What The Heck Is A Vaulted Skull?

A vaulted skull is a hole or unclosed portion of bone in the top portion of the Silkie’s skull. This genetic trait was introduced into Silkies via crosses with the Crested Polish breed of chickens. The Polish were bred into Silkies to improve and create a larger crest size. Often chickens are bred to another breed to get new colors, traits and types.

So What Happens To This Hole In The Silkie’s Head?

Since there is an opening in the Silkie’s skull, it can allow a portion of the brain to protrude through the opening. It’s not as bad as it sounds, cause it’s covered with skin and feathers. However… it causes the chick to be quite delicate. If the Silkie chick gets pecked on the head or bumps it’s head, it can die instantly. Chicks with vaulted heads should be protected and handled as gently as possible, as they are more vulnerable. As the chick grows, this hole will usually grow shut or at least get smaller. Occasionally though it does not.

Sometimes in Silkies with vaulted heads, the vaulted area can either press on the brain or the chick can get the slightest pressure on it’s head and it can cause a brain injury. Once they are about a month old, the bones in the vaulted area usually grow thicker and closer together and the risk of brain injury drops. It’s a good idea to move any Silkie chicks with really vaulted skulls into a separate brooder for added protection.

It’s also good to try and  cross vaulted birds to non vaulted birds, as the gene can sometimes be fatal when you breed two vaulted head birds together. When crossing two vaulted skull birds, you are taking a chance that about 30% of the eggs will die during incubation and  about 25% of the chicks that do survive will die in the first 10 days. It’s a lot like breeding Araucanas and the “Tuft Gene.”  Kind of tricky to get the right genes together.

So Why Do People Breed Silkies With Vaulted Heads?

Many breeders believe that a vaulted skulled Silkie means a bigger crest and many judges now seem to like the big, poofy crests, so hence, the need for vaulted skulls. This is not necessarily true though. Many Silkies that are not born with vaulted skulls develop just as big, if not bigger crests than those with a vaulted head. Unfortunately, it’s one of those terms that gets used and abused, and suddenly it’s the newest thing to breed for.

Originally… a vaulted skull usually meant the chick was a pullet. But, as the Silkie’s breed type improved over the years, some males were hatched with vaulted skulls as well. There is some evidence out there that a vaulted skull in a male Silkie can improve the appearance of their crest. The vault sits right behind the comb area and seems to give a nicer rise to the crest. There are still nice males out there without vaulted heads though.

Many breeders still think good old fashioned selective breeding is all you need to make a nice crest.

What To Breed For In Silkies?

The best thing to breed for in Silkie’s Crests is a nice full, round, pompom shape that’s not flat in the front. It should be nice and round and even in shape (like a poofy ball). Your breeding stock dictates crest shape, just like other traits, and if they have vaulted skulls or not. If they have a nice, round, upright crest, they should pass that along to their chicks. You should always breed to the standard of perfection of your chicken and cull those that don’t make the cut. That way you’ll end up with chicks that all the Silkie lovers will want and admire, vaulted skull or not.

Here are links to a bunch of VERY GRAPHIC  photos of Vaulted Skulls.   CLICK HERE! and HERE!

This video shows some cute little Silkie chicks with vaulted skulls that we hatched. Enjoy!

Photo of some Silkie chicks with vaulted skulls.

The Chicken Palooza is this weekend in Elkins, WV. It will be held at the Tractor Supply Company, 800 BEVERLY PK – Elkins, WV. 26241, and start at 8:00am. Lots of people are coming looking for chickens, rabbits, and used farm items. Tell your friends and go check out the Chicken Palooza. This is a FREE and fun community event you won’t want to miss.

Testimonial:

Upthehollerfeatherfarm Shirley, WV. says…
We have been to the Palooza and enjoyed how friendly everyone was and how we were treated. And how things were set up and ran. Some REALLY nice people

Just found this cool video on YouTube. It shows how a chick develops in the egg. Awesome pictures. Here is a link to the YouTube channel. This video shows pictures from a fertile egg all the way to a live chick. Enjoy the video.

