Silkie thread!

[peepblessed]

Peep-- any ideas on that odd beak I posted on the last page???


oops-- two pages back now! This post made it to the next page.

I had one like that, a beautiful little blue partridge pullet. I was afraid to breed her for fear it was something that could be passed on but could have been a positioning in the egg and as the beak grows it becomes more obvious.

 

[TheChicknGarden]

My silkie showgirls 1st day outside they remind me of little ostriches running and ducking in the grass every time they get startled 



Cookie is the partridge and Flour is the white one 




a little of topic but i love this picture ... my eldest with Crème

Your photos are beautiful! You have a real knack for capturing natural candid shots.

Thanks ... I love taken pictures...especially of animals... My chickens being my favorite models

 

[chisNchickens]

Is he singing, "I'm sexy and I know it"?

ThaiChick - shame on you he is MUCH too young to be singing that!

 

[cindersga]

Do you ship to GA?

 

[cindersga]

Do you ship to GA?

 

[chisNchickens]

Peep-- any ideas on that odd beak I posted on the last page???


oops-- two pages back now! This post made it to the next page.

I've had silkies for a year now and have had four out of twenty-two with crooked beaks. Only one came out of the egg that way. It was a tiny pullet egg.
The rest grew out that way so I am assuming two causes - tiny egg and genetic.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Sonoran-- or anyone who knows about beaks! I have a problem. I was going thru my chicks this morning (getting ready to sell off obvious faults) and I came across this chick. The beak has bent sideways. I don't remember this bird looking like this. In fact, I banded it to keep because it has great toes! So between the time I banded it and now.... THIS happened. Is this cross beak... or what the heck happened to this bird? Can't be from an injury, I don't believe. At least... I don't know?? Ideas on this bird??

This baby is 5 weeks old now:

Looks like a fairly extreme case of crooked beak to me. Crooked beak is actually a skull deformity as well, thus the twisting of the upper beak that yours demonstrates so well. You will see it progress quite significantly over the next couple of weeks, I believe. I had a white Silkie like this one. Likely genetic. Doesn't show up for the first couple or few weeks. You probably won't want to use it as a breeder, assuming it even makes it to breeding age. Advice is usually to cull them because eating becomes so difficult for them.

 

[chitown chicks]

Thanks for all the reply's!
The silkies would be pets and would not be relied upon as egg producers. We're not interested in chickens for meat and roosters are not allowed in our town, don't really want to go there anyway as we don't care to breed.
After reading more, I figure we'll just have to make some breed choices and get them all at once and hope they all have good temperament and do well together.
I appreciate your thoughts on breeds. I'd love more info should you have it.
Thanks again!
Cate

 

[peepblessed]

Thanks for all the reply's!
The silkies would be pets and would not be relied upon as egg producers. We're not interested in chickens for meat and roosters are not allowed in our town, don't really want to go there anyway as we don't care to breed.
After reading more, I figure we'll just have to make some breed choices and get them all at once and hope they all have good temperament and do well together.
I appreciate your thoughts on breeds. I'd love more info should you have it.
Thanks again!
Cate

Silkie chicks cannot be sexed till about 3 or 4 months or more unless they are lesser quality like a hatchery produces. You can buy DNA tested chicks for about $35 ea. So if you are going to start with babies and can't have roos you will need a plan to rehome them asap. Thus you have to buy more than you want to be sure you end up with some girls. Also, it is difficult to find silkie pullets forsale. So, just somemore to think about.

 

[peepblessed]

Looks like a fairly extreme case of crooked beak to me. Crooked beak is actually a skull deformity as well, thus the twisting of the upper beak that yours demonstrates so well. You will see it progress quite significantly over the next couple of weeks, I believe. I had a white Silkie like this one. Likely genetic. Doesn't show up for the first couple or few weeks. You probably won't want to use it as a breeder, assuming it even makes it to breeding age. Advice is usually to cull them because eating becomes so difficult for them.

My girl continued to worsen till she was about 3 months then stopped. My daughter has her and she is now nearly a year old and no problems.