What's wrong with their feathers?

[Redcatcher]

but then they won't be Silkied Ameraucanas... they'll be silkie/ameraucana crosses.

True but after a few generations of crossing them and breeding the Silkie traits out, they will be Silkied Ameraucanas. At this point though, I'm not 100% convinced that my F1s are really F1s. I ended up hatching a black chick among them that was a genetic impossibility.

 

[kahlua]

Here is my little silkied chick...I'm pretty sure it's a boy?? He is almost 8 weeks old now.




On my 2nd try with the eggs, I didn't have better luck I did adjust my humidity and turning methods - but only 3 made it to lockdown and just one splash chick hatched. It isn't a silkied chick but that's okay! Don't mind the brown on its face...I gave it some Nutri Drench to help it stay strong - but the eye dropper is huge and makes a mess!


I did put in a few of my own eggs since I finally had a hen that was laying fertile eggs. The eggs were staggered since I kept putting them in as she laid more - but only one did not hatch. The last one is going into lockdown today. So I don't think it's anything I did wrong, I think the trip was just too hard on the eggs, even though they were packed perfectly

Here's the little splash chick with 2 of the chicks from my hen...the blue in the middle is 3-4 days younger so is smaller, the black one hatched the same day as the splash.

 

[Redcatcher]

Here is my little silkied chick...I'm pretty sure it's a boy?? He is almost 8 weeks old now.




On my 2nd try with the eggs, I didn't have better luck I did adjust my humidity and turning methods - but only 3 made it to lockdown and just one splash chick hatched. It isn't a silkied chick but that's okay! Don't mind the brown on its face...I gave it some Nutri Drench to help it stay strong - but the eye dropper is huge and makes a mess!


I did put in a few of my own eggs since I finally had a hen that was laying fertile eggs. The eggs were staggered since I kept putting them in as she laid more - but only one did not hatch. The last one is going into lockdown today. So I don't think it's anything I did wrong, I think the trip was just too hard on the eggs, even though they were packed perfectly

Here's the little splash chick with 2 of the chicks from my hen...the blue in the middle is 3-4 days younger so is smaller, the black one hatched the same day as the splash.

VERY nice looking blue and good type. I think it's the first blue silkied I've seen. I was away for awhile and missed a few pages.

 

[Redcatcher]

I managed to hatch a couple of Silkie crosses with silkied feathers. I'm sure it won't impress anyone here but after two years, I'm glad to have gotten ANYTHING silkied out of them.

 

[Silkie-Feet]

@redcatcher, I've been on and off this thread since the first few pages. I believe somewhere in here the breeders talked about the silkied trait the silkies carry. I believe that these americanuas carry a different silkied gene then the silkie breed. therefore, breeding these two birds will just produce splits. This "breed" or "varient" wasn't created by breeding with silkies. It was produced by a mutant gene. Furthermore, breeding these birds with silkies is a complete waste of time. the splits produced from this breeding will carry both silkied genes, but the will still be smooth feathered. these birds will also carry silkied genes, witch is NOT what the breeders want. It is more efficent to just outbreed with smooth feathered americanas than breeding with silkies. I know this can sound confusing, and my spell check isn't working... so bare with me. I recommend that you check the silkied gene that silkies carry, before you continue breeding.

 

[Redcatcher]

@redcatcher, I've been on and off this thread since the first few pages. I believe somewhere in here the breeders talked about the silkied trait the silkies carry. I believe that these americanuas carry a different silkied gene then the silkie breed. therefore, breeding these two birds will just produce splits. This "breed" or "varient" wasn't created by breeding with silkies. It was produced by a mutant gene. Furthermore, breeding these birds with silkies is a complete waste of time. the splits produced from this breeding will carry both silkied genes, but the will still be smooth feathered. these birds will also carry silkied genes, witch is NOT what the breeders want. It is more efficent to just outbreed with smooth feathered americanas than breeding with silkies. I know this can sound confusing, and my spell check isn't working... so bare with me. I recommend that you check the silkied gene that silkies carry, before you continue breeding.

I'll have to go back and reread since my crosses are proving that the silkied Ameraucanas carry the identical silkie gene that Silkies carry. I'm getting approximately 25% silkied chicks from crossing a purebred Silkie hen with an F1 Ameraucana cock. My trio of F1s have not produced one silkied Ameraucana in the two years that I've had them when bred to each other.

 

[Redcatcher]

I finally found where there was a test mating (post #883). Apparently it IS the same gene. Personally I believe the silkied Ameraucanas are a mutation that just happens to be the same gene as the Silkie breed,

 

[chick-among-us]

Quote: thanks Trish that is sweet of you! I will let ya know...dunno everyone looks good right now..even with the heat and rain so heres hoping everything goes well

 

[CatKai]

I still say you need to not keep them in too sterile a situation that they can't develop an immune system. Especially with a large volume of other birds that get respiratory stuff now and then. If they are kept inside, spotless and as clean as possible inside and out, then they get exposed to it all at once going outside or in with other birds yes they will get sick. Mine are raised with all my other chicks thru adults and I have yet to loose 1 bird. And like I said before maybe it's just not happend here yet but seems it would have by now. Mine are exposed to everything here from day 1. If I was keeping them spotless and as bacteria free inside and out of the birds as I could, I'd expect the same results you have had as well.

thanks! but we had so many more....they die. NOT everyone is having that issue...I am considering stopping with them simply because I can't count on them to BE alive for the "planning stage" of breeding. So make that 12 fluffies...and no kidding I had like 20 or more in the beginning...they get the sniffles basically then boom their dead. noone else dies...just them sorry I have been sick myself and now I guess Im a little morose. But they die. I have one larger older female and she is getting a cross beak at this late stage even with trimming. So breeding her is out. These are the most fragile birds I have ever seen. PERIOD. Our plan to outcross them to Lavendar AM's to increase vigor may never be realized since if they can't make it to breeding age then,.... well there ya go. IF ALL these birds die I am out. I will continue with my Ameruacanas I was hoping to at least keep one or two fluffies to make some stronger lines but if not so be it...I had to many babies that have died to get more. I love them but they are breaking my heart.

 

[Redcatcher]

I know this sounds real cheesy but I'm refusing to pour more money into this project. My F1s won't produce silkieds when bred to each other. Period. I wouldn't refuse an offer for "free" eggs though. By free I mean that I would cover postage and a small amount towards handling. Someone kindly offered me some adult stock last fall but I was in the process of moving and couldn't take them.