White crested black silkies? Can it be done?

[PrairieChickens]

The diverse genetic possibilities of chickens fascinates me, but I don't know as much about it as I would like. I have an inquiry that more educated minds might be able to shed some light on regarding the possibility of producing white crested black silkies.

I have a white crested black Polish pullet who is not getting on at all with the other Polish. I'm sure I could force the issue and integrate her successfully, but she's adopted herself into the silkie flock where she seems to exist quite happily. This got me to wondering--if I crossed her with a silkie rooster, and then carefully bred for silkie traits over the next several generations, could I retain the white-crested black coloring with the silkie feathering? Does anyone have any ideas?

 

[sourland]

This is something that I have always wondered about. It would make for a very striking silky.

 

[PrairieChickens]

Well then, I suppose I have to try. XD

 

[sourland]

Drop me a PM when you have a true breeding flock - I will buy a trio.

 

[PrairieChickens]

lol I will try to remember.

 

[PrairieChickens]

My polish hen has just started to lay! I have put one of her eggs in my incubator to see what develops. I haven't seen her in the "act" with the silkie roosters yet, but they're the only roos in with her, so if it's fertilized, it's going to be one of theirs. I am starting with just one of her eggs right now because I'm testing out a new incubator, and I don't want to invest too much into it in its first run. I will be able to utilize my big incubator in a couple of weeks, after the brood that's in it hatches.

 

[Sunshine0235]

Imagine it as a showgirl

 

[PrairieChickens]

The first polish egg quit early, but I've put several more in. The only problem is, out of necessity, I had to put another white layer in with her--a golden campine who escapes any other structure I put her in--so I'm not sure which white eggs are polish and which are campines. I should be able to figure it out when they hatch. lol

 

[izziebean]

I have a white crested black frizzle polish bantam that has been mated with my splash silkie roo. I'm going to try to breed them out too. Will posted update in the next couple of months. I would love a poofy headed silkie.

 

[PrairieChickens]

Alright, hatched out several polish/silkie crosses, a fox got some, but I do have two females and one male still. I will probably put the girls in with a silkie rooster to breed back in more of the silkie traits. So far, the girls are solid black with no sign of a white crest, and the male has some red leakage in his feathering that I'm not sure where it came from. I read once that "white" birds can hide the genetics for a host of other colors and patterns that only become apparent when the white bird is crossed with a non-white bird. I figure that's where my male got his sparks of red.

Here is one of my juvenile pullets.