Breeding silkied Cochin bantams to the Standard

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Very interesting read I found today when looking around for chick down genetics (just trying to confirm a couple things for the project started on this thread). Definitely take a look at the comments as well if you can! Looks like the chicks I was told were birchen might actually be heterozygous for birchen and partridge, and a lot of the chicks that I thought were extended black are the ones that are birchen instead?

https://www.facebook.com/BlueHourPo...who-have-been-following-my-/2247788382021721/

Editing, huh, I thought that would embed, but apparently it won't If anyone can't access the post in that link for whatever reason, let me know and I'll see what I can do.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

First fertility check eggs for the year are set, due date Easter Sunday (well, at least in the U.S.)!

Fertility's looking good so far! I didn't do a thorough check, just a quick peek, but I saw a lot of early veining and a few embryos in them

 

[Turtle1626]

Fertility's looking good so far! I didn't do a thorough check, just a quick peek, but I saw a lot of early veining and a few embryos in them

View attachment 3771584

How long did you put these in?

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I took that picture last night, so they would have been in for 3 full days plus a few hours at that point.

 

[dheltzel]

Silkies in general are known to be a weak breed with common health problems, which has been my experience as well. But that does not mean I am saying all chickens with silkied feathering are like that. I know Silkies cannot fly well because of their feathers, how about the silkied Cochins?

Many of the best looking silkies are overly inbred to produce the most chicks to sell. I'm not saying every breeder of silkies is bad, but certain breeds attract the less than competent breeders.
I have only had silkied cochins for less than a year, but have not seen any weakness in them like I had in silkied ameraucanas when I was breeding them. I am going to work to make them as genetically diverse as possible, and improve their type with an outcross to some good lavender mottled cochins.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Day 7 candling revealed what I'd suspected from peeking this past week--all eggs except one are developing, so we're apparently already above 90% fertility in the blue pen

I'm getting eggs in the corner coop where the red band birds reside, but I'm pretty sure that they're coming from the pullet, who is a green bander but lives in the corner coop right now because she was hatched in there by Wash last year, and Coco, who I'm thinking will be a cull this year. I've noticed lately that Coco's holding her tail wry, and I don't remember if she's always done so nor can I think of any time she had any kind of injury that may have caused that, so I'd rather not risk that she might pass wry tail to her offspring and perpetuate the trait in that pen.

Many of the other green band and red band pullets are laying as well, but of course they're still mixed in with the pet flock where they've been growing out, so have been exposed to an OEGB rooster and two Silkie roosters this whole time.

So, this week, I think I'm going to really look over my birds again, even the younger ones, mark down the flaws and the good points, and make some final cuts for the year. Then I can get everyone rearranged into their breeding pens and let the girls clear out for a couple-few weeks so that I can really get hatching. Sure feels like hatching season snuck up on me this year!

I will likely be quite busy toward the end of the year with other things in life, so I'm setting my hatching goals low this year, a modest dozen and a half chicks or so per coop or around 50-60 chicks total just so that I have younger birds to keep working with and several to choose from at that.

 

[Lwilson1968]

Found this thread. Super interested in starting a pen of these unique birds. I currently raise silkies to the sop. Anyone selling eggs?

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I am not selling eggs yet, not sure if anyone else here is. However, I can send you links to a couple farms on Facebook that sell them if you'd like! No guarantees any of them will have eggs to sell right away, of course.

 

[Lwilson1968]

I am not selling eggs yet, not sure if anyone else here is. However, I can send you links to a couple farms on Facebook that sell them if you'd like! No guarantees any of them will have eggs to sell right away, of course.

Yes please!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Yes please!

Sent you a DM with the links!