breeding the self-blue gene

[silkieluver_07]

i have four lavender silkie chicks from ideal. what colors would i have to cross it with to keep the lavender color?
any help would be greatly appreciated

thanks,
hannah

 

[LilPeeps]

I've got lavender chicks from Ideal too, and I plan on breeding them with my blacks. f1 would be all black, with 100% carrying one copy of the lavender gene. For f2, if you were to breed the babies together, you would get 25% without the lavender gene (black), 50% with one copy of the lavender gene (black), and 25% carrying two copies of the lavender gene (lavender). If you were to breed the f1 babies back to the lavenders, you would get 50% lavender and 50% black (carrying one copy of the lavender gene).

I'm planning on seriously breeding the lavenders, hopefully getting them to look decent enough for show lol

Hope this helps!
Good luck

 

[silkieluver_07]

thanks lilpeeps. so should i breed them mostly to blacks? and would you breed a lavender roo with a black hen. or a black roo with a lavender hen? because i only have one black silkie, and she is a singlecombed hen. hmmm...guess i will have to order more blacks from ideal then?

 

[Shaffer]

silkieluver_07
I am curious, do the Lavender silkies from Ideal have muffs and beards? Thanks, HS

 

[Kanchii]

Lavender breeds true, doesn't it? So can't you just breed them together and get all lavender(self blue), unlike normal blue?

 

[wclawrence]

If the Lav. silkies are not lacking anything, then breed them together, but if they are lacking something, breed them to blacks that have it all, then cross all the F1s back to the Lav. and you will get half of the chicks Lavender.

Mainly you will probably have to breed for type.

 

[Kev]

"Lavender" is the lavender gene on a solid black chicken. If you want solid lavenders, then it is best to outcross only to solid blacks.

Lavender is a recessive which basically means it won't show up in the crossed progeny.. Lilpeeps described the mating perfectly. It doesn't matter what parent is what color as far as lavender is concerned- it works the same either way.

 

[silkieluver_07]

Ideal says that the chicks can be bearded or nonbearded.

I'm pretty sure "shes" bearded with muffs?

I'm pretty sure "hes" bearded with muffs?

I'm thinking that "hes" nonbearded without muffs?

Can you guys also help me and see if they look like pullets or roosters?


Thanks for all the help,
Hannah

 

[LilPeeps]

Looks like 2 bearded and one non-bearded. As far as gender goes, you'll have to wait until they're around 4-6 months old.

 

[Mrs MIA]

Or wait until 6 weeks when one starts crowing...

I have one white silkie that's crowing already. Bearded and non-bearded blacks, whites, and one blue/lavender? Would someone be willing to post a photo of a blue and a lavender? I only have the one, and no idea how to tell which it is. I was planning on keeping the white silkies separate from the blacks, but after reading this, it sounds like it might be fun to keep them all together to see how the genetics play out.