Breeding mixed colors

[SilkiesRcool]

I have a flock of silkie chickens. I currently have a buff rooster with a black hen, buff, 2 partridge, and a buff partridge. I have hatched out chicks and have only gotten gray with buff leakage. I have purchased more silkies who are about old enough to mingle. I got one white rooster out of it so I’m going to use him to breed instead of the buff. What colors will i get? I have 2 black hens, partridge, white, splash, and a buff partridge. Thank you for the help

 

[SilkiesRcool]

When I bought the birds the Breeder also talked about the whites being gold based and silver based. What does this mean I know I got 2 gold and 1 silver though

 

[sylviethecochin]

White is hard to work with when crosbreeding silkies as silkie white is caused by a recessive gene that hides all other genetics the birds posses. All I can tell you is that, bred with a white hen, your roo's offspring will be white. Breed with any other colour, and unless you have a full colour genetic history of your bird, the results can be unpredictable.

As for the gold and silver based bit, your white birds are hiding either gold or silver under their white genetics. Depending on what their other genetics are, and on what you breed them with, that may show up in the second generation.

 

[SilkiesRcool]

Is there a reason my buff keeps making silver with the hens he’s with?

 

[sylviethecochin]

If your hens are silver-based, the chicks would be silver. Silver is mostly dominant to gold. (Actually, it's sexlinked, so technically your cockerel offspring would be lemon, and only your pullets would be truly silver, but it's usually really hard to tell lemon from silver, depending on the individual.

 

[SilkiesRcool]

So how do I know which hens are silver based

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

@The Moonshiner

 

[Nats Chickens]

You are so lucky having a splash and some partridge silkies! I have always wanted silkies but they don't really work that great in the egg laying industry. For my purebreds I plan to get some fertile Australorp eggs from a friend next time one of my girls goes broody. Will be following along to see what happens with your flock!
~Natalie

 

[SilkiesRcool]

Here’s how one of the gray chicks looks as of now.

 

[Rdgrant19]

If I breed anything with my black it will be black unless it’s bread with a paint correct??