Often eggs in your incubator will be pipped or cracked, but the chicks just don’t hatch. There are many factors that contribute to this. Following is a list of these…

Causes Of Eggs Not Hatching

• Thin or porous shelled eggs.
• Improper storage of eggs before incubation, which may cause  embryos to be positioned wrong. Store big end up and turn 3 times daily. Store at about 60 degrees.
• Eggs not turned during the first two weeks of incubation.
• Temperature is incorrect, too low for start of incubation or too high prior to hatching time.
• Humidity incorrect, too high for the start of incubation or too low prior to hatching.
• Insufficient water in water trays or channels.
• Bad ventilation – keep the vents open.
• Infection or disease caused by a bad egg or dirty incubator that wasn’t properly cleaned and disinfected.

Tips To Make Sure Eggs Hatch Every Time

• Choose incubation eggs carefully.
• Avoid incubating eggs that have thin or porous shells. Check carefully for cracks in eggs. Sometimes they are hairline and hard to see.
• If keeping eggs prior to incubation then store in the correct conditions and position.
• Turn eggs regularly prior to and during incubation (no egg turning in final three days of incubation). /li>
• Make sure eggs are stored and placed in the incubator with the small end facing down.
• Regularly check the temperature in the incubator.
• Try to maintain the correct temperature in the incubator at all times. Check it every couple hours if possible.
• Regularly check the humidity in the incubator.
• Try to maintain the correct humidity levels in the incubator at all time. Check it every couple hours if possible.
• Note that the required temperature and humidity levels are not the same throughout the whole of the incubation period.
• A wet bulb thermometer may be a good purchase to help accurately measure the humidity and temperature levels in the incubator. Check your hygrometer to make sure it is accurate.
• Check that the incubator is working correctly and has a constant temperature throughout the whole of the incubator. Do this before adding eggs and run at least 24 hours to make sure it stays consistent.
• Make sure that there is ventilation in the incubator and incubation room, but avoid drafts. A room with a thermostat is ideal.
• Check that breeding stock are healthy and free of infection and disease.
• Ensure that the incubator is thoroughly cleaned and disinfected prior to every use.

If you have any additional tips on hatching eggs, please leave them in a comment below.

UPDATE:   Just posted pictures of this Chickenstock over on our Facebook Page.  What a fun event!

The fall WV Chickenstock is almost upon us. This is one of the last swaps of the year, so if you need some hens, a turkey, some Guineas or Peacocks, try to stop on by. This is a FREE Buy – Sell – Trade event and it is open to everyone.

All NPIP West Virginians are good to go! We’ll have 2 testers onsite to test birds at 7am for those of you who aren’t. (Thanks Tammy!) There is usually a small line, so come early if you need birds tested. Out of State folks must have all birds making the trip tested for (AI) Avian Influenza no more than 10 days prior to the swap. This is WV State Law. MD, VA and PA participators, please contact your local Ag. Dept. for further info.

We also ask that no one start selling before 8am. That way everyone can get set up and ready and no one gets offended when choice birds are gone already when they arrive promptly at 8am for that special RIR. BO or BLRW. We appreciate everyone’s cooperation on this!

If you plan on selling… get there early enough to get your birds tested and setup before things get started. If you plan on buying, come a little before 8am so you can look around and decide what to buy at 8am. Many vendors sold out in just a couple hours the last few events.

What’s going to be there?

This list will be updated up until the day of Chickenstock, so check back often.

