Silkie thread!

[Hawkeye95]

Most of my silkies lay daily except when in molt or brooding eggs/raising chicks. I did have one who only laid very rarely. Stress can cause laying to slow down or stop. In many places, that is winter; here it is more likely to be summer, with egg laying in full swing most of the winter.

When a hen goes broody, she stops laying, so that is 3 weeks until the eggs hatch, and usually another 6 weeks while she raises chicks. Egg laying and kicking the chicks out of the nest seem to coincide pretty closely. Most youngsters are NOT ready to be on their own without a protector at this age, so adding a helpful rooster to the chick pen is a good move--they will usually take up any slack that mama leaves, and there is absolutely NOTHING more precious than to see a papa rooster finding food for his youngsters, teaching them how to forage for themselves or snuggling down with them for a lazy afternoon nap in a spot of sunshine after a nice dustbath.

Do you think because it's winter and cold that my silkie isn't laying every day? She just started laying about 8 days ago. Only an egg every other day-- or every 3 days so far. Or is it because she's still young? That is great that your silkies lay daily! I hope mine will do the same. So far, my pullets are the same age, and only one of them is laying. Great to hear about the rooster. I would have no idea if mine would be good or not. However, he is so far very gentle with the ladies and is a very laid back boy. Doesn't get too excited about anything.

 

[Grumpypantsmomma]

O.K so are silkies slow Growers!? I have only one pure bred silkie and its 4 months old and very tiny! its half sibling who is not pure is a month and a half younger and already towers this one. Not to mention its having trouble growing in its Crest/ poof on it's head! giving it a bath after it got covered in mud didn't make matters any better. I was afraid to go near its face so its beard, crest and tail poof are weird looking.
How old should silkies be when they start growing in their Crest/poof on their heads? & at what age do they reach full size?
This is my first silkie! So Lots of ?'s! Would you call it Black, in better lighting it has dark black and some lighter black almost grey looking! S/He? I know alot of ?'s but I plan on getting more and would love to know more about them before I do! Thanks

 

[2hot2chicken]

Ok silkie experts. I have 2 white hens, 1 is very nice quality and will be shown this spring and summer, the other is so so breeder quality. Both have all typical traits and both have 5 toes. White rooster is very nice and if I still have him he will be shown this spring and summer and I know will do well compared to some of the birds I have seen at NW shows I've been to.

I hatched the first chick from this trio today. Not sure which hen it came from but it has 12 toes! highest digit up leg is split into 2 forked toes.

Since they are all good representations of the silkie breed is the trait for extra toes recessive? Is it likely that the hen that layed this chick will continue to throw more babies like this if she posesses the trait? Or could it be the roo? I got them from 2 breeders and both represented them to me as show quality/breeding quality. The 1 hen wouldn't do good at shows but shes not quite what I would call pet quality either, she is just ok. The other 2 like I said are very nice, but could this also be a trait of inbreeding? I was not told if they were related when I got them or not?

Also this egg was hatched under a broody and did get cold a couple of times when she left the nest for long periods or got back on the wrong nest. The egg also got kicked out of the nest a couple of times and fell almost a foot to the shavings. Could this have affected it?

Please help, I have a bator with a bunch of eggs from this trio and I am affraid that more will turn out this way?

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Polydactyly is dominant, but has a wide array of expression. It is not uncommon to have birds with 6 toes per foot, although certainly not desired. This is not evidence of inbreeding. Polydactyly develops early during incubation, so if the temps during the first few days were off, it is possible. I do know that low temperatures early on can suppress its appearance, even though genetically present.

Ok silkie experts. I have 2 white hens, 1 is very nice quality and will be shown this spring and summer, the other is so so breeder quality. Both have all typical traits and both have 5 toes. White rooster is very nice and if I still have him he will be shown this spring and summer and I know will do well compared to some of the birds I have seen at NW shows I've been to.

I hatched the first chick from this trio today. Not sure which hen it came from but it has 12 toes! highest digit up leg is split into 2 forked toes.

Since they are all good representations of the silkie breed is the trait for extra toes recessive? Is it likely that the hen that layed this chick will continue to throw more babies like this if she posesses the trait? Or could it be the roo? I got them from 2 breeders and both represented them to me as show quality/breeding quality. The 1 hen wouldn't do good at shows but shes not quite what I would call pet quality either, she is just ok. The other 2 like I said are very nice, but could this also be a trait of inbreeding? I was not told if they were related when I got them or not?

Also this egg was hatched under a broody and did get cold a couple of times when she left the nest for long periods or got back on the wrong nest. The egg also got kicked out of the nest a couple of times and fell almost a foot to the shavings. Could this have affected it?

Please help, I have a bator with a bunch of eggs from this trio and I am affraid that more will turn out this way?

 

[peepblessed]

O.K so are silkies slow Growers!? I have only one pure bred silkie and its 4 months old and very tiny! its half sibling who is not pure is a month and a half younger and already towers this one. Not to mention its having trouble growing in its Crest/ poof on it's head! giving it a bath after it got covered in mud didn't make matters any better. I was afraid to go near its face so its beard, crest and tail poof are weird looking.
How old should silkies be when they start growing in their Crest/poof on their heads? & at what age do they reach full size?
This is my first silkie! So Lots of ?'s! Would you call it Black, in better lighting it has dark black and some lighter black almost grey looking! S/He? I know alot of ?'s but I plan on getting more and would love to know more about them before I do! Thanks

In my limited experience I would say this "guy" is black. My chicks have all had a pretty nice crest by 8 weeks. My daughter has a black silkie she got from the feedstore that has a crest like yours and she is two years old. Her's is also extremely tiny. Hope this is helpful.

 

[Grumpypantsmomma]

Yes That is Helpful! He was hatched from my Friends hen and given to me at a wk old! It would probly look better but i am afraid to wash its head!


In my limited experience I would say this "guy" is black. My chicks have all had a pretty nice crest by 8 weeks. My daughter has a black silkie she got from the feedstore that has a crest like yours and she is two years old. Her's is also extremely tiny. Hope this is helpful.

 

[Grumpypantsmomma]

Any suggestions on how to clean a dirty silkies crest?

 

[chickendales]

shampoo it

Any suggestions on how to clean a dirty silkies crest?

 

[peepblessed]

Any suggestions on how to clean a dirty silkies crest?

I use baby shampoo so I don't worry about the eyes.

 

[Grumpypantsmomma]

O.K cause thats what I used when I initially gave it a bath but was afraid to go near its face!

I use baby shampoo so I don't worry about the eyes.