Silkie thread!

[LadyVictorian]

Ok here are the wet silkies. The teal one, Jane, was really liking the warm water. Love bathing her as she really enjoys every part of it and is such a ham!



And then here are the finished, super fluffy dry silkies. All hens except the first is a 3 month old roo.

I have two questions, first, how do you bathe silkies without making them lose their tiny birdy minds?

Second how do you dye their feathers? This Easter I really want to dye my silkie's feathers so they can be festive with us. I have a splash, a white, a light buff, and a darker buff I want to dye blue, green, red, and yellow.

 

[melaniekemp]

Ok here are the wet silkies. The teal one, Jane, was really liking the warm water. Love bathing her as she really enjoys every part of it and is such a ham!

And then here are the finished, super fluffy dry silkies. All hens except the first is a 3 month old roo.

 

[FishMtFarm]

First, when I bath I put a towel in the sink so they don't slip and it slowly lets water build up so their feet and bottoms soak. Luke warm water and a sprayer and go really slow working from the rear up. Mine don't panic. First bath they are a little tense but then they start to realize the water feels good. Baby shampoo is the best too and I tip the head beach and spray so water doesn't run in the nostrils.

As for the dye, if you search eBay, they sell dye for dogs and it's non toxic. You bath them and then put the dye in while they are wet. Let it set 15 to 20 minutes. While they sit there with the dye on them, I wrap em in a wet warm towel and spray it here and there with warm water so they dont get a chill. When it's done, rinse with warm water til water runs clear, towel them off and blow dry. Mine LOVE the warm air from the blow dryer. They start yawning and lay down and fall asleep. It's really cute. Some people say dying is cruel but mine love it and they get all clean and depooped. It's only cruel if you hurt them or they just truely hate the bath and panic every time. I have yet to have one that is terrified but mine get handled and picked up a lot.

 

[LadyVictorian]

Thanks, mine are still babies yet but I handle them a lot to get them use to everything. I hold them, play with their wings, play with their toes. Touch their heads so I can trim fluff from their eyes as they get older. What age is good for their first bath?

 

[PaulaMc]

Gonna give some baths today so stay tuned for wet chicken pics and final dry results! Lol, I'm bored....

Ha ha did my 6 yesterday. Looking forward to pics xx

 

[Lamaremybabies]

You will love your silkies. Mine know their names and know my routine. They get excited to see me and most like to be picked up and get kisses on the face. When I lay on the ground they come running over and talk to me, even my adult rooster. I just love em!

Yeah! I used to have a silkie hen as well as my roo but she passed away during the autumn. I got them from Tractor Supply so their genetics were the best but she was still very sweet.

 

[PaulaMc]

Ok here are the wet silkies. The teal one, Jane, was really liking the warm water. Love bathing her as she really enjoys every part of it and is such a ham!



And then here are the finished, super fluffy dry silkies. All hens except the first is a 3 month old roo.





OMG!!!! They are all absolutely gorgeous! Have you dyed them? Didn't know you could get them that colour -love the teal and pink ones = but all gorgeous

 

[FishMtFarm]

I would do first baths after they feather out, probably like 2 months old. I have 4 other ones that I didn't bathe yet. I usually do half and half or as they get poopy butt. I have a hen I really wanna clean but she's all broody right now so j know she is gonna get super nasty pretty quick so gonna wait on her.

 

[Cynthia12]

no just tail my friend came and said she was molting thanks tho!! what is a saddle???

These can be made with different patterns and colors! Protects their backs from the rooster.

 

[Cynthia12]

I have a not so refined group of Silkies... I probably should have had more patience before purchasing them, but I never intended them to be anything other than pets and broodies for my other chooks.
They have stolen my heart!

Obviously from a very MIXED pen, I was looking for partridges or blue partridges, and all I found after a couple of months was a small group of "3 partridge 2 splash" chicks.
What I actually got was one Barred with leaky red. (very pale skin/eye)
One Spalsh with leaky partridge.
Two silver partridge with paleish skin/eye (I'm blaming the barred in the pen). I actually love this color, but wish the skin and eye was darker.
And one partridge leaning heavy to red. No black chest.

Lou, my barred (leaky red) roo... He is the sweetest! He begs for cuddles.
Next to him is one of the Silver Parts.


Here is the whole crew, along with a few of my regular crew(Spangled OEGBs and SS).
R to L: Lou the barred roo, Pepsi a bad example of a partridge, Pippin and Pepper the Silver pair(some ppl call this Moorehead?), and Shushu who is extraordinarily fluffy and nice splash(for such mixed heritage) with some partridge leaking in there.



These guys have inspired me to actually get some nicer quality Silkies/Showgirls.
My preferred color is still partridge or blue partridge... and the silvers. But I do love the Splash look.
These mixed up heritage kids will have a forever home here as sweet lap sitters and yard peckers.
But trust me... Lou will not be fathering any chicks! I kinda hope he becomes one of those great silkie dads I've read about.

Oh wow, you have some beautiful birds.