Silkie thread!

[Suzierd]

I'm hoping someone can help me figure this out, as I'm not sure whats going on here! I kept this cockerel back for myself to let him grow out, thinking I might keep him to breed. Last week he started looking like he had some very light silver leakage in his hackles, which doesn't really bother me, I just figured I'd have to be a little more selective with his offspring, and I don't typically keep many males back anyway and my females tend to stay pretty clean. Today, I noticed he's got this big white patch of feathers in his crest and a couple other patches of white here and there on his body. I have a black rooster over blue, black and splash hens, so no blue or splash roo to make splash chicks. None of the other chicks I've hatched from these birds has ever looked like this, and I've got quite a few others from the same parents! Anybody want to take a guess as to whats going on here? I'm not sure what to do with him now, or if I should even keep him. I really hate to let him go, he's got really nice type so far, holds his wings high and tight, good feet, beard, comb, ect. I'm kind of at a loss with this one. What would you do with him? This isn't the best picture and I can try to get a better one if need be, but you can definitely see the white spot in his crest and the other "dapples" (what I'm calling this for now) throughout his back. I think he's pretty neat looking, sort of like a reverse splash and I'd hate to rid of him if I've got something unique and special here. However, if this is just some type of really exaggerated leakage, I don't really want to keep on going with it. Anyway, any thoughts or advice is very much appreciated!

I was thinking the same thing reversed splash! Pretty cool looking I like it.

 

[katzbantams]

I'd have to agree with suzierd, to lose 2 x birds in that time frame to lice would be most unlikely. Have you had a look at their poop? I would get them all on a course of corid ASAP. Some butter milk in the short term may buy you some time while you get the meds in.

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/02/whats-scoop-on-chicken-poop-digestive.html

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/12/coccidiosis-what-backyard-chicken.html

When you treat for lice , you need to treat everyone and the premises.

I have 18 chicks together. I havent seen any abnormal droppings. I am treating for lice/mites. I havent seen any bloody/worms in their stool. The rest of the babies are looking good. Soon i'm going to spray the coup again. There is one little d'uccle pullet that has a droopy tail alot. But she does move around, eat normal, and drink. So im keeping a close eye on them. The silkie that passed away was a crossbred so i dont know if that had anything to do with.

I dont currently have buttermilk. Is there any other household item that will work?

 

[sunshinehs]

I'm new at this I have 2 silkies, 1 hen and 1 rooster, then 1 silkie hen just had 2 babies. And there doing well 2 weeks old. I also have 6 other hens, I see a lot of people posting about poultry protect and lice/mites. Should i bee treating or trying to protect my flock, please any advice would be great

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

You can easily make you're own buttermilk at home! Give this link a look
http://www.google.com/url?q=http://...8QFjAB&usg=AFQjCNFnQBfFypLpJU9ZeyAlO-UE28J6YQ

 

[Fancychooklady]

I have 18 chicks together. I havent seen any abnormal droppings. I am treating for lice/mites. I havent seen any bloody/worms in their stool. The rest of the babies are looking good. Soon i'm going to spray the coup again. There is one little d'uccle pullet that has a droopy tail alot. But she does move around, eat normal, and drink. So im keeping a close eye on them. The silkie that passed away was a crossbred so i dont know if that had anything to do with. 

I dont currently have buttermilk. Is there any other household item that will work?

There are several strains of cocci, not all will present with blood in their poop. Greek yoghurt will also help to reline the stomach wall . If you have a cocci outbreak in your flock you will lose more birds, so best to be on the safe side and treat . Amprolium acts as an analog, it mimics the structure of thiamine thereby inhibiting the coccidia from utilizing it and so starving the parasite. Without thiamine the coccidia is unable to synthesize carbohydrates .
The breed of the bird is not relevant .

