Silkie thread! - Page 2236

I am noticing that some very nice roosters have smaller crests than hens.  Is this typical?  My partridge rooster has a very nice crest that is larger than my hens. Some thoughts on the crest sizing from roo in comparison to hen would be much appreciated.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adoravachick 

I am noticing that some very nice roosters have smaller crests than hens.  Is this typical?  My partridge rooster has a very nice crest that is larger than my hens. Some thoughts on the crest sizing from roo in comparison to hen would be much appreciated.

I would say it's definitely more common for a hen to have a large crest but a quality roo should have  good crest.

Here is the SOP for crest.

Crest: Male - medium size, soft and full. as upright as comb will permit, having a few silky feathers streaming gracefully backwards from lower and back part of crest. Female: medium size, soft and full, globular, upright, well balanced.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sonoran Silkies 

Mahogany and autosomal red can add red to the feathering, and/or a male can carry a copy of gold as well as one of silver.  IMO, the bird looks grey, but with added mahogany or autosomal red.  Blue MAY also be present; you would have to look at the "black" feathering and see if it looks diluted or not.

 

Blue partridge should have NO silver, only red/gold.

So males can carry both gold and silver?  WOW!  So this chick would likely be a boy??  

I have a Blue Partridge:  (or so I think!!)   (1 day old)

(2.5 months old)

that or it's a BBS genetic fluke?

Quote:

Originally Posted by peepblessed 

Your chick is grey (silver partridge) and will likely get a lot more autosomal red. Project color Tortoiseshell or possibly Calico. See picture a couple of pages back.

which would still be a male, right?  

I'm not genetic whiz, but since hens have only 1 color gene, is it even possible to produce a "Calico" girl?

Just asking.....LOL

It looks to me that this "C alico" color is really just a bad colored silver partridge or birchen with red leakage or autosomal red.

I have a "Silver Partridge" cockerel, that has red on his back, etc. so instead of culling him, should I try to make more & call it Calico?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hawkeye95 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sonoran Silkies 

Mahogany and autosomal red can add red to the feathering, and/or a male can carry a copy of gold as well as one of silver.  IMO, the bird looks grey, but with added mahogany or autosomal red.  Blue MAY also be present; you would have to look at the "black" feathering and see if it looks diluted or not.

 

Blue partridge should have NO silver, only red/gold.

So males can carry both gold and silver?  WOW!  So this chick would likely be a boy??  

 

I have a Blue Partridge:  (or so I think!!)   (1 day old)

 

(2.5 months old)

  

 

that or it's a BBS genetic fluke?

 

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by peepblessed 

Your chick is grey (silver partridge) and will likely get a lot more autosomal red. Project color Tortoiseshell or possibly Calico. See picture a couple of pages back.

which would still be a male, right?  

No.  autosomal red is just that: autosomal, pertaining equally to both genders.  It is not based upon the silver (gold) gene.  Likewise, mahogany is autosomal.

Quote:

Originally Posted by marquisella 

I'm not genetic whiz, but since hens have only 1 color gene, is it even possible to produce a "Calico" girl?

Just asking.....LOL

 

It looks to me that this "C alico" color is really just a bad colored silver partridge or birchen with red leakage or autosomal red.

 

I have a "Silver Partridge" cockerel, that has red on his back, etc. so instead of culling him, should I try to make more & call it Calico?

Well, your first statement is inaccurate.  ALL chickens carry MANY colour genes.  Specific to the silver/gold gene, and other sex-linked genes, yes, females carry only one copy.  However, I specifically mentioned autosomal red and mahogany, both of which are not sex-linked, so the girls carry two copies also.  And as dominant genes, even one copy would express.  However, what is typically called calico is a bird with red in the male pattern areas.  On a female the red would be predominantly on the breast: in the female colour zones.

And yes, most tortoise and calico tend to be DQ greys or splash.

Quote:

Originally Posted by blessedchick 

...you found them on the way to the grocery???? 

Actually he was on the other side of the road and I asked why are you crossing ? .