skinny silkie?

[silkie freak 22]

i have 20 silkies and i can feel the breastbones on all of them. is that a problem or not they can eat as much as they want i have an all time feeder. they arent starved they just feel alittle skinny compared to some other breeds such as cochins.

 

[FrizzleFreak]

Cochins have a lot of feathers, obviously, so it can be harder to feel the keel bone.
Also, if you're having trouble feeling the keel bone, and that's with the feathers out of the way, that chicken is probably overweight, and also probably not laying.

 

[Dirt Road]

My experience with Silkies is that they are in fact a "thin" breed. I've never seen one with a lot of flesh on it compared to most other breeds. Not sure how Cochins relate to Silkies.

Jim

 

[silkie freak 22]

thanks
i was comparing breeds because i have them in a separate pen and the cochins seem fatter

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Check to see if they have a true walnut comb as compared with a modified rose comb. The birds with a true walnut comb have both the pea comb gene and the rose comb gene. Pea combed birds have a noticible breast (keel) ridge.

Check these discussions and photos:
http://www.geocities.com/Petsburgh/6624/index.html
http://www.the-coop.org/cgi-bin/UBB/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=001006#000002 (particularly Kazjaps 2nd post)

 

[silkie freak 22]

they have the walnut comb.
and they have some white on the bottome of the toes is that a dq or a bed gene

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
I will assume you looked at the first link to see the differences in photos between the silkies' more traditional modified rose/trifid comb and a true walnut comb.

A bird with the true walnut comb will have a breast ridge. I used to worry about my silkies keel bones, too, then I discovered that it is a trait caused by the gene that causes their comb. My birds with the modified rose/trifid comb don't have the breast ridge.

My brahmas, who are fat little girls have it, as do all my silkies with true walnut combs.

A little white on the toes will almost certainly clear up as the bird matures. Entirely white feet pads or legs would be a DQ. Dark skin is a requirement for the breed.

 

[silkie freak 22]

thanks i was worrying for nothing
how long would it take to get "show quality" birds out of my silkies with a good breeding program

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

It depends on the quality you are starting with. Can you post photos?

 

[silkie freak 22]

this is my roo

this is a splash hen

this is a blue hen

this is a black hen