Silkie thread!

[joe17]

Quote:
Dont worry at ALL about vaulted skulls. No one really breeds for them or against them. I had 2 dozen chicks and they were all almost vaulted and not one of them died from wry neck or head related injuries. Wry neck in silkies is ABOUT just as common as wry neck in any other breed. If they are hit really hard in the head you may have issues but so far, I havent. Would you order from a regular hatchery? If so, those most of the time dont even have vaulted skulls.

 

[ultasol]

Quote:
Where are the foot feathers on that showgirl?? Or do showgirls not have any?

Oh, they most certainly do have them. In fact, in one generation I went from showgirls mostly lacking middle toe feather to not hatching one this year so far without middle toe feathering.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

emjay: I have only dealth with wry neck once. It was a little white I hatched from eggs back in 09. It got wry neck at about 3 weeks old, but the chick was also very very tiny, probably dwarf, and died a short time later.

 

[emjay]

Quote:
Dont worry at ALL about vaulted skulls. No one really breeds for them or against them. I had 2 dozen chicks and they were all almost vaulted and not one of them died from wry neck or head related injuries. Wry neck in silkies is ABOUT just as common as wry neck in any other breed. If they are hit really hard in the head you may have issues but so far, I havent. Would you order from a regular hatchery? If so, those most of the time dont even have vaulted skulls.

Thanks, that definitely pushes me more to the other side of the fence to get them. thanks.

 

[emjay]

Quote:
wow, that sounds like a good deal. How many years and how many silkies have you had, good to know that it's not a common thing.
thanks.

 

[Ms. Lewis Rich]

Wry neck, the Avian Vet. I knew said to use poly Vi Sol (no Iron) baby vitamins.I have had 3 in past years 2 went on to be normal.
As far as dosage, I forget.I remember putting a drop in mouth and some in water source.
Hope this helps.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Quote:
wow, that sounds like a good deal. How many years and how many silkies have you had, good to know that it's not a common thing.
thanks.

I've had silkies for about 3 years now and only had to deal with it that one time. Last year I raised about 250 chicks, the year before that probably 100-150.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Here is the blue male I listed on bidbird.com http://bidbird.com/listings/details/index.cfm?itemnum=982438768

I kept going back and forth on wether to keep him or not. I'll be keeping his brother instead.

 

[destiny_56085]

Speaking from a few more years of experience, I've seen wry neck sporadically and usually within certain bloodlines. In the young chicks I learned my lesson back in spring of 2010 from brooding my silkies and just 1 standard cochin together. Before I realized what was happening, that cute cochin had managed to kill at least 20 of the silkies by pecking them on the head. Some were dead instantly and others showed signs of wry neck first. I occasionally get some when I combine batches of chicks together of different ages. On the older 4-6 month olds I sometimes get it when I miss pulling a cockerel out of the growout pen. They get a little too overanxious with their first breeding attempts. It never fails that its your typiest pullets that you have the most hopes for that they get too. Last year I lost one of my nicest black girls. One of the white girls pulled through treatment but still has that noticeable head bob every time she gets stressed about something. Wry-neck is something you usually don't have to worry about. For the most part I've seen it due to housing birds with other breeds, overcrowding, over mating, bonking their head in a carrier, etc. I wouldn't let it deter me from owning the breed though.

 

[ultasol]

For me mating has been the cause,.. you know,.. BOYS

I've had two or three cases in the birds I've raised, and I've raised quite a few (although not NEARLY as many as AmyJo).