Silkie thread!

[katatonic123]

@sumterflfreed I was always confused by the silkie bantam question too. I had 2 roos and one was smaller but not near the size of my Japanese bantam and the other was the same size or larger than my EE. I guess it all depends on what's in their background.

 

[seminolewind]

I believe that silkies are usually one size; regular, which is bantam size, but I don't think they're officially bantams.

 

[MumsyIII]

Silkies are listed in the bantam section of the American SOP and are called "Silkie Bantam Bearded and Silkie Bantam Non-bearded.

A Cochin Bantam cock should be 32 oz and a hen 28 oz in the American SOP. A Silkie Cock should be 36 oz and a hen 32 oz.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Silkies are listed in the bantam section of the American SOP and are called "Silkie Bantam Bearded and Silkie Bantam Non-bearded.

A Cochin Bantam cock should be 32 oz and a hen 28 oz in the American SOP. A Silkie Cock should be 36 oz and  a hen 32 oz.

Correct. Up to 36 oz for a cock and 32oz for a hen.

http://www.browneggblueegg.com/Standard.html

 

[emvickrey]

I believe that silkies are usually one size; regular, which is bantam size, but I don't think they're officially bantams.

I have a few hens that are really small. I've sold several and some of those where real porkers. But my roos really vary in size. I have one that is very large. I would say he would weigh as much as an RIR roo but his father was larger also. But I have others that are really small and when wet they look even smaller.

 

[TiaRC]

I have a few hens that are really small. I've sold several and some of those where real porkers. But my roos really vary in size. I have one that is very large. I would say he would weigh as much as an RIR roo but his father was larger also. But I have others that are really small and when wet they look even smaller.

I do believe that the standard gene will appear every once in a while and if it does hold on to those big birds and brewed to larger hens to get a standard sized bird. I managed to acquire a standard or close to standard size paint Silkie in va. He was big as my brahma roo!

 

[seminolewind]

I just read on Feathersite that in Europe silkies do come in Standard and bantam and in the US, they come in "normal or regular" size which is somewhere in the middle. I personally like the bigger ones. Especially the roos.

 

[tinkerfairy]

Mine came from the bantam bin so I hope they're small

 

[MumsyIII]

Mine came from the bantam bin so I hope they're small

Basically there are three kinds of poultry. Pet quality, breeder quality, and show quality. Pet quality is generally considered hatchery stock (feed store stock) birds with obvious DQ. Silkies that have more or less than five toes per foot are pet. Red face, comb, and wattles pet. Feathers not silkied except in primaries and secondaries.. Vulture hocks...single comb. These silkies would be considered pet. Nothing wrong with that. The world is filled with pet chickens that are adored and reproduced by the millions.

Overly large or small silkies might go into the breeder category because they can be bred with corresponding larger or smaller birds to approach the standard. Breeding silkies as close to the SOP as possible preserves the breed as it should be. Serious breeders are striving to improve the breed. Nothing wrong with that. The world is big enough to include pet silkies, breeder silkies, and those special class of show silkies. Big, bantam, and those in between.

My white breeder quality silkie day olds.

 

[Fancychooklady]

I just read on Feathersite that in Europe silkies do come in Standard and bantam and in the US, they come in "normal or regular" size which is somewhere in the middle.  I personally like the bigger ones.  Especially the roos.

It varies from country to country. Here in Australia the standard lists fowl and bantam. I personally have never seen the ' fowl ' size.


http://www.freewebs.com/silkiebreeders/silkiestandards.htm