Silkie breeding, genetics & showing

[ChickNmamma]

That green hen is cool. Nice shape too. Wonder if there is some way to breed a green bird.. nah!

Are you going to do a Blue pen and a White pen? Or are you going to cross them once to see what is hiding under that white? You might have Partridge under there.. no telling what the White hides...

I do have one chick that looks cream colored though - I think I may call it Cream. I have a white chick I am going to call Ice.. if I cross them would I get ice cream?

Cream in front, Ice in back.

 

[aoxa]

That green hen is cool. Nice shape too. Wonder if there is some way to breed a green bird.. nah!

Are you going to do a Blue pen and a White pen? Or are you going to cross them once to see what is hiding under that white? You might have Partridge under there.. no telling what the White hides...

I do have one chick that looks cream colored though - I think I may call it Cream. I have a white chick I am going to call Ice.. if I cross them would I get ice cream?

Cream in front, Ice in back.

There was a buff in with the whites, which is why I have not separated them. They are already all crazy colours. Once the barn is built I will for sure be separating. I want to keep the whites and the blues apart.

 

[farmer boy]

You did reply.. so it worked.

You are doing cross color breedings, some people don't like that. The thing is, there have been so many done in the past, and will be done in the future - and Silkied feathers do not show patterns well - that you will always have some uncertainty as to what you will get. Early on in this thread there was a lady breeding for blues - but her blue chicks looked like Partridges. They all grew up into really nice blues. They are still partridge based, and when crossed with a rooster carrying Partridge they would get full Partridge children. Its really confusing when you cross two Blue birds and you get Partridge - but that has happened. I have one Blue girl who carries partridge, and one Blue who does not.

The hens may have stopped laying because you changed something. When I move chickens sometimes they quit for a week or two - chickens don't like change.

i moved my black hen like 15 feet from where she use to sleep thats it lol ... i like cross color breeding because i like surprises out of each egg ... i want to try to get a blue rooster to because i would love to get splash and its blue blue to get splash right my friend told me thats how you get splash .. this stuff is confusing lol i am gonna need some time to remember all of this lol

 

[ChickNmamma]

Quote:
Yes, if you want to raise Whites and Blues I wouldn't hatch anything until you get them separated and clean. Green is a crazy colour.

Almost too bad that wouldn't stay.

Your Whites should stay White bred together, no matter what is under there, but if the Blues are mixed bases you never know what you will get...

At least they all look decent for body shape and carriage. Good foundation.

 

[ChickNmamma]

Quote:
Your friend is correct, Blue x Blue = 50% Blue, 25% Black and 25% Splash.

15 feet from where she used to sleep? So she can't go back to where she used to sleep or lay? That is enough to upset the rhythm.. so give her a bit to get used to the new place.

Just keep reading this thread and making notes, you will get it!

 

[aoxa]

Yes, if you want to raise Whites and Blues I wouldn't hatch anything until you get them separated and clean. Green is a crazy colour.

Almost too bad that wouldn't stay.

Your Whites should stay White bred together, no matter what is under there, but if the Blues are mixed bases you never know what you will get...

At least they all look decent for body shape and carriage. Good foundation.

and they will only look better once they molt their clipped feathers.



Here is one of the pullets from the same line last spring. He still had her in the ones I picked from, and I do believe I may have her..but with all the clipping he did, it's hard to tell for sure.. He sells off his breeders after every breeding season, so he only shows young pullets. He hatches his own in January & February for the season, and March and April (and May) he hatches his pet silkies for sale. He uses a colourful male (like a buff with a smutty tail) to make other people happy. There is such a demand for silkie chicks here, it's ridiculous.

I had my pick of all of his breeders. He told me I did get the best white male he had, and I asked him to tell me which white female was the best, and I took her as well. I haven't got a picture of her yet. She was laying when I was taking these shots.

 

[farmer boy]

Your friend is correct, Blue x Blue = 50% Blue, 25% Black and 25% Splash.

15 feet from where she used to sleep? So she can't go back to where she used to sleep or lay? That is enough to upset the rhythm.. so give her a bit to get used to the new place.

Just keep reading this thread and making notes, you will get it!

i have her and her mate well the rooster that i want to mate her (they grew up with each other from chicks but he wont mate her i don't know why i cut some of his beard and crest so he can see better but i don't know if it worked or not ... ya 15 feet she was in the barn with all of my flock but i have fox pens 8x4 but its split down the middle so its 4x4 so she is right beside the barn so it would be around 15 feet going through the wall ... i put her in there a while ago so i have to wait more i guess lol

 

[ChickNmamma]

and they will only look better once they molt their clipped feathers.



Here is one of the pullets from the same line last spring. He still had her in the ones I picked from, and I do believe I may have her..but with all the clipping he did, it's hard to tell for sure.. He sells off his breeders after every breeding season, so he only shows young pullets. He hatches his own in January & February for the season, and March and April (and May) he hatches his pet silkies for sale. He uses a colourful male (like a buff with a smutty tail) to make other people happy. There is such a demand for silkie chicks here, it's ridiculous.

I had my pick of all of his breeders. He told me I did get the best white male he had, and I asked him to tell me which white female was the best, and I took her as well. I haven't got a picture of her yet. She was laying when I was taking these shots.

Wow - that one really looks nice I hope you did get her.

So he uses the Smutty Buff to make colorful birds for pets - but with that conformation and stance those can still be really nice birds. I am sure he has no problems selling his "pet" ones. Did he dye the girl for Easter? It sounds like he likes to play with them, but he is serious enough to come up with some very nice looking birds.

I am now remembering you said you had trouble getting Silkies up in Canada. Looks like you came up with a really great start.

 

[aoxa]

Wow - that one really looks nice I hope you did get her.

So he uses the Smutty Buff to make colorful birds for pets - but with that conformation and stance those can still be really nice birds. I am sure he has no problems selling his "pet" ones. Did he dye the girl for Easter? It sounds like he likes to play with them, but he is serious enough to come up with some very nice looking birds.

I am now remembering you said you had trouble getting Silkies up in Canada. Looks like you came up with a really great start.

He has no problems at all. People line up for even his pet birds. Yes he dyed the green girl for his daughter on Easter. Not sure if he did, or his wife did, but they did it for the kids.

It is hard to get good quality silkies here. No one ships. Jamie has some of the nicest whites around. I just always wanted a flock of colourful birds, like buff and partridge. Unfortunately I can not find either. There are some buff in BC, but that's as far away from me as Florida. I was in contact with Heather Hayes, but still haven't heard a definite answer if I will get any or not. I was so looking forward to it.

 

[delisha]

Justine,
I thought I would never see the day you go white birds..you might have to keep them dyed

They have really nice form. I am so delighted you have some silkies.