Blue Laced Red Wyandottes
Splash BLRW
Turkeys ( Sweetgrass color of Tiger blk. wing bronze / Wishard bronze / Tiger blk. wing bronze / Spanish blk. / Royal Palms )
Marans (Blue Wheaten / Wheaten )
Easter Eggers
Blue Ameruacana
Olive egg layers
Guineas (several colors)
Pheasants
Button Quail
Coturnix Quail
Silkies
Rhode Island Reds
Buff Orphingtons
Russian Orloff Bantams
Light Brahmas
Millie Fleur d’Uccles
Bantam Cochin
Sussex
Sulkie
POL EE’s and mixes
Pet quality Silkie hens (we are really culling this fall- should have really good birds next spring!!)
One or two pq Silkie roos
Bantam cochin hens (maybe), and I think we have a young roo or 2 running around
POL Splash Marans (maybe)
2 pairs of Appenzeller Spitzhaubens
Some free roos
38 guineas for sale, just rare colors.
4 auburn java cockerels
2 silver laced wyandotte cockerels
3 wms(1r/2h)
One (1h) Blue Wheaten Marans
Trio of blue AMs LF pure
3 Wishard tom turkeys and a blk. turkey hen
A pheasant mixed I think dont know as I swapped eggs and got them. It is blk.
3 BLRW cockerels
May have one or two JG close to lay pullets for sale IF they DO NOT make SQ
Lavender Orpington roo 1 yr old
Golden Comets
Cochins
Oprhs
Buff leghorn
2 pairs of Production Reds – just starting to lay
2 Wheaten Ameraucana roos – from Peachick eggs
1 California White roo
Buff Orphington pullets
Pearl and Lavender Guinea – couple months old
Black Australorp pullets
Ameraucana chicks – 4 months old
Started Ameraucana chicks and Olive Egger chicks
2 pair Dominiques – 17 wks old
Guinea Fowl – couple weeks to several months old – several colors

Laying hens: 1 year old

Dominiques
RIR
Light Brahma
Welsummer

Several breeds of hatching eggs.
Eating eggs.
Goats
Baby Boer Goats
Bunnies
Honey

Waterers
Nipple waterers
Feeders
Coops and hoop houses
Cages
Beautiful show cages
Nests
Nesting boxes
5 gal. buckets

and much, much more.

Remember check back often and if you want your birds or items listed here you can contact us here or at…

chickenstock25401@gmail.com

or call Ronnie at (304)825-3076

You can find more info at the Poultry Barn.

Here’s a video of the spring Chickenstock. What a fun time it was. Don’t miss out, come on down.

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I have used Diatomaceous Earth for a while now. It has a tremendous capacity to absorb liquid as well as kill all the creepy, crawly buggies associated with chickens and poultry. This includes mites, lice, fleas… it even kills bed bugs! If you include it in their food, it also kills the parasites in their poo.

Kill those creepy, crawly bugs…

Diatomaceous (die-uh-toe-may-shus) Earth, isn’t really dirt and it’s not even colored like it. It is the broken up shells of diatoms, that lived ages ago and died in groups so massive that they can be mined now.

“DE”, as Diatomaceous Earth is abbreviated, can kill insects. It’s perfect for natural insect control. (Unfortunately, it kills good ones, like bees and ladybugs, too, so it’s use shouldn’t be indiscriminate.) It is 100% ecologically safe to the environment and non-poisonous to man and animal. In fact, if you’ve eaten anything made with flour (like Bisquick), you’ve eaten DE. It’s used in commercial grain storage as a means of natural, poison-free, insect control.

When bugs come into contact with Diatomaceous Earth it chews them up like a blender, cutting right through their tough outer shells, and makes them DEAD.

No, it is not harmful to people. There is talk that it is bad to breath into your lungs, but the people who work in the manufacture of Diatomaceous Earth don’t seem to be at higher risk than anyone else. Lots of other mines and production jobs have a much higher rate of illness. Some people even eat Diatomaceous Earth on a regular basis to keep parasites out of their bodies.

Keep those floors dry and smelling good.

I like it especially for keeping the floors and bedding dry and sweet smelling. As I said… whenever I clean the coops or stalls, a sprinkle of Diatomaceous Earth goes down before the new bedding is replaced. If a water bucket is spilled, I rake back the bedding and sprinkle it on the spill. Where ever the chickens poo a lot, like under the perches or in corners where young birds sleep, the bedding starts getting wet and smells of ammonia. Just give it a good sprinkle of Diatomaceous Earth or better yet, remove it frequently.

If you’ve ever seen a chick with swollen, red and infected eyes, it’s a good bet that it’s come into contact with ammonia in the bedding, and it’s eyes and even possibly it’s lungs have gotten burned. That’s one hurting little bird. When you go about your coop chores every day, just bend over and take a sniff now and then. If you smell ammonia, get out the DE and give it a sprinkle or replace the bedding. Keep that bedding dry and clean.Your chickens will love you for it.

Hope this info helps keep your coop clean and your chickens happy.

This is a great article on Diatomaceous Earth. CLICK HERE.

