Silkies - They’re simply SPECTACULAR!

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Indeed there is.. Shadow Captain is a calico silkie. This close up of his head shows the white, blue and red coloring to his feathers. He's a Calico Splash.View attachment 3252017

"Daddy, can I have a cookie, please?"

Oh yeah! So pretty!
N too cute!

 

[Chicks in VA]

Absolutely!!!

okie

 

[chickengr]

who would like me to post some pictures of bantam silkies on friday?

everyone I guess.

 

[LynnaePB]

WOW! Just WOW!
What an amazing project! So cool you got the birds and not just eggs. Will save you a whole generation timewise to see results. What are you calling this color? It needs a name. What do the rest of the flock look like? I am so excited for you!

Thank you! I'm not sure what to call the color. It reminds me of how pied looks in some birds and animals so I've been calling him him pied-like for now.

The others that are somewhat similar I've found pictures of are more on a black base or a more buff-red base so more black/white and red/white. Based on his offspring I think Pants is probably partridge based (eb). He also seems to be singly barred though you can't tell visually. He's had a fair number of barred offspring with non barred partners. If I'm lucky hopefully I'll be able to breed for the patchy-pied like white on multiple colors. The girls he has right now are a variety of colors so that should help.

They aren't very good pictures but here are the girls. I'll probably pick some of my nicest typed girls later on to pair with him too but for now I'm trying to be careful with biosecurity and will keep him and his girls separate from the main flock for the first couple months. I'd like trying to pair him with one of my mille split satin girls as well sometime. That might help answer a little sooner if his white is due to mottling of some sort.

who would like me to post some pictures of bantam silkies on friday?

Pictures sound lovely!

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Thank you! I'm not sure what to call the color. It reminds me of how pied looks in some birds and animals so I've been calling him him pied-like for now.

The others that are somewhat similar I've found pictures of are more on a black base or a more buff-red base so more black/white and red/white. Based on his offspring I think Pants is probably partridge based (eb). He also seems to be singly barred though you can't tell visually. He's had a fair number of barred offspring with non barred partners. If I'm lucky hopefully I'll be able to breed for the patchy-pied like white on multiple colors. The girls he has right now are a variety of colors so that should help.

They aren't very good pictures but here are the girls. I'll probably pick some of my nicest typed girls later on to pair with him too but for now I'm trying to be careful with biosecurity and will keep him and his girls separate from the main flock for the first couple months. I'd like trying to pair him with one of my mille split satin girls as well sometime. That might help answer a little sooner if his white is due to mottling of some sort.

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Pictures sound lovely!

Gorgeous. The black satin hen in the last photo is stunning!
The color on the rooster looks almost like a Merle pattern to me, like Australian shepherds.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Definition of Merle:
Incompletely dominant color pattern characterized by irregularly shaped patches of diluted pigment and solid color.
Never heard of it in chickens. Yours could be the first!

 

[Hinotori]

This is blue merle in dogs for those who haven't heard of it. It comes in red as well.

 

[LynnaePB]

Gorgeous. The black satin hen in the last photo is stunning!
The color on the rooster looks almost like a Merle pattern to me, like Australian shepherds.

I definitely see what you mean about the colored portion looking like Merle!

I'm crossing my fingers I get a few babies from the black satin, she probably has the nicest type of all the girls.

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

Got to love how well partridge blends in with the ground. 7 chicks with the 2 mamas. The silkie feathered one is an old lady and knows exactly what she's doing. Normal feathered one is molting. That's why she has some darker new feathers.
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looks so cool! Like a trick picture that colour would work as good camoflauge in case of predators on that ground

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

I'm so hanging out for chickies!! I see the boys doing their thing but no fertile eggs yet and I don't want to hatch pullet eggs untill a few months laying. I'll just have to try and be patient! I don't know why Biscuit isn't giving me fertile eggs from his hens just hope the cockerels can get the job done while Biscuit isn't looking