Silkies - They’re simply SPECTACULAR!

[Obsessed With Silkies]

I used sub lingual B vitamins for a chick that had wry neck, or appeared to have neck issues.. It took time for him to come out of it, and still has issues preening saddle and tail feathers, but he's a happy go lucky lil fellow.. I wouldn't trade this experience for all the tea in China.

Where can I get this B vitamin container? And can you send me a pic of what it looks like?

 

[Obsessed With Silkies]

Here's a pic of what it looks like after what I think it's trying to start preening??? I feel so bad.

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

The chicken life, who knew it could be so hard. I'm going to have to put down one if my newly hatched chicks as it looks like it has a neck problem. This bird was an assisted hatch and it seems like it's neck keeps going to the position of oi being tucked under the leg for hatching or a little crooked when it's standing. This little guy is so cute and wish that it could have had a better life. But I know putting it down will be the right thing because it will not be able to enjoy life in the state that it's in. It just breaks my heart to see such a cute fluff ball have to go. I read an article on here about using ether, how do ya'll handle put down birds like this?

Sorry hear that but better to end suffering.
I've done a couple of chicks, cross beak. I'm too scared to use scissors incase they didn't work and the chick suffers... I take a deep breath and have one hand around its head, other around body and pull quickly, instant death, horrible to do but no pain or suffering, head comes off. I have a paper towel in each hand wrapped around also so I can easily wrap the chick, contain blood and less visual for me. Good luck

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Here's a pic of what it looks like after what I think it's trying to start preening??? I feel so bad.

Awe...do u think it is wry neck?

 

[CSolis]

Where can I get this B vitamin container? And can you send me a pic of what it looks like?

I bought them at Dollar General.. you can get them in any drug store.. they are liquid sublingual B vitamins.

 

[Obsessed With Silkies]

Awe...do u think it is wry neck?

I do, it can walk well it's just has it's neck a little crooked when it's standing and then when it goes to preen itself it can't seem to and that's the pictures I posted. I think I'm going to try to save it because there's a possibility that I can. I'd never forgive myself if I killed it without trying.

 

[Hinotori]

This pullet has the oddest crest. The normal red mixed in with the black she inherited from her father. It's only recently started to get the red feathers so I'm wondering how she'll end up.

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

I do, it can walk well it's just has it's neck a little crooked when it's standing and then when it goes to preen itself it can't seem to and that's the pictures I posted. I think I'm going to try to save it because there's a possibility that I can. I'd never forgive myself if I killed it without trying.

Good on you, maybe just extra tlc and vitamins, time and patience he'll come good! Keep us updated on the little fluffball progress

 

[LynnaePB]

Looks like I missed a lot! It's been almost a week since I was able to check the thread.

Just curious, how many roosters do ya'll keep in one silkie pen or how many roosters per breeding project? Unfortunately I've realized that one of my roosters, Shadow, tends to pass on genes in his chicks such as 4 toes on one foot and 5 on the other. This has happened in the past two hatches and I'm almost positive he's the one. If so I don't think I'll be able to keep him for breeding.

I usually have just one boy per breeding pen. I like to have at least a couple boys per color though even if one is just in a bachelor pen as a back up.

Yeah, it’s really tough making chicken decisions! Especially when you have a project idea! I have too many birds because I have so many projects I want to do!

I just had to share my sadness…we lost my sweet little moppet Cher yesterday and I’m just devastated No clue what happened and might send her in for a necropsy. I had discovered my d’Uccle pullets had a bad case of roundworms and lost them as well, even after treatment last Wednesday and I wonder if she was silently struggling with that too. It’s been super hot too…so who knows I hate how I’m always losing the sweet and gentle birds :-(

Oh no I'm so so sorry about little Cher! And so sorry about the d'uccle pullets too. I know little Cher was cared for and had a good life with you, just so sorry she couldn't be with you longer.

Hey all you hatchers, I have a question. So I just did a silkie dry hatch and it didn't go as what I thought. So I kept the humidity for days 1-18 around 25-30%. Then on lockdown I raised the humidity to 60-65 percent which should end up with a good hatch? I originally set 15 eggs, when I candled on day 9 I removed 2 leaving me with 13 eggs. It's day 22 and only four have hatched. Based on the eggs that were hatched the humidity was too low. I think I'm going to get a hygrometer for my next hatch. Do ya'll keep yours in the incubator? I will gladly take any advice on dry hatching to make my rates better. Thanks!