 

[Sylvester017]

As for Mad Cow we haven't eaten beef in over 7 years. In the USA ground beef is collected from several parts of the States and even from South America to one central packing/distribution plant in the Midwest - several cases of e.coli have emerged in the past few years where restaurant and market chains have had major recalls - and those are just the ones they tell us about - how many other outbreaks has the industry kept from an uninformed public? Because the ground meats are collected from several sources into one central plant they can't even trace the single source of an outbreak.

Smiles - Syl

Quote:
Originally Posted by RoosterLew

That is not true.

The information about the central packing/distribution Midwest plant was from a documentary but you are entitled to your opinion. Mad Cow and e.coli outbreaks were just my reasons for not eating beef in general. Europe and Japan won't import USA beef according to the documentary (it was a year ago so don't ask me the name of it on Netflix). Many countries in Europe have banned GMO seeds as well.

 

[Sylvester017]

I'm new at this I have 2 silkies, 1 hen and 1 rooster, then 1 silkie hen just had 2 babies. And there doing well 2 weeks old. I also have 6 other hens, I see a lot of people posting about poultry protect and lice/mites. Should i bee treating or trying to protect my flock, please any advice would be great

We have never used pesticide lice/mite powders or treatments on our birds. From the start we used liquid spray OMRI approved organic Poultry Protector per label instructions on both chickens and coop crevices/cracks where parasites hide. We followed instructions per the label and then treat again once every month during hot weather and maybe once every two months during cooler winter months or on a broody hen (lice love the warmth). We've been lice/mite free for 3 years. It's safe to use on ants in the nestbox without having dusty insecticide powders kicking up in the nestbox bedding. Chickens are prone to respiratory ailments so keeping irritating dusts and powders down will be good for your chickens and you. We were shipped two juvenile birds 9 to 12 weeks old loaded with lice and Poultry Protector cleared them right up during quarantine. There are many ways to treat for lice/mites and this happens to work for us organically and to keep dangerous or dusty pesticides away from chickens, coop, and us.

 

[RoosterLew]

Originally Posted by Sylvester017

As for Mad Cow we haven't eaten beef in over 7 years. In the USA ground beef is collected from several parts of the States and even from South America to one central packing/distribution plant in the Midwest - several cases of e.coli have emerged in the past few years where restaurant and market chains have had major recalls - and those are just the ones they tell us about - how many other outbreaks has the industry kept from an uninformed public? Because the ground meats are collected from several sources into one central plant they can't even trace the single source of an outbreak.

Smiles - Syl

Quote:
The information about the central packing/distribution Midwest plant was from a documentary but you are entitled to your opinion. Mad Cow and e.coli outbreaks were just my reasons for not eating beef in general. Europe and Japan won't import USA beef according to the documentary (it was a year ago so don't ask me the name of it on Netflix). Many countries in Europe have banned GMO seeds as well.

Well having grown up in beef country, being in and around the industry my entire life. The fact is, Every beef packaged in commercial plants must be able to be tracked to its origins. The origins of the major outbreaks of mad cow were known and dealt with. More than one bogus documentary has been made on the beef industry. (PETA has funded more than one) I'm not a big supporter of huge conglomerate owned agriculture, but false information does not help anyone. Your original post made it sound like ALL beef is processed in one plant..I realize that's not what you posted, but it reads that way. If your concerned with mad cow and e.coli you don't have to quit eating beef. Naturally raised and locally processed and tested beef is available almost everywhere. No reason not to have a great steak!!

 

[kada6305]

I am thinking of getting a few silkies. I am worried about letting them free range with our other hens. Mostly I am worries about our Sussex rooster breeding them and hurting them? But my plan is to make a coop that is 6X6 and attached run that is 15X8. will that be suitable? How many silkies could I house in together with those dimensions.

 

[Teila]

I do not post often in here; but I lurk every day

I just want to share a picture I took today of my broody Tina. Now while she may not be the perfect Silkie with her single comb and one toe too few and I am probably guilty of extreme bias, I do believe she is a beautiful broody sitting on her 5 eggs .....