Silkie thread!

[Hawkeye95]

The one on the left is 7 months now and hasn't laid yet. I'm pretty sure it's a she but will make an awesome roo if not! She is kind of big. I need to get them weighed after what Hawkeye went through!

indeed! I'll be weighing all of my birds before show now and taking note of it and bring it with me so I know exactly what they weigh. And I guess I'll have to try to breed down in size now.

 

[peepblessed]

2. The 3rd buff chick hatched out a color I have never seen before. Egg was marked buff.
Chick is a grayish/black on its back and sides with a little light buff color on its feet, face, butt and belly....Think of a siamese cat with points?
Could this change with first moult into a buff or is it a very smutty loss....?

My first purchased eggs had a couple of chicks that color and were marked partridge. Here's how they turned out.

 

[4hchickmama]

Yeah, I had a LOT of fertility issues earlier this year. I realized my roo was not quite great at breeding yet, and all the fluff was in the way. I did AI. But I think if you trim them up right around their vent, it will work a lot better.

Actually, if you have the right bird, I think silkies might be the best bird you could use for showmanship! We use a rooster, because you can position him well and he will stay in it, and he takes well to being moved and wings pulled on, etc. He works out better than most of our birds. At our last showmanship, my son used his favorite bird, which is a pullet and she did pretty good. She didn't want to stay in position when he moved her, but she wasn't bad. She takes handling VERY well. She just goes limp which is perfect for holding while you are pointing out all the parts. You probably need to use a different bird next time.

ETA-- oh and I am so sorry about your daughter's heart surgery. How scary!! I hope she is doing very well now.

This is the pullet who was trying to hatch a rock the day we dropped her off at the fair...2 days before showmanship...lol. She was being pretty broody at the time. You are right, she is perfect for handling. Showing the various parts of the body, etc. It's just walking that darn table she refused to do! It was kind of funny because the judge took her showing stick and tried to show her how to get her to move, and she flat out refused for him too. Overall, my daughter came 7th out of 15 in showmanship. So not too bad for her first year!

And thanks! She is doing much better now. It was a scary thing. Didn't even know she had it. It all happened so fast I didn't have time to panic until afterwards!

 

[4hchickmama]

I can't imagine how terrifying emergency surgery on your child would be. I pray all is well with her...

I hope your daughter is doing good and healing after such a serious surgery. Does she enjoy the chickens a lot? I've overheard my own son outside sharing his heartaches and problems with our chickens. I even catch myself in the silkie pen because I just need some chicken therapy. I just made my first chicken apron (which I love) and posted a picture on the California Northern thread because I have to pick them up and hold them so much. (And I got tired of changing clothes 4 times a day.)

I definately want to check out the Gold County Fair this year. Do you have the birds there every day or just certain days of the fair?

BTW- Sherie told me a little trick on how to train your silkie to walk across the table. She used this idea with her grandson. You do know how silkies LOVE mealworms, right? Well, I found dried ones (at WalMart of all places) which you attach to the end of the show stick. At home you practice lurring them across the yard, the pen, the picnic table -wherever! Then, by the time of a real show they literally run across the table to that show stick...whether there is a mealworm attached or not!

Try it and see if it works out for you. Good Luck!

Thanks ladies! It was scary, but it all happened so fast I didn't have time to worry. She was born with it, but no one knew until she started getting really sick. She is doing great now.

Cali Chick- Birds are there Sept 5th-9th and showmanship is on the 7th. Deadline for entries is Aug 7th.

She DOES love her chickens. She goes out every day, several times a day, and practices showing them, sits and reads with a chicken or two in her lap...they are therapy birds for sure. I have one of Sheri's smooth sizzles as well. Great personality too.

 

[peepblessed]

Thanks ladies! It was scary, but it all happened so fast I didn't have time to worry. She was born with it, but no one knew until she started getting really sick. She is doing great now.

Cali Chick- Birds are there Sept 5th-9th and showmanship is on the 7th. Deadline for entries is Aug 7th.

She DOES love her chickens. She goes out every day, several times a day, and practices showing them, sits and reads with a chicken or two in her lap...they are therapy birds for sure. I have one of Sheri's smooth sizzles as well. Great personality too.

How wonderful to hear she is doing well!!

 

[2hot2chicken]

I don't breed Buff, but I don't think as a newly hatched chick you will be able to tell if they will have smut or undesirable leakage. I know I can't in my own birds. You'll need to wait to see how they grow out. Without seeing a photo of the chick you are wondering about-- the color issue, there is no way I can comment on that.

