Silkie thread!

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: I am pretty sure he/she was born with it. It just wasn't very apparent until now.
USUALLY develops later.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I have caught the silkie bug. I currently have 3, 2 partridge and 1 blue. I have fallen so in love with these little darlings that I am hatching some eggs from Golden Egg Farm. I have a fondness for the white ones. I lost 2 whites recently to some kind of predator. I was thinking that I would raise whatever I am able to hatch and maybe keep 4 or 5, but now I am thinking that I will keep them all. If I wanted to start a breeding program (my daughter wants to show them), what is the best color for roosters if I want to raise white, black, and blue?
Also, does anyone know where I'd be able to find a breeding chart showing what color parents will produce certain colored chicks?

Use Henk's chicken calculator:

 

[KMHunter]

Quote: I am pretty sure he/she was born with it. It just wasn't very apparent until now.
USUALLY develops later.
It is really minimum now but I can see it ever so slightly off. Just hoping it doesn't get so bad that it causes eating issues. I was kind of hoping for a boy and to use him to breed. Oh well.

 

[chicknfun]

are these silkie's and polish bearded or not and do they look ok a guy said they don't look the same as his mine are 4 weeks

They are very cute, and look great to me! Maybe his are differently colored....or not as cute as yours!

 

[Sanna]

I have a 112 new messages to read.

I'll catch up on everything a little later.


Question for you that know more about diseases!
I noticed one of my hens breathing sounds a little raspy. Would this be sign of some sort of respiratory issue? Otherwise the hen seems to be fine. She's eating well, moving around like a normal chicken etc. Then again, I don't really know what sort of symptoms to look for? Maybe I'm missing something. Eyes and nostrils look clear. Breathing just sounded a little raspy when I picked her up to day. I had to hold her next to my ear to really hear it but looks like something might be starting in her lunges?

What should I look for and what's the best way to go about treating this?

 

[hdowden]

any one with partridge eggs for sale?

 

[Hawkeye95]

ok, I think I am starting to understand the color thing!?!
So would I be correct in saying that my roo with grey on top and white underneath is a grey, not a blue?


Plus, if you can see it, he has 'partridge' like markings on his wings and tail

After our huge rainstorm the other day, he got wet....that was when I realized that he was pure white underneath all that grey


So, do I have a grey partridge? is that possible?

I've no idea what he is! LOL I'm really getting good at discerning good/bad with the BBS colors, and greys and partidges are just not in my scope of knowledge right now. Sonoran might have a better idea of what he is!

I have caught the silkie bug. I currently have 3, 2 partridge and 1 blue. I have fallen so in love with these little darlings that I am hatching some eggs from Golden Egg Farm. I have a fondness for the white ones. I lost 2 whites recently to some kind of predator. I was thinking that I would raise whatever I am able to hatch and maybe keep 4 or 5, but now I am thinking that I will keep them all. If I wanted to start a breeding program (my daughter wants to show them), what is the best color for roosters if I want to raise white, black, and blue?
Also, does anyone know where I'd be able to find a breeding chart showing what color parents will produce certain colored chicks?

White always to white. Don't breed white to anything else. So if you need a rooster, then you'll need a white rooster for your whites. For your Black and Blue-- you will want either a Blue or Splash to throw more blue and spash. Black X Black= black. I have a splash roo with blue and splash hens. But in that pairing I get no Black. You'll have to think about what color you want to throw. Definitely check into the link Sonoran posted for you!

Question for you that know more about diseases!
I noticed one of my hens breathing sounds a little raspy. Would this be sign of some sort of respiratory issue? Otherwise the hen seems to be fine. She's eating well, moving around like a normal chicken etc. Then again, I don't really know what sort of symptoms to look for? Maybe I'm missing something. Eyes and nostrils look clear. Breathing just sounded a little raspy when I picked her up to day. I had to hold her next to my ear to really hear it but looks like something might be starting in her lunges?

What should I look for and what's the best way to go about treating this?

Most likely it is upper respiratory for the symptoms you listed. Right now, you can start with VetRX, that in itself may help clear it up. It is not a drug. It is simply a great blend of essential oils that open up the airways and help them breathe and can help it clear out. If you need drugs and this is looking more serious, then I'd head to the vet for Baytril, which is my #1 go-to drug of choice. I use injections and inject .5cc directly into the breast meat near the legs-- stay away from the crop or the front of the bird. I know people use Tylan, but I've never used it. I always start with VetRX and go from there. I find the VetRX at my local Atwoods (farm store) for about $8 a bottle. It's a small bottle-- tiny. But you only need a drop. I rub it on their beak and put a bit in the water. It's safe for everyone drinking out of it.

OH--- and be sure to separate that bird. Don't keep her with the others. Just in case it turns out to be more serious than you think it is.


