Debbie's Silkies

[Debbie292d]

Gorgeous birds Debbie!!

Thank you. My heart breaks when they turn out to be roosters though. But don't we all.

 

[Debbie292d]

Gorgeous birds Debbie!!

Thank you. My heart breaks when they turn out to be roosters though. But don't we all.

 

[triciayoung]

I have a dilemma.

I have a bunch of pictures to post, but first, let me get insight from you all until I post this in the Silkie forum on Facebook for the know-it-alls to tell me I have a garbage bird or something. You know I don't particularly care for NNs, but did say I'd most likely keep any that were hens, as I have 3 of them here atm. The oldest, a NN cuckoo, turned into a roo. I think he's pretty spectacular in that he's got an orange poofy thing on his head that reminds me of that creature on the movie Alien, and he's got green in a couple of his feathers, like really bright green.

I don't want to keep any males of NNs, but I want to make sure I won't regret selling him. He's just 4 months old.

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To show you also a NN I would keep, I'm posting the little paint I actually think is adorable and I think will be a hen. She's only 2 months old though.


Here she is with Blueboy, the bachelor rooster that hangs out with all the young chicks and looks out for them, finds them food, etc. View attachment 3826609
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I absolutely love the first NN. I would buy him if I were closer. He looks like a rapper.

 

[Ponypoor]

I have a dilemma.

I have a bunch of pictures to post, but first, let me get insight from you all until I post this in the Silkie forum on Facebook for the know-it-alls to tell me I have a garbage bird or something. You know I don't particularly care for NNs, but did say I'd most likely keep any that were hens, as I have 3 of them here atm. The oldest, a NN cuckoo, turned into a roo. I think he's pretty spectacular in that he's got an orange poofy thing on his head that reminds me of that creature on the movie Alien, and he's got green in a couple of his feathers, like really bright green.

I don't want to keep any males of NNs, but I want to make sure I won't regret selling him. He's just 4 months old.

View attachment 3826607
View attachment 3826606

To show you also a NN I would keep, I'm posting the little paint I actually think is adorable and I think will be a hen. She's only 2 months old though.


Here she is with Blueboy, the bachelor rooster that hangs out with all the young chicks and looks out for them, finds them food, etc. View attachment 3826609
View attachment 3826610

Oh strips and a silkie - gggaaahhhhh!

Oh he is just lovely, too bad there is a border to deal with.

He is lovely.

 

[Ponypoor]

Thank you. My heart breaks when they turn out to be roosters though. But don't we all.

Yes - which is why I am not even going to think of keeping any of the chicks from the eggs my niece is getting from me to hatch for her school.

I am not waiting 8 to 10 weeks to do a gender test - they are harder to rehome then. Easier when they are cute and fluffy.

 

[2ndTink]

Wow Debbie, you have a tough challenge here! I'm not a NN admirer but that cuckoo roo is very eye catching. I have to admit your little paint is pretty cute

I can't speak to the quality of the cuckoo as I really don't know, but he sure is striking

 

[Slothinc]

They are both so so pretty!!!! I think for me - if I was going to use the roo for breeding - I would probably have a slightly easier time letting him go because of the orange leakage on the head - I try to avoid leakage when possible, I know that a lot of Roos have pretty significant leakage though. If you are wanting more cuckoo babies then he may be worth keeping.

Personally I’m not a huge fan of bright red comb and wattles - I love that silkies have dark. But cuckoos and mottles and maybe a few others will have bright red. (That’s just totally a personal thing, I know most people love the red!)

If I personally were going to breed cuckoos, I would keep only some cuckoo hens, and breed to solid boys and then have autosexing chicks. But I’d definitely not blame anyone for keeping a pretty chicken like that!

The paint girl is absolutely adorable. One of my very first hatched chickens is a NN paint girl. She’s 4 years old now and I still have her. She’s just so cute!!

NN are some of my favorite!!! I am not a big fan of the “stripper” look though. I’ve never owned one and would prefer not to.

 

[Debbie292d]

They are both so so pretty!!!! I think for me - if I was going to use the roo for breeding - I would probably have a slightly easier time letting him go because of the orange leakage on the head - I try to avoid leakage when possible, I know that a lot of Roos have pretty significant leakage though. If you are wanting more cuckoo babies then he may be worth keeping.

Personally I’m not a huge fan of bright red comb and wattles - I love that silkies have dark. But cuckoos and mottles and maybe a few others will have bright red. (That’s just totally a personal thing, I know most people love the red!)

If I personally were going to breed cuckoos, I would keep only some cuckoo hens, and breed to solid boys and then have autosexing chicks. But I’d definitely not blame anyone for keeping a pretty chicken like that!

The paint girl is absolutely adorable. One of my very first hatched chickens is a NN paint girl. She’s 4 years old now and I still have her. She’s just so cute!!

NN are some of my favorite!!! I am not a big fan of the “stripper” look though. I’ve never owned one and would prefer not to.

Is he technically calico now with the leakage?

Also, not interested in advertising the female cuckoo/solid roo sexing though as the solids are all girls, cuckoos all males. I'd rather play dumb (which I do pretty well) and sell the offspring as straight run.

 

[Debbie292d]

Whoops, just found out he's got red leakage on his head because...he's part Tolbunt Polish.

That sealed the deal. Though he's gorgeous, I've got enough other varieties of silkies to tend with in the coming months and really don't have the desire to start something else. I could never breed him to my show quality silkies as there goes my reputation! I actually have a small one, so rather hang onto it.

Lordy, I have eggs being shipped Monday being those lemon cuckoos, buffs, etc. so I have enough to keep me busy with these all.

Sadly, this means my favored black/white fuzzy one I vowed to keep no matter what he was, is also crossed with Tolbunt Polish. There are a couple of red feathers leaking in on him, and his head is turning yellow. I shouldn't have any trouble getting rid of them. It's rather disheartening but they'll make someone else very happy!

 

[Debbie292d]

Whoops, just found out he's got red leakage on his head because...he's part Tolbunt Polish.

That sealed the deal. Though he's gorgeous, I've got enough other varieties of silkies to tend with in the coming months and really don't have the desire to start something else. I could never breed him to my show quality silkies as there goes my reputation! I actually have a small one, so rather hang onto it.

Lordy, I have eggs being shipped Monday being those lemon cuckoos, buffs, etc. so I have enough to keep me busy with these all.

Sadly, this means my favored black/white fuzzy one I vowed to keep no matter what he was, is also crossed with Tolbunt Polish. There are a couple of red feathers leaking in on him, and his head is turning yellow. I shouldn't have any trouble getting rid of them. It's rather disheartening but they'll make someone else very happy!

View attachment 3827004
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I got ahold of the breeder who assured me, these are 100% silkie cuckoos. The cuckoo roosters do sometimes bleed and she doesn't know why but someone else was saying the same thing. That really can't be quality though.