Silkie thread!

[Adoravachick]

I have a question about toes. I obsess over the silkes toes, it's a sickness I tell ya! lol All of my birds have 5 toes and that certainly makes me happy to start. I have a couple with shorter 4th and 5th toes and a couple with a shorter 4th toe and a longer 5th toe. What is considered a fault? I do have one very pretty chick with the 5th toenail turned back instead of straight? Is this a DQ? Hattrick has somegreat articles about feet, but I didnt see anything that would answer my questions. Thanks for your help in advance.

 

[Sanna]

I do. She gets along with my silkies... Shes a major sweetheart .

Good. I think I'l take my chances when I find a hen or two. If they don't get along, I'll just find some other pen for the frizzles to live.

I HAVE A FRIZZLE ROO HE IS VERY SHY AND SWEET. MR WIGGLES IS MY ONLY FRIZZLE AND WAS A MUST HAVE JUST BECAUSE HE WAS SO DARN CUTE ! HE HANGS WITH MY LITTLE RIR HEN .MAYBE ONE DAY I WILL INCUBATE SOME OF THEYRE EGGS.

He's very handsome.

If my fellow Silkie owners could help me, it would be much appreciated! Does this look like a Cockerel or Pullet.? I was thinking cockerel, but I am still new to raising my Silkies. Let me know what you think! Thanks!

That's looking like a walnut of a rooster and I think I see some wattles too.

 

[ThaiChick]

Whoa! This thread sure moves fast. I just wanted to pop in and share some sad news. Due to my husbands promotion, we are relocating to Illinois. Our new home has a small yard, so no chickens. BUT, there is property behind the house that may be available in the spring. So I may be a proud silkie owner once again. Maybe Santa will bring me a new incubator for Christmas.

I sold my whole flock on craigslist to a nice lady with grandkids. I'm sure they will get plenty of love and attention.

See you next spring.

 

[Hawkeye95]

If my fellow Silkie owners could help me, it would be much appreciated! Does this look like a Cockerel or Pullet.? I was thinking cockerel, but I am still new to raising my Silkies. Let me know what you think! Thanks!

He's a boy. He's pretty, too!

I have a question about toes. I obsess over the silkes toes, it's a sickness I tell ya! lol All of my birds have 5 toes and that certainly makes me happy to start. I have a couple with shorter 4th and 5th toes and a couple with a shorter 4th toe and a longer 5th toe. What is considered a fault? I do have one very pretty chick with the 5th toenail turned back instead of straight? Is this a DQ? Hattrick has somegreat articles about feet, but I didnt see anything that would answer my questions. Thanks for your help in advance.

The only DQ is to not have the right number of toes-- and that includes too many toes or too many toenails. Now, if you have the correct number of toes, then you start working in faults-- like webbing between the 4th and 5th-- they should be completely separate, but even at that, if you have a very nice bird with webbing, it could still be a good breeder. You could even get away with showing it... IF your type and the rest of the body were really fantastic. The shortened toes are a fault, not a DQ. That is called Brachydactyly, which means there is a reduction in the length of the (usually) 4th digit. It is autosomal and an incomplete dominant gene-- so it WILL pass on to offspring. It's best not to use these birds for breeding, but you could give it a shot to see what percentage it happens in... BUT, I would ONLY try it if you had the most amazing bird ever and you just had to pass on the excellent type, comb, etc.. If it is a so/so bird, there's no way I would breed it. But even at that, this is only a fault-- not a DQ. These shortened toes often don't have any nails on the end of them, since they are in effect, missing a knuckle on the end of the toe. If you have toes that point backwards-- again a fault. These do add up, but the type of the bird can offset these toe faults. The only thing that is unforgiving are missing toes, too many toes or too many nails or even fused toes that are combined as "one" toe with two nails.

Peep is a big toe person, she may have something to add to this.

Whoa! This thread sure moves fast. I just wanted to pop in and share some sad news. Due to my husbands promotion, we are relocating to Illinois. Our new home has a small yard, so no chickens. BUT, there is property behind the house that may be available in the spring. So I may be a proud silkie owner once again. Maybe Santa will bring me a new incubator for Christmas.

