Silkies 101 - 20 of the most common Silkie questions...

[SunnyChic]

Thanks, Vicki!

Terry loves these guys, but he kept waving his hand in front of them and they couldn't see him. He got very concerned, and asked me to find out what to do. I'm going to be corny and name them Romeo & Juliet.

 

[SunnyChic]

Ok, I read & understand where to pluck the feathers around the eyes; now, how do you actually pluck them? Tweezers? Fingers? What's the best way to hold them when you're doing this?

 

[destiny_56085]

If you pluck them, they will regrow within 6 weeks. If you just trim with a scissors then it will hold until they molt. Unless you are prepping birds for the show ring, it won't hurt them to lose a lil fluff.

 

[SunnyChic]

Quote:
Thanks!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
Yes, it makes sense. I have never been to a chicken show, so I don't know what amount of "prep" is allowed. In AKC some breeds forbid the use of baby powder etc... can't even trim a whisker! What is born is how it is supposed to be shown, other than a bath, blow out and brushing. Even the shor coat breeds like German Shorhiared Pointers get QUITE A BIT of prep, trimming, baby powder if they are very light colored, coat conditioner that adds shine, and even spray stuff on the botom of their feet to make them tacky so they don't slip on the turns if it is a smooth floor. All that for a slick, short haired, hunting type dog that should just be wash 'n wear.

Horses, people go to EXTREME lenths to change their looks, including putting needles into the crests of their necks and heating them with a lighter to help melt the fat so it can be removed by rolling it with a rolling pin, sweating their necks for hours, binding them with neck sweats, treadmill workouts, backing the horse up a hill, putting them in a small pen and having them change direction time and time again to build up the haunches, breaking and removing the nerve to the tail so they can't swish it when you put a spur in them, they look better trained and happier than they really are. Also surgically altering the ear shape, tatooing around the eyes, surgically removing white spots that shouldn't be there, adding spots to horses that need them, braces to straighten their teeth, inserting fake testicles for cryptorchids, and ON and on and on... none, or at least most of the above is not legal for horse showing but it is standard practice in NUMEROUS world caliber trainer barns. I wouldn't do it even if I was GUARANTEED never to get caught. What's the point of trimming a stud's ears if all his babies are going to be lop eared anyhow? Not worth it. Get a stud with little ears if that is what you want. I guess same with chickens.

Kind of sounds like the Miss America pagent...

The Tucson Club used to have their big show the same weekend as a large AKC show. It cetainly looked like what one would expect to see backstage at Miss America!