Silkies - They’re simply SPECTACULAR!

[LynnaePB]

Well lil family came last night to look at the chicks...they came for the little paint but since yall agreed with me it was lookin cockrel they couldn't take him.
They did get the little blue (which wasn't as light as I wanted for breeding program) and the black which I am trying to steer away from.
So that leaves me with the 2 paints!
Gonna keep them both since little girl is a beauty! Hey I think that's what I'll name her!!! Betty White is her new name!
Lil dude - idk what to name him but figured I'd keep him for while to see how it goes since he is gorgeous!
They also asked if they could buy Josie!
I was NOT expecting that! I said I could never sell her for $5 like the chicks...the dad said money is no object we want her!
I explained that she doesn't have cross beak but she definitely has a beak issue going on cuz it has always "clicked" when she eats. So I had already decided I can't breed her cuz that would get passed down.
But she's my little cutie! Money isn't everything!
So that leaves me with two 5 week olds...gonna try to integrate them more quickly with my 5 month olds since I've always taken them off heat the past week.
Do yall ever check up on past chicks to see how they are once sold?
I tend to do that probably too much?! But I get so attached to em...then they go and I'm like - constantly rethinking myself, wondering how they are, etc.!
I know I can't keep em all! And my goal has always been to share the luv of these lil babies with everyone! Which means you have to let go of em! Easier said than done.

Aww so glad you'll be keeping two of the little paints!

I've never really asked for or was offered updates on chicks I've sold (except for ones who went to friends who I keep in contact with anyway) but if anyone I bought from wanted them I'd be happy to do so. If anyone who bought chicks from me wanted to update I'd be thrilled too! I'm fairly socially awkward and anxious so I have a hard time asking for things otherwise I probably would love mentioning updates are always welcome/appreciated.

I've got my pet girls I wouldn't want to sell even though they have issues that make them unsuitable for breeding. My little Matilda is my favorite despite being a scruffy little thing and having wry tail. If you are attached keeping some pet only birds whatever their flaws just makes sense.

Thank you so much @LynnaePB for your always thorough and enlightening answers to genetics questions! I SO appreciate you!

Of course! I may not always know what I am talking about but I love talking genetics and helping where I can.

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Well I finally got Josie to cooperate and get a pic lol!
So it's not considered cross beak is it?
But it is definitely growing crooked the older she gets. Shes 5 months now.

 

[LynnaePB]

Well I finally got Josie to cooperate and get a pic lol!
So it's not considered cross beak is it?
But it is definitely growing crooked the older she gets. Shes 5 months now.

Oh yeah I see this pretty often in silkies. I believe it is related to cross beak but a milder form where the beak doesn't cross and just grows crooked. Cross beak can happen in any breeds but has been linked to bearded and crested genes so unfortunately are much more common in breeds that have these features. I almost always get a few like that or with actual cross beak in larger groups of grow outs. It tends to show up later on. I start seeing it as early as two weeks but sometimes they'll be several months old before it starts to show.

Still she is such a pretty girl and I'm sure will be a great pet.

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Oh yeah I see this pretty often in silkies. I believe it is related to cross beak but a milder form where the beak doesn't cross and just grows crooked. Cross beak can happen in any breeds but has been linked to bearded and crested genes so unfortunately are much more common in breeds that have these features. I almost always get a few like that or with actual cross beak in larger groups of grow outs. It tends to show up later on. I start seeing it as early as two weeks but sometimes they'll be several months old before it starts to show.

Still she is such a pretty girl and I'm sure will be a great pet.

She's a sweetheart!
So if it is a form of cross beak can it be passed down to babies. I wasn't for sure.
I checked with lady in Alabama I got eggs from and she does not have any cross beaks at all and hasn't had any customers say anything til Josie.
So in researching it looks like it can be due to chick being malpositioned in the egg.
Meaning not hereditary right.

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

I'm full of questions today yall sorry...

So never got em sleeping on the roosts bar. But they were atleast going inside the coop!
Now they are sleeping in their front porch?! Why? Its still pretty cold here at night...low 40s and getting into 30s again!
The empty space in between the 3 is cuz Joey jumped down when he heard me go out...lol
And thank goodness 1 out of 4 has their booty hanging off the porch! Lol

 

[LadiesAndJane]

I'm full of questions today yall sorry...

So never got em sleeping on the roosts bar. But they were atleast going inside the coop!
Now they are sleeping in their front porch?! Why? Its still pretty cold here at night...low 40s and getting into 30s again!
The empty space in between the 3 is cuz Joey jumped down when he heard me go out...lol
And thank goodness 1 out of 4 has their booty hanging off the porch! Lol

Only one of my Silkies roosts. The others kind of sleep in a pile on a shelf. Maybe they’re just happier this way?

