Silkie thread!

[Debbi]

A vertical furrow sounds more like what you would see on a pea comb, although some silkies have a sort of arched very shallow furrow. Can you post a photo? Some people are pickier on combs than others, and without seeing exactly what you mean, I wouldn't really be able to give decent advice.

There is a comb contest that has photos of various comb types. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/644872/comb-contest-walnut and https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/644864/comb-contest-pea

I wish I could load photos. Since the change in the format, I can't seem to load any photos except on a rare occaision. I just tried to upload one, and after 46 minutes, it failed to load. This new format is not friendly to dial-up members at all. That all said, a Pea comb should have three rows of bumps? (forgive my lack of terminology here), this guy only has a split up the middle, where the normal Walnut comb split would be horizontial. I'll try to get my pic loaded to Photobucket and post a link.

 

[Laingcroft]

Porcelain requires two copies of lavender, so a first generation cross cannot be porcelain. It could be a buff with blue or splash.

What were the parents?

I rec'd this baby from someone who hatched lavender eggs and didn't want this color. The pen the eggs came from was lavender so I know there is at least one lavender gene in there. This baby doesn't have as much pearl gray as my porcelain d'uccle chicks and more buff. In any case, I thought it was a pretty color - the camera/pc doesn't do it justice.

 

[motherof7]

This is great. Thank you so much.

A young pullet but the best picture of my own I could find quick to do an example with...

this is MY personal way of evaluating and remembering what to look for with type...

Orange : top of neck below the crest, down across the curve of the back and up over the tail/cushion to the vent should be a nice S shape. The more defined the S the better

PINK: bird facing forward (which Truffles is not) beak to the curve of the depth of the chest down and below to the belly should be a S shape, again the more deep/defined (especially the bottom curve) that S the better.

YELLOW : Wings wings should be closed together and close the the body in a triangle, in this picture her wings are held a little loose, the yellow triangle shows where the wings should be - tucked under the cushion and as she finishes filling out her cushion will most likely hide the tips of her wings.

 

[motherof7]

I'm looking into this now. Thanks for the suggestion!!

For those looking for examples of good, decent, and bad traits/areas on silkies I HIGHLY suggest you join the ASBC (American Silkie Bantam Club)

http://www.americansilkiebantamclub.org

My friend Janine worked hard to compile pictures from different breeders in the club of birds of various traits (crest, feet, tail, wing, eye, earlobes, type) and there are atleast a dozen pictures in each album with most having various breeders comments on those pictures on how the traits rank. We are trying to build a learning and comparison tool for everyone new and old to use when breeding and showing.

 

[Tikkijane]

I'm going to have to go back and read all the pages I've missed, but I've got a question........

We are totally in the chest bumping/dive bombing stage at 2 weeks. I don't remember my big girls doing it this much, and since these 6 are all st run, I'm pretty sure I've got some boys in there. Once they start crowing, I'll know who I need to rehome...........

Last year, I had 3 batches out of my girls , but from oldest to youngest, they were only about 1.5-not quite 2 weeks apart. And, they were all pullets. Out of the 14 we ended up with, only 1 turned out to be a roo, and he was the only one that was st. run. Today or tomorrow, I'm getting 3 more regulars (2 EEs and 1 PR). My 6 bantams are all over each other at this point; not just chest bumping, but dive bombing from the perch.

While I think it's a riot to watch, I'm worried that they will hurt the new girls coming. Am I just being a nervous nelly?

I am convinced that they are WAY more active and zippy than my regulars were last year.

And, my plan is to take more pics this afternoon while the newbies settle in, because I'm wondering if my silkies are partridges or something else........... (I really wish the sultan thread was active, because these are some really interesting birds!)

Thanks!

 

[Tikkijane]

Mine did this too for the longest time. I have some of those small, stake in the ground solar lights, that you can buy at Wal-Mart for $3.00 each. I took off the stake so only the head of the light was used. Put it in the back, far corner of the coop for them to see the light. It worked for me, I think they are afraid of the dark!

Take the light out and put in the sun the next morning so it re-charges. It also seems like there is a leader of the flock that will stand right in the middle of the doorway, and keep the others out. If you can find your leader, just move him to the back of the line, and the others may go in. Then let him/her go, and he will go in too. Hope this helps.

We also have two solar night lights in the side of our coop, which works well for our big girls, too. I have one BR that would still love to come inside every night if we'd let her. I am convinced that she also doesn't like the pitch black.

The other upside is that you can see the boxing going on on the perch if you need to see why they are rumbling instead of going to bed.

 

[Tikkijane]

OMGosh!! My little black hen plucked herself!!! She's trying to go broody! This is horrible!! She's going to a show on Saturday!!!! What do I do with her? I caught her mid-pluck-- her chest is okay, but her underneath is GONE!!!

Now what?!?! How do I keep her from plucking herself any more?? I put her outside with a cockerel so he can run her around and keep her from thinking about herself. He's nice-- he doesn't really do anything other than show off and drop his wings, etc... Oh what a mess!!! There are little black feathers everywhere!!!

Do peepers work with silkies?

 

[Marty1876]

Sorry your show silky plucked herself!

I was sent over here. I keep loads of ducks, but am a softie for silkies (wonderful sitters, so gentle and kind - I had them as a kid). I ordered some B/B/S show quaility eggs (does the s stand for splash?), and three made it to hatching. (most didn't even made embryos) I'm trying to figure what colors I have, can you more knowledgable silky mamas and papas offer your thoughts on the color of these new hatches?

 

[Tikkijane]

Sorry your show silky plucked herself!

I was sent over here. I keep loads of ducks, but am a softie for silkies (wonderful sitters, so gentle and kind - I had them as a kid). I ordered some B/B/S show quaility eggs (does the s stand for splash?), and three made it to hatching. (most didn't even made embryos) I'm trying to figure what colors I have, can you more knowledgable silky mamas and papas offer your thoughts on the color of these new hatches?

I really have no idea, but it looks like you could have 2 blues and 1 black. Congrats on your babies, though!

It's interesting that so many have said how friendly silkies are. I know one person who got rid of all of his because they were aggressive to his full size girls, and were plucking them as well. Out of the 4 chicks we've got right now, there is really only one that likes to be held; the rest race around like we're killing them. LOL. I'm going to assume they're just being juvenile and will grow into friendliness.

 

[Marty1876]

Our silkies were kept away from moms layer flock. They each had a cage with a run area, and a little house for eggs and sitting. They were picked up daily, handled frequently, and always spoiled with treats. I think the forced daily contact, and our general treating of them as pets, made a big difference. We'd never be that close to regular chciken (or duck).