Silkie thread!

[sager:)silkies]

or u could probley make them if u breed ur bigest silkies and keep breeding the big ones

becuase silkies range in size i have seen really small ones and others huge compared to the small sized silkies

 

[Hawkeye95]

I am going to purchase some asst. silkie eggs and set them under my 2 broodies. (one BPR bantam, one BA Standard) I had 3 silkie chicks, 2 black 1 buff whom I promptly named Cookie. Any advice on raising Silkies? I am gonna need it!

I don't let mine get muddy or wet. That's just me. Water doesn't roll off of them like a normal chicken. I feed them BOSS (black oil sunflower seeds) everyday. Just a cup full and throw it on the ground. They don't roost-- or at least MINE don't. My hatchery quality birds can roost-- they are not quite so fluffy and don't have many issues getting off the ground. My nice show/breeder birds are nothing like that and they just lay in a pile. But when they are younger, they often will jump onto something higher to perch on. I pen them separately, too. But I do have my hatchery birds in with my layers-- those are tough birds. My others are too laid back and seem more "fluffy" in more ways than one.

. You'll be hooked when you get into them, though.

 

[Apyl]

I love seeing everyones silkies and reading all the great info. Here are some pics of my 2 favorite silkies I have.

Rosetta - 12 week old Partridge silkie



Charming - 12 week old white silkie

 

[peepblessed]

I love seeing everyones silkies and reading all the great info. Here are some pics of my 2 favorite silkies I have.

Rosetta - 12 week old Partridge silkie



Charming - 12 week old white silkie

Thanks for sharing pictures of your sweet silkies. They are very pretty!

 

[3ChickensinNC]

Just curious what it takes to breed to get a blue partridge. I have seen many on this thread and just think they are beautiful. Also love the paints, lavenders as well.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Just curious what it takes to breed to get a blue partridge. I have seen many on this thread and just think they are beautiful. Also love the paints, lavenders as well.

I have no idea! I got my blue partridge by mistake (luck??) LOL! This was something that the breeder said she was working on. I bet Silver Silkie can clear up the genetics behind blue partridge and how to breed for one and what birds to use.

 

[Laingcroft]

Dang!!! I still don't get it ....

I love that y'all are trying. I can only hope you won't give up before I get it!!!!

Yes, yes, I'm slow but PLEASE be patient ....

I really WANT to get it ....

Okay, I'll give it a shot....

Have you ever tried to paint a room in a lighter color than is already on the wall? If you don't prime it first, you will get leakage of color, usually in uneven patches. The dominant white gene (I) works like paint without primer over the rest of the color genes in the chicken. Black is covered completely, but red will leak if it is present. In this case, the chicken could have autosomal red, or one of the black "bases" like e+ that gives hens a salmon breast in addition to the 'I'. Because it is dominant, you only need one copy of the gene for it to express so it could come from either parent.

With the recessive white, think of it as primer (a recessive 'c') plus the coat of paint (another recessive 'c') which provides complete coverage (masking) of any other color genes, black or red, that may be present. You get a pure white bird. This color needs the recessive gene from each parent i.e. two copies to express.

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

Okay--- here is my lame humor in play.... I keep humming that Sesame Street song "one of these things is not like the other, one of these things doesn't belong!" Right there in the middle-- my surprise Partridge. I was dreaming up all kinds of reasons why it might have hatched from my BBS eggs..

I had a splash and 2 blues hatch out partridge and then they feathered out proper colored...

Also know others who get actual partridge out of BBS pens, not as uncommon as you'd think.

 

[BackyardBreeder]

Aack! I need some people who know their silkies to help me decide which batch of eggs to order!

Can't decide!!!!

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

Just curious what it takes to breed to get a blue partridge. I have seen many on this thread and just think they are beautiful. Also love the paints, lavenders as well.

Breed a blue bird into the partridge, and thats your stepping stone... there are plenty partridge out there that are diluted already so its not too difficult. Catdance has some very gorgeous partridge and blue partridge birds, should think about buying eggs from her if you ever get a chance.