 

[chickengr]

9 of my silkies go to roost, I have to put the other 3.

I am going to keep silkies + 2-3 leghorns for eggs. the rest are leaving to a friend whose house got burnt recently - a little help I can do. so 12 (- 3 that will leave to a friend breeder) silkie girls, 6 juveniles (1 looks like might be male) and 1 roo - finally coming tomorrow! after watching the japanese video about silkie eggs I made an omelet with silkie eggs only and it tasted heavenly. that helped me decide what chickens to keep. I have no room for different chicken breeds. leghorn eggs will be for giving away and boiling for the chickens and dogs. once my pekin ducks start laying I will rehome leghorns as well.

 

[LynnaePB]

She's a sweetheart!
So if it is a form of cross beak can it be passed down to babies. I wasn't for sure.
I checked with lady in Alabama I got eggs from and she does not have any cross beaks at all and hasn't had any customers say anything til Josie.
So in researching it looks like it can be due to chick being malpositioned in the egg.
Meaning not hereditary right.

This is a tough one to answer because the issue just isn't that well understood. I've heard it can be caused by malpositions, issues during development in the egg, and injuries but I'm of the personal opinion that most I've seen is genetic (which are the cases that are not apparent until later on and not from hatch). It does seem to be rather complex and not caused by a simple recessive or dominant gene (when two cross beaked birds are bred together they will not produce all cross beaked offspring). I try to avoid breeding with any that have anything other than a straight beak to be on the safe side. Unfortunately I still get a few popping up much more regularly than I'd like. I do think the link to the crested and bearded genes is of note. Most of the incidences I've seen have been in bearded birds. From looking at posts by some Ameraucana breeders they often noted certain lines/colors being more prone than others so whatever factors go into it do seem to be tied into genetics and are somewhat inheritable.

If you bred Josie she'd probably produce mostly normal chicks but would also likely pass on some of whatever goes into making cross beaks/crooked beaks.

Maybe Josie's breeder doesn't have a line that has many cases. If her line has some but not a lot she may not have happened across it yet. A lot of buyers of eggs may not even notice a mild bent beak or don't think it noteworthy as well. It could be Josie's case was environmental and not genetic but if she didn't hatch that way my bet would be on it being more likely genetic.

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

This is a tough one to answer because the issue just isn't that well understood. I've heard it can be caused by malpositions, issues during development in the egg, and injuries but I'm of the personal opinion that most I've seen is genetic (which are the cases that are not apparent until later on and not from hatch). It does seem to be rather complex and not caused by a simple recessive or dominant gene (when two cross beaked birds are bred together they will not produce all cross beaked offspring). I try to avoid breeding with any that have anything other than a straight beak to be on the safe side. Unfortunately I still get a few popping up much more regularly than I'd like. I do think the link to the crested and bearded genes is of note. Most of the incidences I've seen have been in bearded birds. From looking at posts by some Ameraucana breeders they often noted certain lines/colors being more prone than others so whatever factors go into it do seem to be tied into genetics and are somewhat inheritable.

If you bred Josie she'd probably produce mostly normal chicks but would also likely pass on some of whatever goes into making cross beaks/crooked beaks.

Maybe Josie's breeder doesn't have a line that has many cases. If her line has some but not a lot she may not have happened across it yet. A lot of buyers of eggs may not even notice a mild bent beak or don't think it noteworthy as well. It could be Josie's case was environmental and not genetic but if she didn't hatch that way my bet would be on it being more likely genetic.

Well hum....idk then
But I still luv her! But having to separate her from the roos won't be easy.

 

[Obsessed With Silkies]

9 of my silkies go to roost, I have to put the other 3.

I am going to keep silkies + 2-3 leghorns for eggs. the rest are leaving to a friend whose house got burnt recently - a little help I can do. so 12 (- 3 that will leave to a friend breeder) silkie girls, 6 juveniles (1 looks like might be male) and 1 roo - finally coming tomorrow! after watching the japanese video about silkie eggs I made an omelet with silkie eggs only and it tasted heavenly. that helped me decide what chickens to keep. I have no room for different chicken breeds. leghorn eggs will be for giving away and boiling for the chickens and dogs. once my pekin ducks start laying I will rehome leghorns as well.

I think in my opinion, that silkie eggs do taste the best! I like making fried eggs from my silkie eggs because they taste so good!