Silkie thread!

[peepblessed]

He's 3 months old.
I figured he was a he because of these purple wattles starting? And I thought the beak looks more like a boy's beak. What do you think? I'd be happy to be wrong on this one!

It looks more girl to me. For a BQ or SQ juvenile at 3 months, I would expect to see a larger crest, better type and much more hackle feathering. But, on the other hand, I know nothing about beardless. IMO that is a perfect girl shaped beak.

 

[NovaAman]

Guess what!! I have a non silkie hen sitting on silkie eggs. She's a vicious mama, but she's learned she needs to get off the nest to eat and go on walk about, so she does it on her own now. BUT, the eggs she is sitting on, THEY'VE GOT VEINS! SWEET! The babies come from Roger, my super duper excellent daddy roo and a white silkie hen that I got to replace poor Leila.

Roger's golden leakage on his crest is coming back in more red than gold. His tail feathers are starting to reappear. YAY!

Had a daytime juvie coon attack today. No one was killed. A lost tail, lost back feathers and a banged up Mr. Fluffers, my big roo, salmon faverolle, but everyone is good. No punctures, bites or scratches. I am thinking we have already dispatched its mama, and it hasn't really learned to catch and eat. Trap is set, so hope to get the little sucker. My shovel is ready.

 

[NovaAman]

:

HOLY FOOT FEATHERS! Those are some awesome feet. If you weren't so far away, I'd consider stealing, I mean buying him from you. I like the non bearded.

 

[aoxa]

Does anyone have an idea if my 'splash' is a pullet?

Is it still considered splash if she has gold coming in?

8 weeks old.

 

[Basel]

he has a 'half and half' beard - incomplete bearded/nonbearded. a bearded should have very very small to no wattles visible and a really full beard (even the hatchery ones I had could have it) a NB (non bearded) is completely clean under the neck, and have large wattles like a 'regular' chicken does.

hope that helps

He is pitifullly bearded. A true non-bearded has no beard or muffs at all.

Thanks all for your thoughts on my "Pitifully bearded, incomplete bearded/non-bearded"! The pictures were terrible as well, but he really does have feathering under his beak/chin and sticking well out on his cheeks. It is very visible in real life, but very sparse! Poor ugly boy.

Wouldn't you know it though, he is SO sweet and loves loves people.

Do you think at ~3 months it might get any longer or fuller [even a little]? When is their feathering complete?

 

[Sanna]

AWESOME foot feathering! Very nice for non-bearded; much better than the usual.

Thank you!

I'm pretty sure this chick is by our hideous splash rooster. He's the dominant one in the pen. My rooster Curly doesn't throw that much feathering and I don't think he's thrown any blue either. So, the splash must have good foot feathering in his genes somewhere because he hardly has any himself (if it was up to me, this rooster would be looking for a new home). lol OR! This chick's mom is my little blue hen Lila. She has the best feet in the whole pen....well other than this chick. lol That would be exciting. I guess I'll never know.

It looks more girl to me. For a BQ or SQ juvenile at 3 months, I would expect to see a larger crest, better type and much more hackle feathering. But, on the other hand, I know nothing about beardless. IMO that is a perfect girl shaped beak.

This beak stuff is so confusing. lol I'll get it someday. I think I'll keep this little one around just to see what it'll turn out to be. Especially if it's a hen. We like eggs here. All hens are welcome, even the PQ's.

HOLY FOOT FEATHERS! Those are some awesome feet. If you weren't so far away, I'd consider stealing, I mean buying him from you. I like the non bearded.

 

[Hawkeye95]

He's 3 months old.
I figured he was a he because of these purple wattles starting? And I thought the beak looks more like a boy's beak. What do you think? I'd be happy to be wrong on this one!

This bird is looking awfully girlie! I think she's really cute!

Does anyone have an idea if my 'splash' is a pullet?

Is it still considered splash if she has gold coming in?

8 weeks old.

It would still be considered a splash, but with gold leakage. That is a LOT of leakage.. I have only one bird with leakage and it's a tiny amount right under it's beak. Because of that, I won't breed her. You need a picture of it's comb. From this view, you can't tell. I have little boys at 3 months right now and they have nice big full round crests on them-- they are rivaling the girls at this point. I'm pretty sure they are boys as their combs are starting to hit that first growth spurt. The combs will eventually push the crests back away from the front of their beak. You can't tell by crest alone at this age.

Thanks all for your thoughts on my "Pitifully bearded, incomplete bearded/non-bearded"! The pictures were terrible as well, but he really does have feathering under his beak/chin and sticking well out on his cheeks. It is very visible in real life, but very sparse! Poor ugly boy.