I've had similar humidity ranges with good results but I find the humidity needed can vary. I pay more attention to air cell charts and if the air cells look like they are on track than specific humidity the first 18 days. I hear weighing to check for appropriate weight loss is even more accurate but I've had good luck just eyeballing the air cell on candling usually. Some eggs may be more porous and lose moisture more quickly while others might have thicker shells and lose moisture more slowly and the humidity needs would be different for different types. A lot of the time for me running dry works out pretty well but sometimes the air cells grow a little more than they should and I end up needing to add water. 60-75% humidity once I notice draw down with vents all the way open in the incubator for plenty of oxygen for the little ones works out pretty well for me (usually starts on day 19 but sometimes earlier).

I think a lot of methods can work alright but for your eggs and your area some may work better than others. I hope you are able to find one that works well for you and get a better hatch next time.

Sometimes extra vitamins and nutrition for the parents can make a huge difference in hatchability too. I find my silkies really need added vitamins fairly often or I start getting issues with hatchability.

@LynnaePB @LadiesAndJane (any anyone who likes to take a crack at colour genetics!) any ideas as to what colours I will end up with breeding Popcorn? Any likely full orange? Or most with leakage?
I have a few different colour hens.. splash, gray, silver partridge, orange patridge, white /recessive white

Awww congratulations on your new boy and that is just wonderful how well he is integrating!

I expect you will see some similar results to when you had Biscuit as the father accept with a little less variety. Biscuit is actually probably not too far off color wise from Popcorn other than the fact Popcorn is gold/gold and Biscuit is silver/gold. You are likely to get more gold based or orange babies since Popcorn can only pass on gold. Maybe some that are even more orange than the orange partridge girls when bred to an orange partridge girl. Popcorn bred to one of the orange partridge girls should give you all orange partridge with varying degrees of orangeness. With the splash you might get a good start to a splash calico project. First gen would probably be blue not splash but Popcorn would add in a good bit of orange/red for the project.

Question Silkie genetics gurus! What colors could I get from this rooster? If I have a recessive white, a partridge, and a splash Silkie hens? I think he’s gorgeous Someone is looking to rehome him…

@LadiesAndJane already explained perfectly. I do wonder with all the red leakage if he might have more of a possibility of being split to eb (partridge) on his e-allele. If you get any red pyle/partridge type offspring when breeding him to your partridge that would confirm that. He'll still breed like a paint in all other regards but likely add in some red leakage. Female offspring are much less likely to show leakage than male offspring he produces. He is a beautiful boy!

Just curious, do ya'll have your own Facebook page or something to advertise your Silkies?

I'd like to make one eventually. Right now I don't sell much so haven't yet. I'd like to work out some more faults and unwanted recessive colors before I really get into selling more. Craigslist and local chicken Facebook groups that allow putting birds up for discussion is how I advertise when I do have anything available at present.

The chicken life, who knew it could be so hard. I'm going to have to put down one if my newly hatched chicks as it looks like it has a neck problem. This bird was an assisted hatch and it seems like it's neck keeps going to the position of oi being tucked under the leg for hatching or a little crooked when it's standing. This little guy is so cute and wish that it could have had a better life. But I know putting it down will be the right thing because it will not be able to enjoy life in the state that it's in. It just breaks my heart to see such a cute fluff ball have to go. I read an article on here about using ether, how do ya'll handle put down birds like this?

I would suspect the baby may have hatched with wry neck as well. Vitamin E deficiencies can cause this as well as thiamine deficiencies. The B vitamins should help if it is a thiamine/B vitamin deficiency. If it is a vitamin E deficiency it will need something with vitamin E though. I like poultry cell as a vitamin supplement. It has B vitamins, vitamin E, and selenium to help the vitamin E be absorbed. With my older babies I use selenium vit E gel for goats/sheep as well but I'm not sure how easy that would be to give such a young baby. I've had good luck giving poultry cell to a very young one who had mild case of wry neck. I've never had a serious case in a newly hatched baby but if I did I would also try the poultry cell and see if with time the baby would get better. Wry neck is usually able to be recovered from but it sometimes takes a while for them to come out if it. My worst case in an older grow out took over a month during which it was so bad I had to tube feed the entire time. He got better though, I haven't lost one to wry neck yet.

This is the poultry cell which I find helpful in trying to correct deficiencies. Wry neck can be caused by head injuries as well but given the age of your little one a deficiency is more likely. https://www.chewy.com/rooster-booster-cell-liquid-vitamin/dp/260017?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=12737201920&utm_content=Rooster Booster&utm_term=&gclid=Cj0KCQjwgO2XBhCaARIsANrW2X3nTyhAqmCMnADPcxYU1AEK0EBVNdrtCkr3evk3kwVCwIDwBbay7akaAsfKEALw_wcB

I hope your little one pulls out of it for you!

 

[chickengr]

Question Silkie genetics gurus! What colors could I get from this rooster? If I have a recessive white, a partridge, and a splash Silkie hens? I think he’s gorgeous Someone is looking to rehome him…

do they ship to europe?