Buff orpington bantam+silkie rooster=????

[Golden the Bantam]

I have two Buff Orpington bantam hens and one silkie rooster together. when the chicks come, if they do, will they be a mix variety of Orpingtons and Silkies, or will they be Silkie Orpington cross? i guess some would be Orpingtons and some Silkies but I'm not sure. does anyone know?

 

[birds4me]

They will be a cross (each chick will be half silkie and half orpington) and take the dominate genes of both breeds. I have a bantam Polish & silkie cross (I call her a Polkie) She has black skin, 5 toes , feathered feet all from the silkie and the top hat from the polish. Her feathers are closer to being regular feathers, but are just a bit "fluffier" from the silkie.

I

my mutts. They seem to get the best of both genes and are very interesting to have around.

 

[Caliphe]

That's exciting and sounds super fun to have those two mixed! Please post pictures when the chicks come around!

 

[FMAFarms]

We were just talking about Silkie Orpingtons in the Chicken Whisperer's chat room yesterday! I brought it up because my husband was thinking of crossing a Buff Orp with a Silkie (a standard Buff Orp, not a bantam!). The comment was that these would be called Silkie Orpingtons... and then everyone said they wanted one.

Birds4me, could you post a pic of your Polkie? Hmmm. I've got our white-crested Polish in with the Silkies. Maybe I'll end up with Polkies too!

 

[birds4me]

Here is a picture of my "Polkie" Izzy. She is a hoot and until you really look at her feet, she looks like a black crested blue polish. In my opinion she is just beautiful! She hatched out in December 2010 under a broody buff orpington. She has not started to lay eggs, but should be any day now!

 

[TouchO'Lass]

I was wondering how that worked...

I would be most curious to see the outcome also!

Birds4me: Your Polkie is lovely! The hatchery I ordered from sub'd WCBPolish in my order, and I'm pretty sure they were straight run, so I may have a Polish roo. (WAY too soon to tell at 2 weeks...). Not sure I'll keep a roo because I really just wanted eggs, but this 'chickering' seems to be a very insidious addiction that has many other interesting side avenues!

 

[dolly85]

I've had some adorable orpington/silkie crosses!!!!

 

[Golden the Bantam]

Thanks for the info. i was reading an article in Backyard Poultry about raising chicks without Medication. It was talking about antibiotics and other medications, and I was wondering, do those come mixid in with food, like chick starter? i also read about the heat lamp and how you should adjust it so the temp lowers over time. i read that signs of to much heat was runny waste. last time i raised chicks i saw that. does anyone have a good heat lamp schedule? i am getting an order of chicks on the 25th so i will already have chicks when the buff silkies hatch. I cant decide wether to play it safe and put them under the lamp when they hatch, or let the mothers raise them. if i did that, i should make a small rectangular pen with no bottom. i could put the nest box in there and some food and water. it would be in the grass in my backyard. if i did that, the chicks might be cold at night, though.



I just found this in the coops section, i love it, what do you think?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=39717-how-to-build-a-brood-pen

And one more thing. I read that the hen lays the fertilized egg and it dries with a special coating or something so it is safe until the hen sits down to brood them. Won't it wear off when the hen sits down to lay another egg? this could make the eggs at risk of not developing because they aren't warm!?!?!?! if thats the case, i can put them under a hen that is already broody in my other coop.

 

[Goldenwahintofboss]

Here is a picture of my "Polkie" Izzy. She is a hoot and until you really look at her feet, she looks like a black crested blue polish. In my opinion she is just beautiful! She hatched out in December 2010 under a broody buff orpington. She has not started to lay eggs, but should be any day now!

Izzy has an afro!!! oh my stars. ijusty hatched a boy version, this is exciting. My black silkie rooster is gold laced. I'm sure he will be very cool! Gr8 pic!!!