Having flaws in chicks comes with the territory. You can hatch out 30 chicks, and get maybe a good 3-5 that are really worth something. Maybe more if you get lucky and you have a trio or whatever it is you are working with that just happens to be on a roll throwing good chicks. The odds are not in your favor when you buy a dozen eggs and hatch them and THEN only get a few of those to hatch. Having light colored feet-- that's not good. The chick should at the very least be dark. But Buff is a very tough color to work with. I see a lot of red combs on buffs and it just seems that it could have more issues than another color. ALSO-- as Sonoran pointed out, just because they have winning show birds, does NOT mean they are selling you eggs from that winning flock. Most breeders who sell eggs have an entirely different pen set up with decent birds and they sell their eggs from THAT pen. It's likely you think you bought something that you did not. In which case, you need to be more specific in your questions when asking the breeder if you are buying eggs from his nice birds or out of another pen. Now, to the heart of the matter... do you have any recourse? I don't think so. When you buy eggs from a breeder, they are VERY careful about stating that when the eggs leave their hands, they are no longer responsible for the condition the eggs meet in route to your home. The PO can be very rough. I have gotten eggs and NONE hatched-- because of the PO. It's a gamble and that's the way it works. It's heartbreaking, for sure. You could ask this breeder which pen your eggs came from. But as for asking for a refund or having any other demands--- absolutely not. But finding out which pen your eggs came out of, that would be a resonable question. ALTHOUGH... this is something you should have asked ahead of time, so the breeder may not take so well to being quizzed like that.

And here's my best advice for you. If you want better birds, then wait till Fall and buy a couple of started birds. Buy the best you can afford-- they should be right around $50-80 a piece. When buying the bird, check off your needs-- like correct color, wings, etc. Toes you can breed out. But I'd be more concerned with color and type and wings and crest. I'd still try to find one with good toes, but these breeders are selling off birds that don't fit into their goals, so these birds will NOT be show quality. But they could be a good breeding bird when paired with the right bird. It's the same with me-- I will be selling off started birds this Fall when I can see what I have, but I'm keeping the best for me. So keep that in mind when you are dealing with them and try to be reasonable and realize you are going to have to start out with the best you can get and work from there. This is what I've done. I have some good birds that I think I can work with and continue to cull hard to get somewhere with.... but I don't have that drop dead gorgeous SQ bird YET. I have really nice ones-- but nothing that looks like, say, Sonoran's bird in her avatar.

Well I have enough experience with silkies I already knew most of this but honestly I have never hatched chicks with such bad flaws or with less toes especially on 2 different color chicks before even when buying cheaper eggs from less experienced people..... Maybe I have been lucky in the past but the few chicks I have been able to hatch before from other BYC members I havn't gotten SQ birds but they are really nice with just a few minor flaws..... And this person sells the eggs as being from their SQ and BQ flocks....

Spending nearly $100 for 2 dozen eggs from BQ and SQ flocks, no extras, plus shipping I feel like I should be able to at leased hatch out decent chicks with dark skin and correct number of toes am I right to think this? or wrong? That is what I am wondering......

If you had a customer who hatched out so many flaws how would you handle it? I know buffs are tough to get clear ones without smut but to have pink skin and 4 toes???? And then to have a different color completely hatch out with 4 toes as well? This is why I am wondering if it is just my luck or if there is a chance it could be the incubator since its my first hatch in it????

 

[2hot2chicken]

Well I have enough experience with silkies I already knew most of this but honestly I have never hatched chicks with such bad flaws or with less toes especially on 2 different color chicks before even when buying cheaper eggs from less experienced people..... Maybe I have been lucky in the past but the few chicks I have been able to hatch before from other BYC members I havn't gotten SQ birds but they are really nice with just a few minor flaws..... And this person sells the eggs as being from their SQ and BQ flocks....

Spending nearly $100 for 2 dozen eggs from BQ and SQ flocks, no extras, plus shipping I feel like I should be able to at leased hatch out decent chicks with dark skin and correct number of toes am I right to think this? or wrong? That is what I am wondering......

If you had a customer who hatched out so many flaws how would you handle it? I know buffs are tough to get clear ones without smut but to have pink skin and 4 toes???? And then to have a different color completely hatch out with 4 toes as well? This is why I am wondering if it is just my luck or if there is a chance it could be the incubator since its my first hatch in it????

Oh and I should add that I don't want to have to pay to ship in older birds again but we don't have any good breeders working with Buff out this way that I know of...... I ordered older chicks from 2 well known people but got screwed. both times I got sent other colors and have not heard from them since.....

 

[4hchickmama]

Well I have enough experience with silkies I already knew most of this but honestly I have never hatched chicks with such bad flaws or with less toes especially on 2 different color chicks before even when buying cheaper eggs from less experienced people..... Maybe I have been lucky in the past but the few chicks I have been able to hatch before from other BYC members I havn't gotten SQ birds but they are really nice with just a few minor flaws..... And this person sells the eggs as being from their SQ and BQ flocks....

Spending nearly $100 for 2 dozen eggs from BQ and SQ flocks, no extras, plus shipping I feel like I should be able to at leased hatch out decent chicks with dark skin and correct number of toes am I right to think this? or wrong? That is what I am wondering......