ETA-- wanted to add that you can use Duramycin for an antibiotic if you think she needs it, but it binds with calcium. So you'll want to get her on a feed that is very low to having nothing in the way of calcium for it to be very effective. My vet told me that it's a cr*p shoot if it will work if you don't switch out the feeds. You MUST switch feeds for it to be effective. Now having said that--- and I would NOT recommend this for you-- because I don't want you killing your bird. I was at my wits end with a bird of mine last year and I didnt have time to switch the feed, it happened over x-mas break and the farm stores were closed, so I used the Duramycin and almost doubled the dose to try to account for the calcium binding. That really could have back fired and killed my bird. It didn't, but I was lucky. So just an FYI there about that drug.

 

[Debbi]

I have a 112 new messages to read.

I'll catch up on everything a little later.


Question for you that know more about diseases!
I noticed one of my hens breathing sounds a little raspy. Would this be sign of some sort of respiratory issue? Otherwise the hen seems to be fine. She's eating well, moving around like a normal chicken etc. Then again, I don't really know what sort of symptoms to look for? Maybe I'm missing something. Eyes and nostrils look clear. Breathing just sounded a little raspy when I picked her up to day. I had to hold her next to my ear to really hear it but looks like something might be starting in her lunges?

What should I look for and what's the best way to go about treating this?

Check for mold around their coop and run! Especially if it's been wet out where you live. Someone else had this problem on another thread not too long ago.

 

[Sanna]

Check for mold around their coop and run! Especially if it's been wet out where you live. Someone else had this problem on another thread not too long ago.

I will check, but I'm pretty sure there's nothing out there. The whole coop and run were re-done last year. Their area has stayed nice and dry. Certainly won't hurt to check.

Most likely it is upper respiratory for the symptoms you listed. Right now, you can start with VetRX, that in itself may help clear it up. It is not a drug. It is simply a great blend of essential oils that open up the airways and help them breathe and can help it clear out. If you need drugs and this is looking more serious, then I'd head to the vet for Baytril, which is my #1 go-to drug of choice. I use injections and inject .5cc directly into the breast meat near the legs-- stay away from the crop or the front of the bird. I know people use Tylan, but I've never used it. I always start with VetRX and go from there. I find the VetRX at my local Atwoods (farm store) for about $8 a bottle. It's a small bottle-- tiny. But you only need a drop. I rub it on their beak and put a bit in the water. It's safe for everyone drinking out of it.

OH--- and be sure to separate that bird. Don't keep her with the others. Just in case it turns out to be more serious than you think it is.


ETA-- wanted to add that you can use Duramycin for an antibiotic if you think she needs it, but it binds with calcium. So you'll want to get her on a feed that is very low to having nothing in the way of calcium for it to be very effective. My vet told me that it's a cr*p shoot if it will work if you don't switch out the feeds. You MUST switch feeds for it to be effective. Now having said that--- and I would NOT recommend this for you-- because I don't want you killing your bird. I was at my wits end with a bird of mine last year and I didnt have time to switch the feed, it happened over x-mas break and the farm stores were closed, so I used the Duramycin and almost doubled the dose to try to account for the calcium binding. That really could have back fired and killed my bird. It didn't, but I was lucky. So just an FYI there about that drug.

I'll call our local feed store tomorrow and see if they sell VetRX. They have all sorts of things over there.


I went and read a bunch of stuff about chickens and respiratory problems/diseases. Some seem to require an antibiotic.
For some reason I have ended up with with this product: http://www.allbirdproducts.com/newproductpages/amtyl.html I have no idea what it is so I looked it up on Google. It says to be an antibiotic, it's in the Birds category but under Pigeon Product brands. Would this even be safe to give to Silkies? I'll get rid of this powder if it's not safe for chickens. I just want to know what this stuff is? I don't even know where it came from.

 

[Hawkeye95]

I will check, but I'm pretty sure there's nothing out there. The whole coop and run were re-done last year. Their area has stayed nice and dry. Certainly won't hurt to check.



I'll call our local feed store tomorrow and see if they sell VetRX. They have all sorts of things over there.


I went and read a bunch of stuff about chickens and respiratory problems/diseases. Some seem to require an antibiotic.
For some reason I have ended up with with this product: http://www.allbirdproducts.com/newproductpages/amtyl.html I have no idea what it is so I looked it up on Google. It says to be an antibiotic, it's in the Birds category but under Pigeon Product brands. Would this even be safe to give to Silkies? I'll get rid of this powder if it's not safe for chickens. I just want to know what this stuff is? I don't even know where it came from.

That Amtyl is pretty good stuff, safe for chickens. I'd check the expiration date to be sure it's still okay since you don't know how you came by it. I'd try the VetRX first for a couple of days, and if it gets worse, that would be a good choice. You can also order the VetRX online, but it'd sure be easier if you could buy it off the shelf. I've never seen it sold at TSC, but my Atwoods store usually always has it in stock. I buy 3 bottles at a time. I don't go thru it that fast, but I like to have it on hand. If anything goes wrong for me, it's usually after hours, during a holiday or a major snow storm where you can't get out. Always. LOL! So I think ahead and buy things a little at a time and keep a medicine cabinet full of meds for the birds, horses, dogs, etc.. My vet knows me well and will keep me supplied in injectible meds too, so I don't have to go driving clear into town.

OH and BTW, I do use pigeon products on my birds because it's often better than what you can find labeled for 'chickens'.