Showgirl Chickens Catching On Fast

Showgirl Chickens Catching On Fast LIVESTOCK Poultry 31-5-8 Lyn Dunsmuir of Bull Shoals Lake, Mo., and Brenda Gambill of Paradise, Texas are friends who are working to develop a new chicken breed called Showgirls. The birds are a cross between the Turken, which has a naked (featherless) neck, and the Silkie, which has fluffy, soft, fur-like feathers, dark colored skin, a head plume, and feathered legs. The women have been selectively breeding the birds since 2004 and, to date, have produced 13 generations and well over 1,000 Showgirls chicks between the two of them. They've interested many other breeders in the new breed. Dunsmuir recalls how she felt the first time she saw a Showgirl and became aware of the breed: "Wow, that's so ugly it's cute. It's something only a mother would love. I was in love instantly with them and just had to have one." Gambill says the goal is primarily to produce a Silkie-type bird with a naked neck. "We're working with several colors including white, buff, blue, splash, and black. Our next challenge is to create some lavender Showgirls, but first we have to get enough lavender Silkies to be able to cross over," she says. From their experience, the women say it's best to start the breeding process with a Turken hen and a Silkie rooster. They then keep breeding the offspring back to Silkies, rather than breeding Showgirl to Showgirl. The women call their roosters "Showgirl guys," although some people have suggested it would be more appropriate to rename the breed. "Someone made the remark to me that it's like the name ælady bugs,' seeing that there are male and female lady bugs. I think you just accept a name and flow with it," says Gambill. Dunsmuir and Gambill recently began entering poultry shows with the new breed. From the assortment they took to the Silkie National Show in Missouri last year, they were "very proud" to win Champion AOV (All Other Varieties). "Bren and I both feel we are still not quite ready for the breed to be accepted into the standard. We need more conscientious breeders to work on type and get a consistent hatch. We also need more breeders to show these birds at local shows so we can eventually petition the American Poultry Association and American Bantam Association to accept them in the standard," Dunsmuir says. "I'm leaning toward asking the American Silkie Club to help us sponsor them as a variety of Silkie, as we really do need to keep Silkies in the mix. Unfortunately, when we've bred Showgirl to Showgirl, we've come up with some pretty naked birds." This is the first season they feel they can offer quality-started chicks and adults for sale. Prices start at $50 each for pet quality birds, and go up for breeding or show quality birds. The broodiness of both Silkies and Showgirls means they sit faithfully on eggs and do a great job of hatching and raising chicks. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Brenda Gambill, Home of Cozy Silkies, Paradise, Texas (ph 817 228-0803 (cell); brenscozysilkies@thecozynest.com; www.paraguinparadise.netfirms.com; www.thecozynest.com;www.thecozynest.com;) or Lyn Dunsmuir, HCR 1, Box 1000, Pontiac, Mo. 65729 (ph 417 679-3908; lynscozysilkies@thecozynest.com; lynsalmostafarm.com).

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