If you had a customer who hatched out so many flaws how would you handle it? I know buffs are tough to get clear ones without smut but to have pink skin and 4 toes???? And then to have a different color completely hatch out with 4 toes as well? This is why I am wondering if it is just my luck or if there is a chance it could be the incubator since its my first hatch in it????

I'm not sure what I would do as a customer, but I would safely say your incubator or lack of experience with a new incubator did not cause pink skin or 4 toes. $100 for 24 eggs seems pricey to be getting that many flaws from....what does that come down to, like $4/egg? Not an outrageous price really now that I think about it. I think I would contact the breeder and at least let them know what you got out of the hatch and express your concerns. Like Hawkeye said, you certainly aren't going to get perfection (and I think you are realistic about this) and you will have some DQ's like missing toes even in top show lines, but you would hope that at least 2-3 were good quality with only a few minor flaws. Contact him/her and go from there.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Well I have enough experience with silkies I already knew most of this but honestly I have never hatched chicks with such bad flaws or with less toes especially on 2 different color chicks before even when buying cheaper eggs from less experienced people..... Maybe I have been lucky in the past but the few chicks I have been able to hatch before from other BYC members I havn't gotten SQ birds but they are really nice with just a few minor flaws..... And this person sells the eggs as being from their SQ and BQ flocks....

Spending nearly $100 for 2 dozen eggs from BQ and SQ flocks, no extras, plus shipping I feel like I should be able to at leased hatch out decent chicks with dark skin and correct number of toes am I right to think this? or wrong? That is what I am wondering......

If you had a customer who hatched out so many flaws how would you handle it? I know buffs are tough to get clear ones without smut but to have pink skin and 4 toes???? And then to have a different color completely hatch out with 4 toes as well? This is why I am wondering if it is just my luck or if there is a chance it could be the incubator since its my first hatch in it????

Oh wow... that is terrible!! So the breeder said that those eggs were from their own breeding pens? If that were really the case, they shouldn't have so many flaws, I totally agree! Out of all the chicks I hatched this year, I only have about 3 or 4 with major toe faults-- like too many toes (none of mine have too few). So I think I'm working with some pretty good genetics, and if that is the case, I would expect anyone hatching out eggs to get the same results that I am. I bet I can guess who you bought your eggs from.. Especially if they are calling them show quality stock. As for your second question-- how would I handle it if a customer hatched out so many flaws... (i don't sell eggs)-- but if I did, I would expect them to have similar results as I do. Some faults, but mostly pretty decent birds. Cull out when they are older for other faults and you should still wind up with a few really nice birds to work with for the next year. So I don't know what I'd do! I would have been more honest, for sure! LOL I'm so sorry for you. With you clarifying what exactly happened, it seems pretty rotten. I doubt it is your incubator. What are you using?? I use a Brinsea and have near perfect results. The only toe problem that I have read can be due to an incubator is brachydactyly-- where there is a missing knuckle or toenail. There have been studies (and arguements with silkie experts) who either agree or disagree that it can be caused by low incubation temps. One study I read said that sudden low temps in the middle of the cycle could lead to reabsorption of the out toes..... I'm not the most experienced person here--- maybe someone else would know.

Oh and I should add that I don't want to have to pay to ship in older birds again but we don't have any good breeders working with Buff out this way that I know of...... I ordered older chicks from 2 well known people but got screwed. both times I got sent other colors and have not heard from them since.....

That is so bizarre that you ordered a specific color and then didn't get it. I wish we could have a rating system here like on eBay. Then you could give sellers ratings and feedback which would help them to run their business better or encourage others not to use them and also get screwed. If you haven't joined the ASBC, then I think you should do that. From there, you can ask around and buy started birds, eggs, etc from more reliable sources. And ask other people before you buy. When I bought my first pair, I talked to 3 other people that had bought from that breeder to be sure that I wasn't throwing away money. The ASBC has a FB page that they use, and a board like this one where you can ask around and get a better feel for who you are dealing with.

 

[peepblessed]

Well I have enough experience with silkies I already knew most of this but honestly I have never hatched chicks with such bad flaws or with less toes especially on 2 different color chicks before even when buying cheaper eggs from less experienced people..... Maybe I have been lucky in the past but the few chicks I have been able to hatch before from other BYC members I havn't gotten SQ birds but they are really nice with just a few minor flaws..... And this person sells the eggs as being from their SQ and BQ flocks....

Spending nearly $100 for 2 dozen eggs from BQ and SQ flocks, no extras, plus shipping I feel like I should be able to at leased hatch out decent chicks with dark skin and correct number of toes am I right to think this? or wrong? That is what I am wondering......

If you had a customer who hatched out so many flaws how would you handle it? I know buffs are tough to get clear ones without smut but to have pink skin and 4 toes???? And then to have a different color completely hatch out with 4 toes as well? This is why I am wondering if it is just my luck or if there is a chance it could be the incubator since its my first hatch in it????

I don't see that it would hurt to contact the seller and politely ask if he/she would consider a partial refund. I certainly understand your frustration.