Silkie horns

[SilkieTime]

I know nothing about the silkie horns. What do you know about them? Are they hard to breed out? Are they a DQ at shows.

 

[ultasol]

Not a DQ. It takes time to breed them out, but I have a couple in my flock (hens) because they have very nice type and tight wings. It is very common to find horns in some form on a comb, it's at the very top hidden under the crest.

So, the answer is:
A) unlike a single comb, it isn't a DQ
B) can be tough to breed out, but not impossible and I wouldn't eliminate a bird out of hand for that alone unless you have something without horns that is as good or better in every way

 

[SilkieTime]

Thank you,
Is the rooster a different story? I didn't know I had a hen with horns till today. Do the horns get bigger on the roosters? Are roosters with horns a DQ. Do you get points off for horns on the hen?

 

[ThePolishPrincess]

In my VERY limited experience, all of my Silkies have horns. I've shown 2 of them and neither have been penalized as far as I'm concerned (I'm a junior-judging is a bit more 'laxed). Their bigger on my rooster but his crest is big and fat so you'd have to do some digging to find it. Glenn See judged him yesterday at a show and said he had no issue with the horns.

But, yes, I've heard it's something that could be bred out.

 

[briarpatchfarms]

It is a defect but not DQ as told recently. I keep a few that do have it but when bred to a correct comb you get about 10 to 25% correct comb birds so it is easily fixed but will take a few generations!!!

 

[TomNY]

A spike or spikes is a DQ on a cushion comb breed. APA ASOP [2001]page 33. Tom

 

[NYREDS]

Quote:
Right as usual.

 

[ultasol]

I have not seen a silkie DQ's for spikes. They usually are not very large, so perhaps the judge is not noticing, but I have yet to see one DQd for it, and I have seen them shown with spikes.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

I was told they were 1 pt. off per spike. I could have sworn I read that in my sop also. I have the 2001 color edition. I'll have to check again. I've never seen them DQ'd either.

 

[ultasol]

I know other breeds, single combs, are dq'd for sprigs. It is certainly possible that they are supposed to be DQ'd, but it isn't occurring. I clerked for a judge in great falls, and the only birds that got a comb comment was a black cockerel of mine that I'm keeping because, other than a somewhat large comb, he is very nice... but most importantly he has great breeding drive, and someone who brought a single combed silkie.

They commented on size,. he did not have horns. There were birds with horns there, small but definitely present.