Silkie thread!

[Sylvester017]

Lol mine crows too! All day long or whenever he feels like it! I guess it what they do. I even have 2 that's squack like a duck?? Idk why because we don't have any around here lol

That's funny!
Our Silkie boy sounded like a Trumpeter Swan so we named him accordingly -- "Trumpet".

 

[Sylvester017]

flyladyrocks
My pet chicken has the no crow collars, but I would be scared to use them especially since we free range. They can be a strangulation hazard. But the picture with the bow tie sure is a sharp photo op! http://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog...Bow-Tie-for-No-Crow-Rooster-Collar-p1659.aspx

Hi flyladyrocks - the velcro on a rooster collar might get tangled in soft Silkie fur. I tried chicken diapers with velcro and it was murder so I made the 2nd diaper without velcro. Just passing along what happened to my Silkie and velcro. I'm sure the rooster collars and chicken diapers work fine on smooth feathers but the fluffy Silkie fur was a whole different animal for me to deal with.

 

[Sylvester017]

I know silkies are hard to sex until they crow or lay and egg sometimes but... I have 2 silkie chicks both hatched on Feb 28' th. They are both feathering in about the same until about a day ago. One is getting her hock feather (for lack of the correct word). The feathers that are at the bend of the knee. And the other not yet. From anyone's experience have you seen this and do the early hock feather developers usually turn out to be pullets or cockrel???? Any ideas or is it just the individual development of each chick and has not being to do with their sex??
Thanks

Silkies are hard to sex or sometimes even identify as Silkies because of a myriad of outcomes even when purebred: 4 toes on each foot, 4 toes one foot and 6 toes another foot, vaulted skull or flatter skull, feathered legs/feet or no feathered legs at all, bearded or non-bearded, different looking combs on males, etc etc etc. Just wait for the crow or layed egg to identify your Silkies for certain. They will all be sweet pets. Even my DH doesn't ever want a flock without including them! You wouldn't think a DH would like a froo-froo chicken like a Silkie but he loves them! We use our Silkies as a barometer when adding new pullets to the flock. If a breed doesn't play "nice" with the Silkies they have been instantly re-homed (usually the assertive dual purpose heavier heritage breeds). Now we only add gentle breeds at 5-lbs-or-under to the flock and it's been peaceful ever since. Added note: We free-range them in our little backyard.

We consider the Silkies our "smartest" breed. None of our flock has ever used nipple valve waterers but it was our littlest Silkie that figured out how to use it almost immediately! Our LF Ameraucana took an extra 8 days to figure out how it worked!

And these Silkie girls are dynamos at laying! My old 4 y/o Partridge started going strong laying again in January w/4-5 eggs/week. As a pullet she used to lay 5-6 eggs/week for 12 mos straight! That's why I don't mind if she takes a long break or broods an empty nest to give her little body a rest. If our Silkies take a 3-5 month break from laying they earned it IMO! This is one of the most if not the only endearing breed we've ever had. The APA Ameraucana (my avatar) is right there at the top too!

 

[ASilkieNest]

Looks like a silver partridge or I think they call that Gray...???

Looks gray to me

 

[Rowsdower]

This is what I was confused about with this boy. Some of his primary feathers are white with a blotch of black here and there. I assume this just makes him a "messy" paint?

 

[Rocky64]

What would happen if you bred a silkie cross to another silkie cross, would they have regular feathers or silkie feathers? Also, what would you get if you bred a silkie to a silkie cross? I'm wondering because I want to start on a project to see if I can get a silkie that lays blue eggs.

 

[flockofbantams]

What would happen if you bred a silkie cross to another silkie cross, would they have regular feathers or silkie feathers? Also, what would you get if you bred a silkie to a silkie cross? I'm wondering because I want to start on a project to see if I can get a silkie that lays blue eggs.

I'm not sure, genetics can be crazy sometimes. But I know I guy that breed silkie to a ameruacana and got a smooth feathered black skylines 5 toed, silkie sized green eggs.

 

[bantambury]

What would happen if you bred a silkie cross to another silkie cross, would they have regular feathers or silkie feathers? Also, what would you get if you bred a silkie to a silkie cross? I'm wondering because I want to start on a project to see if I can get a silkie that lays blue eggs.

I started a fun project with sizzles, and I tried making them with big tails, so I threw a Japanese bantam in there. im on my second generation at the moment, and currently selling eggs.

splash silkie X Japanese bantam made the dad:


who I bred with my sizzle:


making these chicks:





they don't have silkie feathers, and that was the silkie cross X silkie you were asking about. I don't think silkie feathers come back in for a while, but then again im not sure. hope this helps

 

[Rocky64]

I started a fun project with sizzles, and I tried making them with big tails, so I threw a Japanese bantam in there. im on my second generation at the moment, and currently selling eggs. splash silkie X Japanese bantam made the dad: who I bred with my sizzle: making these chicks: they don't have silkie feathers, and that was the silkie cross X silkie you were asking about. I don't think silkie feathers come back in for a while, but then again im not sure. hope this helps

Hmm... Why does genetics have to be so complex, can't it be like chicken math.

 

[bantambury]

Hmm... Why does genetics have to be so complex, can't it be like chicken math.

I 1000000% agree with you, otherwise, Id be pumping out SQ birds like THAT!

LOL chicken match is just too easy. sell two, hatch 35 more. its a metaphor. LOL