Silkie thread!

[LittleChickenLady]

Thanks guys. I will make my decision soon about whether to cull or not.

I honestly don't think the white one would last long without it's friend.. they freak out if apart..

Cetawin, where exactly are you in Kentucky?
Thank you very much pennie1, I'd absolutely love some of your birds, but WI is a little too far for me.

So if I did decide to keep the white one and cull the blue one, how would I go about trimming the beak?
Not only that, what could I do for it so it won't be so lonely? Because seriously, if it's more than a few feet from the other one it goes into panic mode.
You'd think it was going to give itself a heart attack.

 

[pennie1]

If you keep it separate for a while and handle & talk to it constantly, it will eventually calm down and probably make an awesome pet.

 

[LittleChickenLady]

So do you think I could still give it to my brother?
He really loves chickens and is going to show several of mine at the fair this year, but he doesn't have any of his own.
I thought that maybe he can keep it as a pet like I do mine.
Maybe learning how to take care of a "special" chicken will be a good learning experience?

 

[pennie1]

I really don't know. If the trimming doesn't work out you may end up having to put it down. Hopefully the trimming can work though. You have to think on the positive side. You may want to check more into the trimming. I just don't have the time to work on these poor little souls.

 

[Cetawin]

I am north of Lexington about 65 miles south of Cincinnati, OH.

I am not sure he is old enough to care for it unless you are there to help. Search the forums for beak trimming there is some good info here.

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Quote:
I'm no expert re sexing silkies, but I'm sooooo hoping its 3 hens to 1 roo.......

I have a nice white cockerel that could make it a fivesome!!

 

[chikincrazee]

Quote:
HI Im over in Illinois and have a bunch of silkies and I would be more than glad to try to get you some....I am in the Moline area but I have a friend who lives in Shelbyville I would love to visit dont know if any of these places are close to you or not...let me know and I can send you pics of what i have....I have whites,blue,splash,and buffs right now...

 

[mema2003]

I let one of my cross beak get too big because Hubby kept saying well it is eating and drinking but it wasn't getting enough too help it grow and all the bigger chicks fought it all the time. I felt bad watching it trying too eat and drink. The beak started out tiny cross and ended up wider crossed. It finally had too go as I just couldn't take it anymore. The chick had too be struggling and especially after some of the bigger ones messed one of its leg up and it had too drag it around too!. We hate to put the chicks down but sometimes we have too. For their Sake!

 

[racuda]

Quote:
The same thing happened to me. A cross-beak Silkie starved to death after 2 months. It was a lesson learned.

 

[laughingdog]

how would one go about breeding out tiny actual true bantam sized silkies? i considered crossing slkie male to some of my females, as they would sexlink at birth, and only hens would have black skin etc, but would need roosters to carry other genes.. anything im missing, and how to go about incorporating that into making true breeding tiny silkies?