White Silkies - How hard is it.....?

[SundownWaterfowl]

How hard is it to keep them white? Can't the sun discolor them to make them yellowish? I know with my buffs when they are in the sun it can sort of bleach their feathers.

Im really thinking about getting another color of silkies, im thinking either blue/black/splash or white. I like the b/b/s because you can have 3 different colors kept together, but I also love the whites.

I dont know!

 

[muddyhorse]

I would go with the B/B/S I have both. too much sun/ dirt/corn makes the feathers yellow If you want to show there will be a lot more whites at a show than other colors. I do like the look of the whites I think there are a lot of high quality ones out there.

 

[SilkieTime]

Breed the colors you like best. Don't let the drow backs hold you back. You will over come.
Just a note: I LOVE white

 

[josh44]

White's are not for beginners, it depends what you plan on doing, if you want to show, white will get dirty if not taken care of or housed properly.
Mant people choose to go with the blue, black & splash since they are easyR.
If you just want a backyard flock then don't worry about it.

 

[Freckle Face Farm]

Awww!!! You gotta try them..I just wanted blacks but I do love my whites....BBS are great because you do get variety but those whites

 

[robin416]

My flock is 90% white. They are no dirtier than any of my other birds. They will sunburn but so will a splash. A diet high in corn will turn the whole bird yellow. Or try mixing corn oil in with their feed in the Winter. What results will get your attention pretty quickly.

And if they want to take a mud bath, let them. The resulting bird the next morning will be stunningly white.

The only time I've noticed one of my white bird looking dirty is when they are depleted or not feeling well.

 

[silkieroo]

I agree with robin416 I have a white silkie roo and he stays amazingly clean!

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

So far our whites are beautifully clean and stunningly white. They go from their large and airy pen with pine shavings out into the "courtyard" most every day and take dirt baths but like robin said...the next morning they are bright white again. Even their feet feathers are nice.



Rose...chronically broody...

White pair from Harvest Breeze Farm

 

[chickenman98]

how many silkies do you want? if it is several then try b/b/s AND white.

 

[robin416]

Quote:
I literally meant mud. I've got one now and had another that the first mud hole they found after a rain is where they climbed in and wallered around. Talk about a mess when they came out. But the next morning was amazed to see how beautifully white they were. Even better than giving a bath with shampoo.

I have a preference for white birds. That is why I sold off almost everything that was not white. I've raised white birds since the beginning of my Silkie adventure, which is years, so I know what to expect. If a white bird is dirty and seems to be that way all of the time then suspect that a problem exists. Such as internal/external parasites.