Are Splash silkies harder to raise?

The Ranch Girl

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Jun 27, 2022
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I have a question, I’ve thought a lot about this.
My tiny little family of silkies have always been what I had. Just 3, two roos and a hen. Yes yes I know, a bad mixture. But between them and my frizzle flock (4 hens and one roo) everything works out fine.
Recently I’ve dove into genetics (silkie especially) because I’ve been trying to start a bantam business.
And apparently breeding two silkies together you get a 50% chance of hatching full blue silkies, 25% chance black, and 25% chance splash.
So I’ve separated her (my blue silkie) with my blue roo. And have been hatching their eggs.
We’ve had lots of blues hatch and only 2 splashes.
Now the first splash hatched but it had and abnormal bubble on its neck. Which I promptly posted in the forums but it passed away the next day. And yesterday I had one that was zipped all the way around and all it had to do was push out. Then 20 min later I checked on it and it was dead. Are splash silkies harder to hatch?? I really want to have some to raise and keep as my own and then sell their babies. Any tips on how to hatch them properly?
 
I can think of no reason that variety (plumage color) would have any impact on hatchability or survivability.
Frizzles on the other hand have poor survivability if both parents have the gene.
 
i used to raise silkies, i loved them. splash is almost everyone's favorite color, but alot breed splash x splash and you get dilute splashes that way :(
i didnt have any difference in survival rate on colors. i bred away from vaulted heads as i think its terrible.

i also have silverudds blue, they are also blue, black and splash. I have a splash rooster over blue and black hens and a blue rooster that is with them. I think i hatched 3 splashes so far and mostly blues and a handful of blacks. I free range though and the splash hens dont seem to last long, they get caught by predators. never had one get a blue or black. dont know if it was luck or the bird wasnt paying attention.

did you not hatch her eggs for awhile after separating? what is the color of your other roo?
if your into more show quailty/breeder quality bobbi porter at indigo eggs has lovely birds!
 

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