What To Do With Egg Shells…

Everyone has egg shells left over from cooking and hatching, and most egg shells end up in the trash or down the garbage disposal.

What A Waste!

Whole egg shells are not very good at getting composted either and most just end up in the bottom of your compost pile. Also, if you dump them in the compost you can attract some nasty varmints and buggies.

So what can you do with egg shells?

What I do… is put them on a baking sheet in the oven and bake them for about 5 minutes at around 350 degrees when I get a bunch of them collected. You could also microwave them on a paper plate for a couple minutes. Cooking them makes them easy to crush and they’ll almost crush into a powder. It’s amazing how much crushed shell you can get from just one dozen egg shells!

Cooking the shells also keeps the chickens from recognizing the taste and turning into egg eaters. Don’t want that, now do we? It also makes them less appealing to the compost pile prowlers.

Some people just put them in a blender with some water and  blend them up. I still like to cook mine a bit. Like I said previously… don’t want the chickens getting a taste for eggs or worse yet having something make a mess out of my compost pile.

I either feed them to my chickens, because it is a great, free source of calcium, or mix them with old coffee grounds and add it to my compost I use on my garden or for house plants.

Don’t Toss Out The Water!

The water you boil eggs in has a lot of residual calcium in it too. After it cools, use it to water your plants or use in your compost pile.

If you have acid soil, composting egg shells is a great idea, but egg shells are not ideal for alkaline soil as it adds more alkalinity to the soil. FYI, coffee grounds are good for both types of soil.

Egg shells also aerate the soil and help keep it loose. Crushed egg shells also deter slugs. They won’t crawl over anything sharp. So stop throwing out those egg shells. There is a use for everything!

This is my Mom’s recipe for Potato Salad and it’s much loved by everyone who ever tasted it. The recipe has been handed out many times. I’m putting it here so everyone can try it. Enjoy!

Grandma’s Potato Salad

5-6 cups sliced, cooked & cooled potatoes. (We prefer Russets.)

1 medium onion, chopped.

5-6 hard boiled eggs, cooled & coarsely chopped.

Dressing:

1/2 cup Kraft Real Mayonise

1/2 cup evaporated milk

1/2 cup sugar

1-2 teaspoons yellow mustard

salt and pepper to taste

Secret ingredient… about a tablespoon of SWEET PICKLE JUICE. Very important!!!

Mix all the ingredients for the dressing together well and refrigerate for at least an hour. It will thicken and the flavor will improve. If the dressing is too runny, add some more mayo.

THEN…

Mix the potatoes, onion and eggs together and pour dressing on top. Mix thoroughly, but gently. Mom always reserved a couple extra boiled eggs and sliced them on top of the salad to give it a nice look. Add a shake of pepper or paprika on top and return to refrigerator for a while, if you can stand to wait. All the flavors will blend and it will taste awesome. It’s even better the next day! Yummy!

PS: I always double or triple this recipe. You’ll see why.

Buy – Sell – Trade Anything and Everything Poultry at the West Virginia ChickenStock.

When: Saturday July 9, 2011 from 8:00am to 12:00 noon.
Where: 1208 North Mildred Street – Ranson, WV. 25438

This ChickenStock is hosted by area breeders of poultry. We are interested in coming together as a community and sharing this common interest we all have in our birds.

Anyone is welcome to purchase birds. If you wish to be a vendor, you are encouraged to come and participate. There are just a few rules we must all abide by.

*All birds must be tested and clean of pollorum/thyphoid or owner must be participating in the NPIP program.

*Out of state birds must be tested no more than 10 days prior to event for AI (avian influenza) This is WV sate law and helps prevent the spread of the disease.

*All birds brought to ChickenStock must be in good health and have no open wounds, respiratory illness or other sickness.

This is a FREE event and there is no charge to set up as a vendor.

There will be a tester on site Sat. morning. WV residents are permitted to use this service free of charge. If you are coming from out of state, please contact your local ag. dept. to see about testing your birds.

We are in no way affiliated with Gower’s Feed, but we do appreciate them letting us use their parking lot for our ChickenStock.

Chickenstock welcomes anything farm-related;

incubators, nesting boxes, coops, chickens, geese, quail, turkeys, goats, plants, produce, crafts, etc.

