Chocolate Silkie project? Help please.

[Liexicof15]

I posted this in another area, but I may get more help here.
I think the chocolate color is beautiful on birds and I love silkies, so I thought I would combine the two. Anyone know where to start? I heard they do it in Holland, but I can't find anything online. Any suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks!

 

[apc]

First question...Are you located in the U.S? I only ask because in different countries you would have different breeds to work with.
Some people here have been using polish with a similiar gene (not sure if it is technically true chocolate) there are few birds with the actual chocolate gene. I do know that seramas have it. Hatcherie label their oegbs as being chocolate, but they are actually dun/khaki. I believe sonoran-silkies is working on silkies of the chocolate variety, she should be able to pip in and be a better voice for this project

 

[Liexicof15]

I am in Florida. I saw one person was working on chocolate silkies, maybe he/she will give me some tips. I am lucky to live very close to Bobbi Porto, so lots of my new babies and eggs have been purchased directly from her. I just thought it would be fun to get into a totally new color, too.

 

[kingdr85]

The person I got my chicks from has one choc silkie and she is BEAUTIFUL but has a single comb. She has kept her because the color on her is so beautiful. She is in Mequon, WI.

 

[Liexicof15]

I'd love to know what to cross one with to get the chocolate gene started. what color silkies do I start with? hens or roos? what breed to cross with?

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Assuming that you cannot get a silkie who already has either dun or choc, cross to a chocolate serama to get choc, or to a chocolate or khaki polish or a fawn silver duckwing OEGB to get dun. Breed to the purest black silkie of excellent quality you can find.

If breeding for choc, if the silkie is the hen, then all the sons will be split for choc, and the daughters will be choc. If the silkie is the cock, the sons will be split for choc and the daughters will be black. Therefore better to use a silkie hen. So, take choc daughters and breed to the split sons. (You can use more than one silkie hen to increase genetic diversity. The F2s should give you half choc sons, half splits. The daughters should be 50/50 black & choc.

If breeding for dun, all the F1s should receive dun from the dun parent, regardless of gender. Breed the best back to excellent black silkies. Keep breeding the best duns back to black silkies for chocolate and to improve type, or to other chocolates to achieve khaki. If you use fawn silver duckwing, you will also have those variety characteristics to work on.

 

[Liexicof15]

I'd love to start with a chocolate silkie, but I can't find anyone that even has one, let alone one they want to sell. Thanks for the info Sonoran, it's exactly what I was looking for. Do you have any of your project silkies that need a new home? Let me know. And thanks again!

 

[featherbaby]

Does anyone have a picture of a Chocolate Silkie? I've never seen one and would love to see what you all are talking about.

 

[moondog425]

Quote:

 

[featherbaby]

Oh That's Toooooooo Funnnnyyyyy!!!!!!! Hahahahahahaha!