Cuckoo Silkies?

Cuckoo is the barring gene without the fast feathering gene.  However, due to the nature of silkie feathers, I doubt you would se much difference between a bird with and one without fast feathering.  The barring gene also dilutes skin colour, so you will be fighting red combs and pale skin.  People have managed to darken up the skin and combs over multiple generations, but be forewarned that that is not an easy task.

Edited by Sonoran Silkies - 6/2/12 at 10:14am

Barring is incompletely dominant, so it will always show (unless completely hidden by something like recessive white).  One copy produces white bars (stripes) in the bird's feathers; two copies produces wider white stripes.  Yes, barring is sex-linked.  Lavender is closer to being perfected--it will hopefully be accepted this year.

Cuckoo is more of a challenge and not as developed as the Lavs. I'll try to get a photo of my Cuckoo male tomorrow and post it.

as said above, you'll be fighting red skin on them...

progress is being made my roo has mottled skin



here is a pullet
[img]http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/38899_100_0729.jpg[/imgI've recently upgraded his hens so I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of progress i'm making.
Lavs are very pretty

Is it just a matter of continuous breeding to try and get as far away from the red skin as possible? and do you breed them to black? the reason I am asking is because a friend just gave me a beautiful Cuckoo roo and I would like to try and breed them...

I'm also anxious to read a response to this, Timster. I have 2 cuckoos ~ 1 roo and one probably roo ~ and I'm thinking about a project pen as well. I have 7 black silkies that are only a month old, but thinking about how I would use them with the barred. ALSO hoping to use my barred silkies on my Showgirls...just need to know the best tactic!

 

Thank you all!

So, can someone tell me about white cuckoo silkies? The breeder I got my chicks from had one white cuckoo roo (to me he just looked like a white Silkie with a red comb and light skin). He was in her breeding pen with some females that were split to lavender (I think, she had alot going on there. I hope I'm remembering things correctly- I was excited). When I picked out my chicks, there was one lavender colored chick with some barring in the crest-no barring anywhere else that I've noticed yet but its only 4 weeks old. The chick has nice dark skin and legs, and mulberry colored wattles but its comb is bright red. I'm about to be on my way to work, but could take some pics of said chick when I get home. Can someone explain what white cuckoo is all about- has anyone even heard of this?