These fantastic birds need especial attention because their feathers are different from the ones that other chickens have. so, do all silkies have feathered feet ?
Do All Silkies Have Feathered Feet?
Show Silkies will have more feathers on their feet, but all healthy Silkies will have feathers on their feet, and five toes. The feathered feet is one characteristic that make them unique. Silkies sold without feathers may mean that the hatchery or breeders cared more about quantity over quality.
Whether you ’ ra considering buying some Silkies or precisely concern in knowing more about this breed, you need to understand the importance of their feet and how to care for them.
Let ’ s keep on read to learn more about these outstanding birds .
Do Silkies Have Feathers On Their Feet?
Show Silkies will have more feathers, but all healthy silkies will have feathers on their feet. Silkies are exceptionally looking chickens with downy feathers that make them look quite different from other breeds. The feathers don ’ t have barbs that make them stiff like other chickens, and therefore they look like small furred balls .
For the same reason, these birds are normally raised as pets since they ’ re cuddlesome, friendly, and easy to contain. many bird lovers say Silkies are easy to tame when you start young .
Silkies make excellent house pets and can be kept inside the house or in a cage. Since they can ’ metric ton fly, it ’ s not recommended to keep silkies outdoors as they ’ ra vulnerable and are vulnerable to predators .
Some regular chickens may pick on your Silkie, because their feathers are easier to pluck, since they have more of them. This can lead to bloody legs and more serious issues .
Silkies are smaller than other breeds of chickens and lay smaller eggs. They have strange physical features as they have blue earlobes and black skin, bones, and kernel .
They besides have five toes on each foot, compared to other chicken breeds with only four toes on every foot .
Why Do Silkies Have Feathered Feet?
A Silkie chicken with feathers on their feet means they were bred to standard, and may not have any genetic issues. No one in truth knows why these birds have feathered feet, but that is a separate of their unique characteristics .
That being said, feather footed chickens are prone to several foot problems, so it ’ second vital to know how to care for them .
How Can You Take Care of Silkies’ Feet?
due to the presence of an extra toe, paying attention to the feet of silkies is crucial. here are a few things you can do to make certain that silkies will have healthy and glad feet .
Trimming the Silkies Feathers
Trimming the feathers on the feet and toes is necessity. While the feathers make the silkies look limited, they trap the mud, coke, and crap, so they can affect the way a silkie walks and moves .
furthermore, the soil getting trapped into the feathers can cause infections that can make the chickens identical vomit .
Cleaning Their Feet
Although you need to clean silkie ’ mho feet, excessively much clean can make them feel uncomfortable. During the summer months, you might not need to clean the feathers on the feet or between the toes, adenine long as the chickens are kept in dry and cover areas .
Water baths are not necessary unless the bird has got extremely dirty. Silkies, like other breeds of chickens, love to take dust baths to keep their bodies and feet fairly .
If you need to wash the feet of your silkies, fill a bathtub with warm water and soak the feet. Keep the temperature around 95 degrees Fahrenheit to help soften any mire or dirty that can get trapped in the feathers or between the toes. Use a soft toothbrush to scrub the feet and wash .
Remove Dirt, Grime and Fecal Matter
Make sure that you ’ re cleaning the feet of faecal matter to protect your silkies. Parasites and microorganisms live in feces and will get into the body of your birds to cause serious diseases .
Trimming Your Silkies Nails
Silkies will frequently scratch their long nails to trim them down. however, if they can ’ t do that on their own, you might need to help them a little .
This is necessary, specially if you ’ ra keeping silkies indoors as pets, as they won ’ thymine have entree to dirt like early chickens that you ’ rhenium keeping in a cage.
Since their nails sit flat, you need to remove at least 25 % of the smash without coming near to the quick or blood supply .
If you cut this, your wimp will be in so much pain and won ’ t be able to walk properly. This can be a serious problem for silkies that can ’ t fly as they won ’ thymine be able to hide if there ’ s a marauder nearby .
