What exactly is a Calico Silkie?

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A Calico as per what is commonly called Calico is the Grey with to much Automasol Red leaking thru. By a genetic standpoint, there is those who say that a true Calico can only be made with a Splash having Red.

There were a few for sale on BYC auctions, if you wanted to see some. There was a thread on Silkies of a Different color & Calico Silkies that had some pics as well.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=495414
 
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Broodello- There is the 'calico' that is gray with red leakage, and there is the 'calico' that is splash with red. I've seen both called calico. It will be interesting to see if this color goes anywhere.
 
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I have a gray with red leakage and was told to call it tortoiseshell
I've seen other pics of birds with coloring similar to him and they were calling it calico...
What do you breed him to if you don't have any grays?

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He's for sale too...btw
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I don't know, as I'm not working with them. I have a gray with red that is a really typey and TINY boy that also has lacing on his wings and lacing on his streamers. Funky, but pretty, bird. I had him at the Monroe, WA show as a sale bird hoping to find him a pet home, no go. He's gotta go.

I haven't seen a good female version of the gray/red yet. Possibly someone else has? Maybe Suze? To me it's an attractive off color, since it's not what I was breeding for. I have a cock that is SO SO typey and si gray but has red leakage. Tried breeding him to partridge and got the resulting boy.
 
Yes, I've asked several places about what exactly to do with him. Any suggestions would be helpful. He's very typey...but I don't have any grays. He's in with black pullets right now and I think he jumped on one of my buffs last month. I've hatched some odd colored chicks lately... the batch of eggs he was hatched from also produced a blue partridge pullet. Go figure!
 
The first person to use the term calico referencing silkie colouring was George Mihalik. He used that name to describe a splash with red splashes as well as the dark blue splashes. There is no genetic use of it in silkies as there is no specific gene for calico as I understand there is in other species such as cats.

I believe that indiscriminately breeding the greys with autosomal red has significantly damaged good lines of grey. Once autosomal red is present, it is VERY difficult to breed out. Finding greys (especially males) without red is very difficult.
 

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