I sold my whole flock on craigslist to a nice lady with grandkids. I'm sure they will get plenty of love and attention.

See you next spring.

OH, that's a bummer!! We could possibly be moving to St Louis because of a job. I would never look at a home that didn't have property. But my horses are family, so it will make house hunting that much more difficult, but I don't care! LOL! I hope you can figure out a way to have chickens again. I think that would kill me to live in the city.

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

I have a question about toes. I obsess over the silkes toes, it's a sickness I tell ya! lol All of my birds have 5 toes and that certainly makes me happy to start. I have a couple with shorter 4th and 5th toes and a couple with a shorter 4th toe and a longer 5th toe. What is considered a fault? I do have one very pretty chick with the 5th toenail turned back instead of straight? Is this a DQ? Hattrick has somegreat articles about feet, but I didnt see anything that would answer my questions. Thanks for your help in advance.

The only DQ is improper number of toes. You don't want extra toenails, fused toes, web toes, etc....all I try to avoid.

Short outer toes are as Hawkeye stated brachydactyly... as ABA standards its not a DQ, and a very minor fault in the grand scheme of things...I personally cut those birds out last if at all, as it is not a big deal and simple to get rid of. However I won't breed one that has a SUPER short toe and no nail. if it has a decent length toe, or is somewhat short with a nail, I will keep them to use if they are an otherwise nice bird...

The 5th toe is usually longer(and should be) than the 4th toe and SHOULD kick back in a curve, it shouldn't be straight. but its not a big deal in the grand scheme of things really...

The best feet are spaced nicely, with the 4th and 5th should not be too far from the interior long toe (#3 I guess) The 4th and 5th should be close together forming a nice V and not widely spaced apart.

If you are an ASBC member go to the album gallery and look for the feet and toes album, lots of pictures of bad, decent, and good feet/toe pictures for you to look and compare with commentary from some members on many of the pictures.

 

[peepblessed]

If my fellow Silkie owners could help me, it would be much appreciated! Does this look like a Cockerel or Pullet.? I was thinking cockerel, but I am still new to raising my Silkies. Let me know what you think! Thanks!

I would say definitely a boy.

 

[peepblessed]

I have a question about toes. I obsess over the silkes toes, it's a sickness I tell ya! lol All of my birds have 5 toes and that certainly makes me happy to start. I have a couple with shorter 4th and 5th toes and a couple with a shorter 4th toe and a longer 5th toe. What is considered a fault? I do have one very pretty chick with the 5th toenail turned back instead of straight? Is this a DQ? Hattrick has somegreat articles about feet, but I didnt see anything that would answer my questions. Thanks for your help in advance.

Here's SOP on feet. The 5th toe should go backwards.

Legs and Toes: Male - Legs short and stout, set well apart, straight when viewed from the front. Lower thighs: short, stout at top, tapering to hocks, abundantly feathered. Hocks: covered with soft and silky feathers curving inwards about the hocks.
Shanks: rather short, stout in boner, well feathered on the outer sides with silky plumage, the upper part growing out from thigh plumage and continuing into foot feathering. Spurs: medium size and length, set just above the 5th toe. Toes: five, the three front straight, well and evenly spread, the hind toe double, the normal toe in natural position and the extra toe placed above, starting from close to the other toe, but well formed, longer than the other toes and curving upwards and backwards; the outer and middle toe well feathered. Female - same as male except no spur. (Bare middle toe a serious defect in either sex)

 

[Suzierd]

Whoa!  This thread sure moves fast.  I just wanted to pop in and share some sad news.  Due to my husbands promotion, we are relocating to Illinois.  Our new home has a small yard, so no chickens.  BUT, there is property behind the house that may be available in the spring.  So I may be a proud silkie owner once again. Maybe Santa will bring me a new incubator for Christmas.      I sold my whole flock on craigslist to a nice lady with grandkids.  I'm sure they will get plenty of love and attention.

See you next spring.  

Sorry you had to sell your flock
Hope to see you in the sping.

 

[Suzierd]

Well somebody's crowing I keep trying to catch who's doing it but of course he doesn't do it in front of me. Do you guys still think Penny's a girl?

Just seems like Zeek is to young not even five months yet.

 

[bamdim]

Just wondered what kind of sand?