vinegar "with the mother". A nice high protein gamebird feed is best to use, and give them a bowl of oyster shells to pick at for calcium. Get some Permethrin 10 spray and using the correct dilution spray them all down. Check their legs for raised scales and crust, that would be scaley leg mites. If they have it the permethrin will kill them but you will also want to smother the legs with vaseline or coconut oil. CHeck that their eyes and noses are clear and they don't act sick. Silkies are awesome chickens, you will be hooked in no time!

PS: we need PICS!

 

[heleneverdeen]

This is my sikie bantam, shes not looking all that good, shes missing some feathers around her comb and there are little bloody scabs there too, not sure whats wrong but i think she will be ok.
(My first post.. Yay)

 

[chickydee64]

This is my sikie bantam, shes not looking all that good, shes missing some feathers around her comb and there are little bloody scabs there too, not sure whats wrong but i think she will be ok.

(My first post.. Yay)

.
Someone with more experience will help you.
I'm just not good at illnesses