Will straw damage a silkie's feathers?

[Sonoran Silkies]

ditto. Straw can and often does house mites and other bugs. Also, you need to keep the birds in condition for quite awhile before a show, not just a few days. If you are meticulous on cleaning out droppings you could use sand in the pens. It is not expensive.

 

[BantyMom]

I keep my feather-footed birds on wire if I am going to show them. It doesn't matter what bedding I used, the droppings glue it to their feet and the feathers break off. Mine do not break their feathers off on the wire. The sides of the cages are solid, not wire.

 

[Dustin Biery]

I personally do not like keeping FL birds on wire. You are asking for broken feathers.