Tag: Silkies for sale
Silkies For Sale – 4/7/17
Time To Purchase Silkie Chicks for 4-H Showing from VJP Poultry – 1/14/2017
January is the time of year that VJP Poultry begins to get inquiries about purchasing chicks for 4-H. In most of 4-H county and state fairs, chickens shown have to have hatched anytime past January 1st of the year you are showing. They also must be owned by May 15 of that year, in case you are thinking of buying your chicks later.
It is important to get your silkie chicks as soon after that January 1st date as possible because that will mean that you will have a more mature bird when showing. A more mature bird will have advantages in judging because they will look closer to what the “Standard of Perfection” states. Silkies mature slower than other breeds so it is important to buy them early.
Every breed of chicken conforms to an ideal standard. That is what the judge looks for when they evaluate your birds. Weight and condition is also taken into account when judging.
Fixed standards for a breed include: Breed and variety, class, age, weight, sex, plumage or feathers, coloring, tails, crests, combs, earlobes and beards. Each breed and variety has a written standard that you are trying to approximate. Copies of the standard can be found on-line. It is important to make sure that there are no faults or DQs in the chicks you purchase to begin with.
Silkies are an excellent bird to use in showing. They have a calm temperament and are easy to work with. You will eventually need to coop train or cage train them. This means getting them used to being in a small show type of cage, usually about 24″ x 24″. You will need to work with your bird teaching them to allow people to lift them in and out of the cage easily. You will also need to get your silkie used to bathing and grooming.
You will also be judged on Showmanship. Showmanship is when the judge rates how the 4-H er handles their bird. If he has a silkie, he needs to be familiar with everything about a silkie as well as basic chicken anatomy and chicken knowledge. The judge will ask the handler questions and the 4-H er should know the answers.
In 4-H, one can show one cockerel and two pullets in a breeding pen. I would purchase as many chicks as I could afford or have room for. You will be choosing a trio that matches and best conforms to the standard for that breed. The more choice you have in that decision, the better. It is always good to have back-up show birds. Sometimes molting season comes during a show so a back-up of the same variety can fill in.
I have found white and black to be the easiest colors to work with for beginners. It is easier to match these colors. Buff and Blue are harder because they grow into so many different shades.
4-H rules vary from state to state. I recommend contacting your local extension office or local 4-H group to get the details on how they run a poultry show at your fair.
Our flock is NPIP which means that we are pullorum tested. If you buy from a NPIP flock you will not need additional testing done to your birds when it comes time to show them. I have the “Statement of Origin” paperwork which you will present at the time of showing. I have worked with many 4-H ers over the years. Many have won their county shows and have gone on to the State Fair. Good luck to all with your showing!
For tips and tricks for raising outstanding silkies check out our Chicken Learning Center at VJPPoultry.com . VJP Poultry is an NPIP and state inspected hatchery located 30 miles north of St. Paul. We hatch out silkies all year long so we always have stock available. Like us on Facebook to get weekly updates on what we currently have for sale.
Victoria J. Peterson
Silkies For Sale – 12/27/2016
Heat Lamp Use at VJP Poultry – 12/20/16
Now that the weather is getting colder, I have a lot of VJP Poultry customers asking me about using heat lamps in their coops. People are concerned that their silkies will not be able to stand the cold of a Minnesota winter.
My use of heat lamps has changed dramatically since I started raising silkies seven years ago. I used to worry that my silkies would die from exposure. I had 250 Watt heat lamp bulbs hanging in every color pen the entire winter. Some even had two hanging in them. My electric bill was crazy. I kept the windows open only a crack and tried to raise the temps as high as I could inside.
After seven years of experience , I now rarely turn on the heat lamps in my outside coops. The silkies are fine. They actually are very winter hardy. They have a small comb so you don’t need to deal with frostbite issues. They aren’t fond of snow but they do love to go out into their runs no matter what the temperature. What is cold for a human is not cold for them. Think about all of the woodland birds. They do just fine in the cold Minnesota winter.
I have one 250 Watt heat lamp above each waterer just in case it gets really cold. I did have them all on during the spell of -40 windchill. They shouldn’t be thought of as a way to heat an entire room. They only heat what is directly below them. If it gets to be around -10 I will flip the heat lamps on. My waterers are heated a different way (from below) so I don’t need the heat lamps unless it is super cold and the water is staying frozen.
I do use heat lamps in my baby chick room. I like to use the lower 125 watt bulbs. They are not as hot and not as expensive to run. I will use a heat lamp over the newborns and the one week olds I don’t always use it over the two week old, but I could if I needed to. The chicks are in a small room off of my garage. The room is not heated with central air, so I also use a standing space heater to keep the entire room warm during January.
I am very aware that heat lamps must be hung securely. I use chains and wire so I can adjust the distance down to the brooder. I do not rely on the clamps that come with them. Heat lamps that are not secure and fall can easily start a fire. Make sure that the hoods are wiped clean of dust and that you also blow out the outlets with an air hose.
Heat lamp bulbs gradually become less strong the longer you have used them. You are still paying for the same amount of electricity from the 250 Watt bulb, but you are not receiving the same amount of heat the longer you continue to use it. When I feel that its not as strong anymore, I generally switch it out for a new bulb. I don’t want the surprise of it burning out when I really need it over newborn chicks. The 125 Watt bulbs are harder to find so we order ours online.
Remember, it is not the lack of heat that can cause issues with silkies in the winter. It is the moisture present in the coop. If you are seeing frost on your doors or walls, it is a sign that there is too much moisture and not enough ventilation. Open the windows, but keep the drafts off of the sleeping birds. I use pillow cases stuffed with old T-shirts and place them in front of the pop holes to block the drafts on the floor.
Electricity from heat lamps can be costly. One 250 Watt heat lamp costs about 90 cents a day to run. Add a space heater and that would be an additional $1.80 a day to run.
At VJP Poultry, we use heat lamps as sparingly as possible. They are necessary for young chicks in the first few weeks of life. Make sure they are hanging securely and change out the bulbs when they start losing their heat. They can be a useful part of your breeding program.
An alternative to heat lamps brooder heat plates. There is less of a chance of fire with these. You can also use the sweeter heaters that are hung from a chain above the chicks. This would be a more secure way of doing it.
For tips and tricks for raising outstanding silkies check out our Chicken Learning Center at VJPPoultry.com . VJP Poultry is an NPIP and state inspected hatchery located 30 miles north of St. Paul. We hatch out silkies all year long so we always have stock available. Like us on Facebook to get weekly updates on what we currently have for sale.
Victoria J. Peterson
VJP Poultry 