New to breeding, any help is appreciated!!

[chicksplus6]

Good morning!

I am just about to start breeding my silkies, yay! I have done a lot of research but I would love to get some advise/opinions from my new friends here I am trying to decide what is the best way to sort my pens. I have roos and hens of the following colors: Splash, White, Black, Blue, and Partridge. What is the best color combination? I will have a total of 4 pens. Also, how many roos to hens do you think is the right number? Thank you in advance for all of you help...any other suggestions on breeding silkies is also greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

[rainbowrooster]

The best combination depends on the results you want to have. Color gentetics works the same for silkies as other chickens. For example black, blue, and splash can all be in the same pen and you will get more of the same since blue and splash are just diluted black. Black over partridge will make more black. Do you want to keep the colors pure?

 

[chicksplus6]

Thank you for responding! Im not sure, what is the benefit to keeping the colors pure versus not..by this do you mean breeding the same colors todether? Right now I will be just breeding for pet quality (I think thats the right term)...not looking for show quality yet since Im just starting. Also how many roos do you recommend with how many hens. Thx!

 

[rainbowrooster]

Keeping the colors "pure" in no way indicates that the birds are of exhibition quality. Your birds may only be "pet" quality now. There is no shame in that since the vast majority of birds are just that. There are few birds (and people) that will ever win a beauty contest.

The greatest advantage to keeping the colors segregated is that when you start selling them they will appeal a broader range of people. If you mix the colors then your only potential buyers are those that don't care about that "stuff". If you keep the colors separated then you can honestly sell to those people that want specific colors or for the folks that just want a rainbow of colors you can sell them a few birds of each color.

There is no magic ratio of roosters to hens. Some roosters can handle a dozen or more hens and some cant. You can judge by the fertility of the eggs.