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- #61
Where can I find Silkied varieties of rare, or uncommon breeds.
- Thread starter Chickenosauurs_RexNo54
- Start date
It's not that.
We had a Silkied Ameraucana hen, Happy, back in "the day".
She survived some rather awful incubation conditions that make me wince now.
A really wonderful hen, she laid every day. At about a year and a half she passed away suddenly for no discernible reason except that it was summer in Florida.
There's not much on an Ameraucana to dissipate heat, no big comb, but my smooth feathered ones do fine in the heat.
Too, breeds have different amounts of underfluff which could be affecting insulation, and then there's skin color to consider.
I ran into a curious thing with the Genetic Hackle I got from Dennis, they don't enjoy the cold at all, they have very little underfluff. But on the super-hot days they were in heaven sunning themselves for hours with their hackle feathers flared out, while other breeds were panting and burying themselves in the shade.
In fact, I don't think I've ever seen one pant.
I've actually thought about making a silkied English Orpington, but the English Orpington I have already needs special care in the heat, so they would only really be suited for Antarctica.
- Thread starter
- #63
Chickenosauurs_RexNo54
Songster
Sorry for your hen. That is what I meant when I said the silkied Ameraucanas were fragile. They just seem to kick the bucket when they feel like it. That is at least what I have read.
I will weigh in here regarding the Silkied Ameraucanas. There is an extensive amount of info on this site about their history. I bought eggs and chicks and it took me a few years to establish them in my pens. I did repetitive outcrosses to standard bred, high quality black and lavender Ams (my original stock from John Blehm). That was so extensive that even when I stopped deliberately breeding for silkied, the gene still exists in some of my flock.
I sent lavender Ameraucanas to Sand Hill Preservation Center, and warned him that the silkied gene popped up from time to time. IDK if he actually had that happen, or if he was just passing along my information in his description. I know he likes that like of Lavenders and finally felt an Ameraucana was laying eggs he could call blue instead of green. Honestly, John Blehm should have the credit for those nice blue eggs. I continue to select for that, but it's easy when you start with excellent stock. I would not count on being able to recover the silkied gene from his lavender Ameraucanas.
Last summer I had 2 silkied chicks pop up in my brooders. Both perished quickly, but I have tried to put the old band back together again and have resolved to not sell Ameraucana chicks until they are a week old, so I can inspect for silkied feathers. This pen produces Sexlinked Ameraucanas in Black and Lavender, and the head spot on the lavenders is sometimes hard to see, so I like to wait until I see primary feathers I can inspect for barring. Of course, any silkied chicks will be put into brooders with more gentle chicks, like the genetic hackles, cochin bantams, etc. - and not with their fellow Ameraucanas or Ayam cemani, both of which I suspect of evil acts when I have left the room.
Someone mentioned that the reason they disappeared is because they were only kept by "fad breeders". That is just not true. I distributed literally hundreds of silkied and silkied split chicks to other breeders around the country (and I did not get rich doing this, I don't believe in extorting money for rare breeds, I'd rather see them get common). Some of them could still have them, as I have no way to follow up. Several reported problems keeping them alive and that was when I decided they were not worth my time to preserve anymore. I made sure to send some to mild climate areas, like FL and CA.
I had no problems producing lots of silkied chicks by using a silkied roo over split hens. Half the resulting chicks were silkied and the rest were splits, all good breeding material. I had trouble with the pullets and hens dying over the sometimes harsh winters here in PA. I also was not vaccinating for Marek's at the time and many of my losses were " Marek's suspicious". I hope to recover the gene this year and with vaccinated chicks, to try again. If I am outrageously successful, I might have a few chicks to share with a fellow breeder or 2, but most likely I will use the chicks to re-establish the pens I had, and put a few in the care of a friend who has "cushier" overwintering facilities than I can obtain at the working farm where my birds are housed. As I think about it, she will likely get most of the silkied pullets, and I will focus on some silkied and single barred cockerels to see if I can make silkied cuckoo Ams. I wish my energy, time and space could keep up with my fantastic mental ambitions . . .
I sent lavender Ameraucanas to Sand Hill Preservation Center, and warned him that the silkied gene popped up from time to time. IDK if he actually had that happen, or if he was just passing along my information in his description. I know he likes that like of Lavenders and finally felt an Ameraucana was laying eggs he could call blue instead of green. Honestly, John Blehm should have the credit for those nice blue eggs. I continue to select for that, but it's easy when you start with excellent stock. I would not count on being able to recover the silkied gene from his lavender Ameraucanas.