The nail on the extra toe points up. It needs to be filed regularly with the other nails to make indisputable that the chickens are comfortable .
Make sure that all the wooden surfaces have been smoothed out and have no rough edges to protect the feet of your silkies .
Keep Their Bedding Clean and Dry
Change the bed in the cage if it gets wet in winter. Wet bedding can freeze and cause atrocious frostbites in your precious silkies. Frostbitten feet are extremely atrocious, and, in some cases, the bird should be put out .
Silkies are not that hard to keep alive, but need more attention than other breeds .
How to Deal with Mites and Lice?
If lepidote leg mites attack your silkies, you need to get rid of them angstrom soon as possible. These mites live under the scales on the feet and toes. The mites have a liveliness cycle that lasts about two weeks and is extremely unmanageable to get rid of .
You can give your silkies a discussion by soaking the feet in mineral or vegetable vegetable oil every two weeks. The oil coats the feet and toes and kills the mites .
It besides prevents newfangled infestation from finding its way to your precious birds. When ignored, these mites can cause a nasty ignition that puts your silkie through so much annoyance. Apply the like treatment if you notice bird louse on the feet of your silkies .
Use Vaseline to cover the feet and toes as it will help soften the scales and return the skin to its normal submit. Picking the scales can be painful and will cause a bunch of bleeding. It ’ randomness best to coat the scales with Vaseline every sidereal day or every early day until the scales have softened. It might take a few weeks or evening months .
You might besides need to inspect other birds as the bird louse and mites can travel from one dame to another. If the infection doesn ’ thyroxine go away, you need to go to the veterinarian so they can prescribe a topical medicine that will help get rid of the infestation. Follow the recommended dose to keep your silkies healthy .
How to Deal With Your Silkie’s Bumblefoot?
It ’ s a cruddy bacterial infection that affects silkies and other wimp breeds. Bumblefoot consists of a swell red cyst on the animal foot of your dame. In some cases, there might be brown or black scab on the bed of the foot .
Causes of Bumblefoot in Silkies
Bumblefoot infection is excruciating and can be fateful if left untreated, as the infection can travel improving to the rest of the body and finally kill your chicken. Bumblefoot infection happens when the skin on the foot is compromised for some cause. here are a few reasons that might compromise the peel .
- Sharp or rough edges in the coop, on perches, nesting boxes, or roosts.
- Damp and dirty coops and runs where bacteria can grow and infect your silkies.
- Poor diet and a vitamin deficiency.
- Being attacked by other chickens.
- Overgrown nails that were ignored by the owner.
These factors will allow the infectious bacteria to enter the bloodstream to create a painful vesicle. The infection will later affect the bones, causing much pain. In the end, the chicken will die .
Preventing bumblefoot infections is normally easier than dealing with a stream infection. regular inspections are necessary to make sure that your silkies ’ feet are healthy .
It can be a little challenge because silkies have long feathers that cover all their feet. however, it ’ sulfur all-important because the vesicle can grow and kill your boo if you ’ re not paying attention .
Make surely that all surfaces are splinter-free. The bed and litter should be kept dry and clean to protect your silkies from bacteria. sandpaper can be used rather of shavings in the cage and run because it doesn ’ t support bacteria ’ randomness growth like other types of litter and bedclothes .
Treating Bumblefoot in Silkies
Treating bumblefoot depends on the austereness of the condition. If your silkie has a newfangled infection, clean the foundation and drench it in Epsom salt to help soften the scab on the foot.
When there ’ s a vesicle, you need to clean it and flush it with saline solution to eliminate all the bacteria. Wrap the wreathe in aseptic dressings to keep it damp until the foot heals .
You can besides use a few drops of lavender oil to accelerate wound healing. If the infection has spread to the bones, the vet will prescribe antibiotics to treat the condition .
Wrap Up
Silkies have long feathers that cover all their bodies, including their feet. It ’ sulfur all-important to keep an eye on their feet, check them regularly, and keep them clean. Removing mud, coke, and scandal is critical to keep the feet in excellent stipulate .
