Chick color question

[mypetsrchickens]

I had a broody sitting on eggs that have just hatched. Possible mothers are red frizzle cochin, buff brahma (bantam), white silkie, splash silkie, silver sebright, golden sebright, or black tailed buff japanese bantam. The possible dads are a white cochin or a white silkie.
I've ended up with a solid black chick that as far as I can tell has five toes and black skin. Which indicates to me at least one parent has to be a silkie. I don't know if splash and white would make black but the issue there is, my splash silkie went broody way before the hen sitting on these eggs did. So I don't think it's even possible it could be her chick.
How in the world did I get a solid black chick that appears to have at least one white silkie parent? I don't understand color genetics at all so it may very well be possible and I'm just unaware.

 

[lilmillefleur]

Silkie white is a masking color, I think of it as just an 'on/off' kind of gene. Which means it could be hiding any number of other color/genes 'underneath' it. So it's most likely that your parent has the genes for black but the white overrides it, and in the cross the chick didn't inherit the gene for white.
I hope that was a bit helpful, let me know if you'd like me to elaborate any more

 

[mypetsrchickens]

Silkie white is a masking color, I think of it as just an 'on/off' kind of gene. Which means it could be hiding any number of other color/genes 'underneath' it. So it's most likely that your parent has the genes for black but the white overrides it, and in the cross the chick didn't inherit the gene for white.
I hope that was a bit helpful, let me know if you'd like me to elaborate any more

That makes sense. I knew white could hide other colors. I didn't think about the fact that the gene might not get passed on to the chick.
Also, the chick does have black skin but upon further inspection does not have 5 toes on either foot but does have feathers on its feet. However, my silkies are from a feed store and they have some messed up toes, 6 on one foot, 4 on the other, etc.

 

[lilmillefleur]

That makes sense. I knew white could hide other colors. I didn't think about the fact that the gene might not get passed on to the chick.
Also, the chick does have black skin but upon further inspection does not have 5 toes on either foot but does have feathers on its feet. However, my silkies are from a feed store and they have some messed up toes, 6 on one foot, 4 on the other, etc.

Not passing on the white gene is possible if the white silkies have mixed color heritage--ie their ancestors aren't all white, because then they could have only one copy of the gene for white. Which sounds pretty plausible considering your silkies don't seem to be of exceptional breeding.

 

[mypetsrchickens]

Not passing on the white gene is possible if the white silkies have mixed color heritage--ie their ancestors aren't all white, because then they could have only one copy of the gene for white. Which sounds pretty plausible considering your silkies don't seem to be of exceptional breeding.

Nope! lol! I have some that are better than others as far as typical silkie traits go. My rooster and my splash hen are nice looking silkies. My two white hens are the ones that aren't great as far as being good breeding stock.
I had never had silkies before until this past year. I've decided to sell all my other breeds, with the exception of my cochins and my brahma, and just have silkies. I really just keep chickens because I enjoy it. I don't have any breeding plans or anything. So them being great breeding stock doesn't really bother me.

 

[lilmillefleur]

Nope! lol! I have some that are better than others as far as typical silkie traits go. My rooster and my splash hen are nice looking silkies. My two white hens are the ones that aren't great as far as being good breeding stock.
I had never had silkies before until this past year. I've decided to sell all my other breeds, with the exception of my cochins and my brahma, and just have silkies. I really just keep chickens because I enjoy it. I don't have any breeding plans or anything. So them being great breeding stock doesn't really bother me.

Yeah, sometimes it's fun to just enjoy your oddities

 

[The Moonshiner]

A splash can not produce a black chick so its not her.
White silkies and white cochins are both recessive white.
You splash hen can't be the mother and your white silkie would produce white offspring with either rooster so she's not the mom.
You silkie rooster has to be the father.

 

[mypetsrchickens]

A splash can not produce a black chick so its not her.
White silkies and white cochins are both recessive white.
You splash hen can't be the mother and your white silkie would produce white offspring with either rooster so she's not the mom.
You silkie rooster has to be the father.

Nice. Thank you for that explanation.

 

[lilmillefleur]

A splash can not produce a black chick so its not her.
White silkies and white cochins are both recessive white.
You splash hen can't be the mother and your white silkie would produce white offspring with either rooster so she's not the mom.
You silkie rooster has to be the father.

I forgot white was recessive! So you're right, the white silkie isn't heterozygous

 

[L0rraine]

Nope! lol! I have some that are better than others as far as typical silkie traits go. My rooster and my splash hen are nice looking silkies. My two white hens are the ones that aren't great as far as being good breeding stock.
I had never had silkies before until this past year. I've decided to sell all my other breeds, with the exception of my cochins and my brahma, and just have silkies. I really just keep chickens because I enjoy it. I don't have any breeding plans or anything. So them being great breeding stock doesn't really bother me.

They are just so dang sweet - (though we have a California White hen ‘Holly Wood’ who is a star and LOVES hanging with her humans. You never know where she’ll show up. The grandkids..., “Nani! That white chicken is trying to shoot pool with us again ”)