Last summer I had 2 silkied chicks pop up in my brooders. Both perished quickly, but I have tried to put the old band back together again and have resolved to not sell Ameraucana chicks until they are a week old, so I can inspect for silkied feathers. This pen produces Sexlinked Ameraucanas in Black and Lavender, and the head spot on the lavenders is sometimes hard to see, so I like to wait until I see primary feathers I can inspect for barring. Of course, any silkied chicks will be put into brooders with more gentle chicks, like the genetic hackles, cochin bantams, etc. - and not with their fellow Ameraucanas or Ayam cemani, both of which I suspect of evil acts when I have left the room.
Someone mentioned that the reason they disappeared is because they were only kept by "fad breeders". That is just not true. I distributed literally hundreds of silkied and silkied split chicks to other breeders around the country (and I did not get rich doing this, I don't believe in extorting money for rare breeds, I'd rather see them get common). Some of them could still have them, as I have no way to follow up. Several reported problems keeping them alive and that was when I decided they were not worth my time to preserve anymore. I made sure to send some to mild climate areas, like FL and CA.
I had no problems producing lots of silkied chicks by using a silkied roo over split hens. Half the resulting chicks were silkied and the rest were splits, all good breeding material. I had trouble with the pullets and hens dying over the sometimes harsh winters here in PA. I also was not vaccinating for Marek's at the time and many of my losses were " Marek's suspicious". I hope to recover the gene this year and with vaccinated chicks, to try again. If I am outrageously successful, I might have a few chicks to share with a fellow breeder or 2, but most likely I will use the chicks to re-establish the pens I had, and put a few in the care of a friend who has "cushier" overwintering facilities than I can obtain at the working farm where my birds are housed. As I think about it, she will likely get most of the silkied pullets, and I will focus on some silkied and single barred cockerels to see if I can make silkied cuckoo Ams. I wish my energy, time and space could keep up with my fantastic mental ambitions . . .
I know that feeling
It was I who said fade breeders and I do wanna clarify:
Often times people jump on a bandwagon to try to breed these new or unusual variations without understanding the process needed to raise them, thinking rare type=quick cash. I don't ever mean to refer to people like you and other breeders who know the process needed to try to raise these variations and the risks. Obviously things out of our hands like weather, predators and so forth throwing a monkey wrench into things doesn't automatically make a person a fad breeder.
This is something I have seen alot with the rise of import breeds, specially the fibros. Those who bred to improve a breed vs breeding them because they say quick money. It led to some interesting debates though that I do relay in reference to the silkie cemani or the white version because you did see debates on if breeding for them was because of perseverance a unusual variation or trying to make quick money selling basically the Merle of the poultry world. It really does boils down to breeders intention and behavior,or in some cases hatcheries with the rise od new crosses they been sell as of late like fibro easter eggers.
Often times people jump on a bandwagon to try to breed these new or unusual variations without understanding the process needed to raise them, thinking rare type=quick cash. I don't ever mean to refer to people like you and other breeders who know the process needed to try to raise these variations and the risks. Obviously things out of our hands like weather, predators and so forth throwing a monkey wrench into things doesn't automatically make a person a fad breeder.
This is something I have seen alot with the rise of import breeds, specially the fibros. Those who bred to improve a breed vs breeding them because they say quick money. It led to some interesting debates though that I do relay in reference to the silkie cemani or the white version because you did see debates on if breeding for them was because of perseverance a unusual variation or trying to make quick money selling basically the Merle of the poultry world. It really does boils down to breeders intention and behavior,or in some cases hatcheries with the rise od new crosses they been sell as of late like fibro easter eggers.
I'll be keeping an eye out for your progress on this! I don't at this time have the facilities to properly breed them as the extra coops I had available have been taken up now by my silkied Cochin bantams, but if you are able to recover the trait I would be very interested in helping to preserve them in the future once I'm able to put together another solid group of breeding pens to devote to them.
Silkied Ameraucanas were my first silkie-feathered love, before I even knew of the Cochins, and I'd love to see them make a comeback either way.
At my new place, I hope to work on silkied pheonixes. They won't ever be show worthy, but I hope they will still be impressive
Only if they retain the tail. That will be my biggest challenge apart from finding a suitable silkied breed to bring that feather into my line. No point in a silkied pheonix if their tail breaks before it hits the ground
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