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I want to add that there are ALWAYS Exceptions to those color rules, depending on what genes are hidden. I mated black to blue and got partridge, and I also mated two blacks and got several whites. I just recently mated a blue to buff and I have what appears to be a splash as well as a bunch of blue birds with gold all over them.
Those I know who have bred blue to buff get all three colours (buff, blue and mixed) in the F1 pairing. If you got splash, then the buff already carried blue. The original cross of buff to blue (of which I am aware, others may have crossed them before that) was made to improve blue.
Breeding to blue does not alter the evenness (or lack thereof) of the buff colouring--it affects the black pigment, having little affect on the red. Whether or not it is useful depends on the quality of the buff you have to start with. If you need to improve the evenness of buff colour, then you need to select for evenness, and away from autosomal red, which is what causes red shoulders on males. The buff birds are much nicer looking when their colouring is even.
Two birds of any colour can have white offspring if they each carry a copy of recessive white. Since all silkies were originally white, it is quite possible for it to pop up unexpectedly, even many generations later. If it does, you have the advantage with that bird of knowing the hidden genes.
I want to add that there are ALWAYS Exceptions to those color rules, depending on what genes are hidden. I mated black to blue and got partridge, and I also mated two blacks and got several whites. I just recently mated a blue to buff and I have what appears to be a splash as well as a bunch of blue birds with gold all over them.
Those I know who have bred blue to buff get all three colours (buff, blue and mixed) in the F1 pairing. If you got splash, then the buff already carried blue. The original cross of buff to blue (of which I am aware, others may have crossed them before that) was made to improve blue.
Breeding to blue does not alter the evenness (or lack thereof) of the buff colouring--it affects the black pigment, having little affect on the red. Whether or not it is useful depends on the quality of the buff you have to start with. If you need to improve the evenness of buff colour, then you need to select for evenness, and away from autosomal red, which is what causes red shoulders on males. The buff birds are much nicer looking when their colouring is even.
Two birds of any colour can have white offspring if they each carry a copy of recessive white. Since all silkies were originally white, it is quite possible for it to pop up unexpectedly, even many generations later. If it does, you have the advantage with that bird of knowing the hidden genes.