Things you may find at ChickenStock

Laying Hens
Show Quality Bantams
Waterfowl
Gamebirds
Chicks
Hatching Eggs
Coops
Nesting Boxes
Bunnies
Brooders
Incubators

List from the Breeders (subject to change.)

Welsummer – adult trios and pairs
Black Java – started pair
Buckeye – started pullets
Rosecomb – (adult birds and started birds)
Bantam Cochins – (adults and started birds)
Kittens
2 black Silkie roos
1 splash Silkie roo
1 single comb Silkie chick (how did that happen)
lav and split blk. Orphington chicks
Blue Laced Red Wyandotte roo and pullets – chicks hatched 6-2-10
2 blue Marans roos
Easter Eggers (Ameraucanas non-standard)
Silkies
blue/black/splash Marans
Wheaten Ameracauna
Exchequer Leghorn
white Phoenix
blue Sumatra
mottled d’Uccle
Wheaten Marans chicks
show quality Silkies
white racing homing pigeons
jumbo Coturnix quail
PEACHICKS!
many varieties of mini bunnies
cart coop w/ cedar siding and detachable run $800 http://designercoops.blogspot.com/2009/10/coop-designs.html
Barred Bantam Cochin trio.
5 birchen hens and 1 birchen roo (Bantam Cochins)
4 blue hens and 1 blue roo (Bantam Cochins)
buff and red Bantam Bochin hens. They are all just a year old.
Barred Rock pullets that will be a couple weeks old.
Black Copper Marans chicks
blue and white Silkie chicks
wooden show boxes
(21) 13 week old Guineas in pearl and lavender
bantam Dark Cornish (3 hens & 1 roo)
Black Japanese Bantams
Lavender d’Uccles
A brassy back blue Old English Game roo and a blue OEG hen.
A pair of blue Bantam Cochin
some crossed chicks and some Japanese, d’Uccle, and Silky chicks.
Maybe a black/blue Silky roo for a pet
One Buff Orphington 1 year old roo won at both the MD and VA November 2009 shows.
6 Buff Orphington 1 year old hens
1 year old Blue Orphington hens
Some Silkie roos that won at both the MD and VA November 2009 shows.
Champagne de Argent breeding rabbits
and mixed Rosecomb/Cochin chicks
5 month old Wheaten Marans roos and hens and hatching eggs
Silkie and Bantam Cochin chicks (a lot) as well as hatching eggs!
3 hole and 4 hole nesting boxes
3 Pygmy goats (1 male and 2 females) very friendly
Holland Lop and Lionhead rabbits
blue/black/splash Silkie chicks
blue/black/splash Bantam Cochin chicks
Silkie and bantam cochin hatching eggs
(50) brown egg laying pullets -chicks- $2.75 ea.
Marans hens
Cornish
Saipan Jungle Fowl
red golden Pheasant
California Valley Quail
Chukar Partridge
Barred Rock hens
Rhode Island Red hens
Call ducklings
1 and 2 hole nesting boxes for $10-$30
rabbit cages

Cochins were originally bred in China and later exported to Britain and America in the mid 19th century. As a very distinctive breed of chicken, it apparently created a bit of a craze among poultry lovers in the English-speaking world, effectively launching Poultry Fancy as we know it today.

Once in the United States, the breed underwent considerable development into its current state. Now many people raise the Bantam Cochin.

The most distinctive feature of the Cochin is the excessive plumage that covers the leg and foot. They are cute puff balls of feathers. The skin beneath the feathers is yellow and the egg color is brown. Eggs are medium in size.

Color varieties can include buff, red, black, partridge, blue, silver laced, mottled, splash, golden laced, white, barred and more. Cochins also come in a variety called frizzled, in which the feathers are turned outward.

Cochins are well known as good mothers, even as foster mothers for other breeds, and they can lay lots of eggs, but usually not for extended periods of time.

Cochins are also known to be good pet hens for the garden, as they are tame and regarded as one of the most friendly chicken breeds. Cochins are also quiet chickens. They rarely crow or cluck, usually only when laying eggs. We love our Cochins!

Photo of our Black Bantam Cochin, Phil.