Black silkies

[robin416]

I don't really want to stick my neck out here because you really can't guarantee what you'll get. When I did it I got black chicks. That was a white male with a black hen.

 

[SilkieCRZYness]

And a black male over white girls? How about the offspring from each cross, will their offspring be the color they? Thanks

 

[robin416]

Quote:
I won't go there. I had to answer the recessive/dom question other wise I never would have done it in the first place.

 

[SilkieCRZYness]

Ok, is this some big secret that some special silkie genetics club wants confidential? Isnt this forum a place for learning, asking and telling? My bad!!!!

 

[jimnjay]

Since Black is Dominant, bred to a Recessive White you should get black no matter what which bird is black or white. The Problem with that cross is, White can carry many different colors under it. White Covers, does not dilute. Once you cross all sort of other color combinations are possible since White is at this point in time the better type bird, Breeders use white to improve the type on other varieties. It is not a secret at all just a crap shoot, unless you know for sure what your White bird carries. If you have approx 12 generations of Recessive White to Recessive White and nothing else pops up, you have a good chance that your bird is pure White. At least that is how I read the Silkie Book by Sigrid Van Dort, an expert breeder of Silkies.

I know of people who have gotten Gray birds from a Black and White cross. Basically, any number of colors or combinations are possible when using a recessive white with anyother color. It is almost impossible know the exact "soup broth" those birds came from in spite of the color they display.

 

[SilkieCRZYness]

Thank you for the response. That helps A LOT!

 

[ultasol]

ROFL! No, no crazy secret. Sheesh.

It comes down to this- without knowing exactly what the genetic background of your white is, there isn't a good way to predict the outcome. If I had an accurate crystal ball, I'd be sure to share. Robin wasn't trying to hide anything, she was telling you about her experience with her white.

I have both dominant and recessive white. My white chicks, depending on parents, hatch out silver (look splash, are silver gene white), pale gold, or white. All feather in white. If your white is masking something else, like partridge, who knows what you'll get. The genotype (what is actually there genetically) is not always the same as the phenotype (what you see) therefore you can't predict what a black LOOKING chicken crossed with a white LOOKING chicken will produce without knowing the genotype.

Hope this helps.

 

[robin416]

Jaynie, you just reminded me of one thing that happened years ago. I got a gray and a partridge out of my white to white breedings.

SilkieCRZYness, this does not answer you question because there is no one answer. Like Jaynie said, its hard to know what is lurking under the white.

 

[ultasol]

Robin,.... I know of at least two others who have had partridge pop up in white to white breedings. Who knows what lurks under the surface!

 

[SilkieCRZYness]

No, my question was answered.... You really don't know what will pop out, and the explanations of the genetic makeup of each colour is very helpful, much more helpful than, "I don't want to go there" like "there" is secretive.