Silkie thread!

[Hawkeye95]

WOW! What an excellent first show! And super congrats to your son on his showmanship skills!

Thank you! My son was so excited to bring home ribbons! Such a fun day for us! (I think we're going to be hooked)

 

[Lady Chickadee]

Have you watched your roo doing the business? I'll tell you-- I have a cockerel that is getting closer to a year old and he still can't get on right, or really figure it out. It was never going to happen in my opinion! Besides, my girls are REALLY fluffy. After about 3 months (maybe longer?!?! I've lost count!) I gave up and did the AI and it wasn't that bad. Now I have fertile eggs that are baking away. I would have taken everyone's advice to just trim up their fluff and cut most of it off-- except that I'm showing them too. So that option (for me) was out. But if you aren't showing-- I'd just really cut away a lot of the fluff around the vent.

I've never seen him actually doing the business but I've seen him try(unsuccessfully).The previous owner told me that they had hatched chicks out from the roo before. I'll try trimming their fluff, since I won't be showing them. There just my paint project. Thanks!!!

 

[beauty2thebirds]

Thank you. I never turn a chick away, lol. But your knowledge helps and is appreciated. I hope he does darken up, He has the best feet I have ever seen. I know I am new to raising the breed but I have been to plenty of shows, so I have some ideas on a few things. You never see new hatched chicks at a show though, that is where I am lost. Besides a person can never know too much and I love to learn.
I am sorry to hear about your loss. May I ask what happened to your babies?

 

[<3 N.C Chicken Chick <3]

Hey guys

This (I think) girl was born last weekend. Shes a cross between a white roo, and a partiage hen. The other chick of the same mix came out darker. What color would you call her?





Thanks

 

[<3 N.C Chicken Chick <3]

when do silkies start laying?

 

[Country Chickens]

Sorry, I just saw this--was it meant for me, in response ot the little single comb chick? If so, thank you! If not, thank you anyway!

This is a great perspective on the culling process, and not a way I'd looked at it. I still don't think I'll keep this little guy (though I may grow him for a month just to make sure his comb is what I think it is) but I could see myself feeling really torn were he a paint, especially a paint with nice spots. And It's definitely persuaded me to keep the other black chicks out of paint eggs, and see how they develop. One has promising feet and feathers, and while I can alwasy sell them later as NB, I can't get them back if I need them.


Kinda like cutting your hair, I guess. Better to be sure of the length and snip twice than change your mind after it's gone, right?

With everything, what makes the cull group versus what makes the keep group depends on the birds you already have, how far along you are in your breeding program and what you can afford. Ideally no one wants to keep anything except perfect birds. The reality is that there are no perfect birds. So, you keep the very best, or the ones whose traits yours lack and pass along those that will not benefit your flocks.

What is an obvious cull to one person is a keeper to another. If type is awesome, and other choices are lacking, single comb and toe issues are among the easiest to breed out (as compared with droop or split wing, wry tail, misshapen comb, etc.)

I'm at a point in my breeding where I don't want to keep or use birds with comb or toe issues except in project varieties, and even then I think long and hard about whether to keep or pass on. But a few years back I would and did. One of my best black cocks had only 4 toes on one foot, but he was awesome otherwise, great type and absolutely no leakage.

Great job on the show, Haweye and congrats to your son! I was involved with 4-H as a child, and have wonderful memories. You're inspiring me to get my daughter involved and see if she wants to learn a little showmanship as well!

 

[Debbi]

when do silkies start laying?

With my first batch of Silkies, I was told they start laying between 7-8 months old. HA! Mine started laying at 5.5 months old, and are very steady layers!

 

[Teresaann24]

Tornado

 

[Teresaann24]

Both Babies will most likely be Partridge.

Hey guys

This (I think) girl was born last weekend. Shes a cross between a white roo, and a partiage hen. The other chick of the same mix came out darker. What color would you call her?





Thanks

 

[aurorarose25]

just poor 4th and 5th toe seperation?

What I am doing (since I've hatched a gaggle of chicks already)

First cut - within the first week
What I look for :
Comb - is it a flat comb or a single (I've never had a problem telling single combs on day old chicks)
Toes - does it have 5 toes? 4 and 6 toes are PQ....does it have a bald middle toe?(not sparse, but bald) - PQ Any extra toe nubs, lobster toe/fused toes, extra toenails?? - all go to PQ (extra toenails I might hold onto if I will be short changed for only a few chicks left with that cut)

I don't worry about poor toe seperation and placement (as long as they ARE completely separate toes and not fused) - I never worry about that until they get mature. You can show a bird without any point issues, etc with poor seperation, just as long as they aren't fused.

Is there somewhere I can find pics of the types of toes that would make them PQ?