Black silkies

[Naliez]

Well, black is black and blue is blue
Sometimes they can be very difficult to tell apart. If you part the feathers and notice they look more grey (blue) next to the skin, that would be blue. Black feathers will be all black. That method doesn't always work though. In that case, the only way to be sure is to breed. I like to breed my suspected dark blues to splash. If they are, in fact, blue, the resulting chicks will be blue and splash. If the suspect is black, the resulting chicks will all be blue. You can use a blue for the test breeding as well. Blue x splash= blue, black and splash babies. Blue x black= blue and black babies.

I hope that helps

Are there any comparison pictures of the difference in blue/black feathers close to the skin?

 

[silkiefluff]

Does anyone have any photos of blue and black chicks next to each other for comparison? I find it hard to tell in photos if they are dark blue or true black chicks.

 

[weegarden]

Is silver leakage just as bad as gold leakage on a black or blue silkie?

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Yes. Since both colors should be clean according to the SOP, any leakage is bad.

 

[weegarden]

Ok, I'm holding back tears of frustration because I waited for years to get a black male silkie. The lady who sold the black male with silver leakage (and who does quite well showing) told me that the silver was acceptable for showing, and that it would throw very nice blue chicks.

I tried to find the correct answers to verify what she said, but was using the term penciling instead of leakage, which yielded no correct answers. I have invested so much time into this, and had figured that what I thought was penciling, would take points off, but had no idea it was a DQ.

I feel like a fool. I hate to think this person did this on purpose to throw me off, because I had a best of show silkie in the next town over last year. I would like to give her the benefit of the doubt, but she did sell a 4-toed silkie to a beginning 4-Her last year, telling her that it was show quality. It was the little girl's first year and she got DQ'd.

I definitely learned something. I spent all winter trying to raise these chicks, and should have known all along, that they would have leakage once mature, and they definitely do. There is one hen that does not, but I'm assuming that she is a carrier as well, or that the leakage will come out later. How frustrating! These were supposed to be our fair chickens for this year. My kids will be so disappointed. And my best of show quality hen is NOT getting any younger.

Now, back to the drawing board. Where do I look to get a nice quality black male?

Thanks again for your help!

 

[Zgm12]

Ok, I'm holding back tears of frustration because I waited for years to get a black male silkie. The lady who sold the black male with silver leakage (and who does quite well showing) told me that the silver was acceptable for showing, and that it would throw very nice blue chicks.

I tried to find the correct answers to verify what she said, but was using the term penciling instead of leakage, which yielded no correct answers. I have invested so much time into this, and had figured that what I thought was penciling, would take points off, but had no idea it was a DQ. 

I feel like a fool. I hate to think this person did this on purpose to throw me off, because I had a best of show silkie in the next town over last year. I would like to give her the benefit of the doubt, but she did sell a 4-toed silkie to a beginning 4-Her last year, telling her that it was show quality. It was the little girl's first year and she got DQ'd.

I definitely learned something. I spent all winter trying to raise these chicks, and should have known all along, that they would have leakage once mature, and they definitely do. There is one hen that does not, but I'm assuming that she is a carrier as well, or that the leakage will come out later. How frustrating! These were supposed to be our fair chickens for this year. My kids will be so disappointed. And my best of show quality hen is NOT getting any younger.

Now, back to the drawing board.  Where do I look to get a nice quality black male?

Thanks again for your help!

       

I have a show quality silkie rooster for sale. He is a gorgeous black silkie with no leakage. Here is the link to my ad:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...breeder-quality-silkie-roosters#post_16723166
His brother, the blue silkie already got a home, but the black one still needs a good home.

 

[destiny_56085]

Ok, I'm holding back tears of frustration because I waited for years to get a black male silkie. The lady who sold the black male with silver leakage (and who does quite well showing) told me that the silver was acceptable for showing, and that it would throw very nice blue chicks.

I tried to find the correct answers to verify what she said, but was using the term penciling instead of leakage, which yielded no correct answers. I have invested so much time into this, and had figured that what I thought was penciling, would take points off, but had no idea it was a DQ.

I feel like a fool. I hate to think this person did this on purpose to throw me off, because I had a best of show silkie in the next town over last year. I would like to give her the benefit of the doubt, but she did sell a 4-toed silkie to a beginning 4-Her last year, telling her that it was show quality. It was the little girl's first year and she got DQ'd.

I definitely learned something. I spent all winter trying to raise these chicks, and should have known all along, that they would have leakage once mature, and they definitely do. There is one hen that does not, but I'm assuming that she is a carrier as well, or that the leakage will come out later. How frustrating! These were supposed to be our fair chickens for this year. My kids will be so disappointed. And my best of show quality hen is NOT getting any younger.

Now, back to the drawing board. Where do I look to get a nice quality black male?

Thanks again for your help!

Leakage in a cockerel is a disqualification. It happens in almost all blacks, and as breeders we just cull for it. At the end of the year we get those few good showable clear ones. Testosterone does play a role and over the years if you have older birds starting to show a tiny hint of leakage, its probably due to that. In an old cock for showing, its only a defect, not disqualification though. Its hard to say when raising just a few what birds will get this or not. Some start showing it at 3-4 months and others at another molt at about 8-10 months. Some birds don't show it til 3-5 years old. Last year I ended up with only a couple that showed it and this year I have seen 8-9 already. The problem with a lot of 'breeders' that are claiming show quality is that they have never been to a show and probably don't own a standard of perfection to even know what is a fault or not. They see a fluffy bird and think it should automatically win. A lot can hide under all those feathers. I may have an older black cockerel for sale that is clear yet. It was in my keeper pen, so won't be cheap though. I also have a lot of cheaper chicks and juveniles that I can't judge much other than toes yet.

 

[weegarden]

I have a show quality silkie rooster for sale. He is a gorgeous black silkie with no leakage. Here is the link to my ad:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1088201/friendly-show-breeder-quality-silkie-roosters#post_16723166
His brother, the blue silkie already got a home, but the black one still needs a good home.

How sweet of you to offer. I live in WI, so that would be quite a ways to ship. I sure appreciate your helpful offer.

 

[destiny_56085]

I'm just in Minnesota, the next state if you'd like to take a drive. Otherwise shipping is possible.

 

[weegarden]

Minnesota would be much more doable. After peeking at your website, it looks like it is about a 6 hour drive each way, so that is a ways to go. If it was summer, I would love to drive it. I am a teacher, so this is the super busy time of the year. I have never had mature chickens shipped before. But, I sure would be interested in an adult or a little one or ones. I don't know much about the logistics of shipping.