Wouldn't you know it though, he is SO sweet and loves loves people.

Do you think at ~3 months it might get any longer or fuller [even a little]? When is their feathering complete?

they are still growing feathers in at 3 months. But by now-- he should have a LOT more beard in, so what you're seeing now is about it. Their feathering is still growing in even at 6-7 months and on past that.

For comparison-- you can see how just a few weeks make a big difference in feather growth-- but by 3 months, should already be full IF they are going to be full as adults. Here is a bird of mine at 2.5 months

Here she is 3 weeks later.... (you can see even her crest has filled in more and has better shape)

and I should take a picture of her NOW... because her cushion is coming in and she is looking quite curvy. So they will continue to drastically change.

 

[aoxa]

It would still be considered a splash, but with gold leakage. That is a LOT of leakage.. I have only one bird with leakage and it's a tiny amount right under it's beak. Because of that, I won't breed her. You need a picture of it's comb. From this view, you can't tell. I have little boys at 3 months right now and they have nice big full round crests on them-- they are rivaling the girls at this point. I'm pretty sure they are boys as their combs are starting to hit that first growth spurt. The combs will eventually push the crests back away from the front of their beak. You can't tell by crest alone at this age.

I don't breed for colour right now. I do not have the ability to do so - my parent stock is not top knotch, eventually I will, once I can find something in my area with well bred silkies. Right now there is only one, and he ONLY does white. I would like to focus on partridge. It has to be my favourite.. Though the whites are adorable as well, they seem higher maintenance. God forbid they take a dirt bath :S

What is with this one's comb anyway? Best feet EVER and it has light skin. Bummer!

Do you think the comb is big enough to signify roo at this age? I can easily find a home if it's a girl, not so easy if it turns out to be a boy :/

 

[Hawkeye95]

I don't breed for colour right now. I do not have the ability to do so - my parent stock is not top knotch, eventually I will, once I can find something in my area with well bred silkies. Right now there is only one, and he ONLY does white. I would like to focus on partridge. It has to be my favourite.. Though the whites are adorable as well, they seem higher maintenance. God forbid they take a dirt bath :S

What is with this one's comb anyway? Best feet EVER and it has light skin. Bummer!
Do you think the comb is big enough to signify roo at this age? I can easily find a home if it's a girl, not so easy if it turns out to be a boy

Uh oh, you have a single comb there. That's not even supposed to be on a silkie. I have no idea about gender, I can't even begin to guess on that kind of comb. Forget about finding someone locally with good silkies-- likely it won't ever happen. I know around here, there are 4 people in the entire state of Kansas that are members of the ASBC. If I waited around for that to happen (someone locally), I'd never have silkies! LOL Do your homework and research good breeders that are selling eggs and go that route. MUCH easier to just hatch your own and cull from that. It's also cheaper than buying a single bird that is of good quality. I bought a pair last year for $150. I have paid right around $70-80 for a dozen eggs.... cheaper, see???

 

[aoxa]

Uh oh, you have a single comb there.  That's not even supposed to be on a silkie.  I have no idea about gender, I can't even begin to guess on that kind of comb.  Forget about finding someone locally with good silkies-- likely it won't ever happen.  I know around here, there are 4 people in the entire state of Kansas that are members of the ASBC.  If I waited around for that to happen (someone locally), I'd never have silkies!  LOL  Do your homework and research good breeders that are selling eggs and go that route.  MUCH easier to just hatch your own and cull from that.  It's also cheaper than buying a single bird that is of good quality.  I bought a pair last year for $150.  I have paid right around $70-80 for a dozen eggs.... cheaper, see???     

I might find some in the national show in September. Breeders come from all over (even the US) to show their birds in our national show. There is always a big sale outside the show barn, but usually the show birds or breeder birds for sale are sold prior to the show.. Not sure if you know of Jamie Carson? He shows in the States as well as here, and is the only good breeder of silkies I know of.

As for the comb, it looks more like a polish comb with the little horns. Not single. I have never had a single comb come up at all. I only know as far back as the grandparents and they are all dark skinned and walnut combed. The father of this one's mother is a sizzle, so obviously he is the likely culprit for the light skin.. seeing as frizzled cochins were bred to silkies and the product bred back to silkies to get sizzles. There is cochin in the blood somewhere..

I live in Canada, so shipping eggs is a lot more difficult. No one will do it, and if they will, our weather is so unpredictable. I'll have to wait until fall or spring.. Summer is too hot and humid, and winter is too cold for shipping eggs. My eggs freeze in a couple of hours in the winter. Can't imagine shipping eggs across the country!