Days old Silkie Chicks

[cluckincarole]

That's interesting. I'd love to see photos of your flock! I've never crossed any chickens before, so I'm really looking forward to seeing what the chicks turn out to be. I've got another clutch under a broody.

Sorry for hijacking your thread @cluckincarole

I'm actually wanting to cross a barred rock and a silkie. I love the barred pattern and I saw a cross on FB. Not sure if I would need to cross a barred rock roo to a silkie hen or the reverse to get the pattern but with silkie body/feathers? I have a barred rock roo and hens right now.

 

[Jeanw]

All these chickens are soooo cute

 

[Kiraeh]

Ok, I'll start a thread for my babies! I've been thinking about doing that, they're real sweet and the genetics are pretty interesting.

I'm actually wanting to cross a barred rock and a silkie. I love the barred pattern and I saw a cross on FB. Not sure if I would need to cross a barred rock roo to a silkie hen or the reverse to get the pattern but with silkie body/feathers? I have a barred rock roo and hens right now.

You need at least two generations for that. First cross your barred roo with silkie hens. You'll have barred offspring with normal feathers and one copy of the silkie feather gene. Then cross those chicks back to a silkie, or with each other. Crossed with a silkie, you should end up with 25% barred and silkie feathered, 25% other colour silkie feathered, 25% barred hard feathered, 25% other hard feathered. With each other... Still 25% I think, but with more barred offspring and fewer silkie feathered.

I think that's right, I've been wanting to make that cross too, so if I've got it wrong, someone tell me haha.

 

[cluckincarole]

Ok, I'll start a thread for my babies! I've been thinking about doing that, they're real sweet and the genetics are pretty interesting.



You need at least two generations for that. First cross your barred roo with silkie hens. You'll have barred offspring with normal feathers and one copy of the silkie feather gene. Then cross those chicks back to a silkie, or with each other. Crossed with a silkie, you should end up with 25% barred and silkie feathered, 25% other colour silkie feathered, 25% barred hard feathered, 25% other hard feathered. With each other... Still 25% I think, but with more barred offspring and fewer silkie feathered.

I think that's right, I've been wanting to make that cross too, so if I've got it wrong, someone tell me haha.

Wow! Thank you!!!!

 

[cluckincarole]

The prominent poof is a vaulted skull, which silkies can have sometimes. It may be a bit more full when it grows out, vaulted skulls are associated with better quality silkies, but it won't grow out any faster.
Yellow will grow out to white as they feather, grey will probably be blue or splash... I don't think silkies have the lavender gene.
Looks like you have buffs as well, if you had any little chipmunks they'd be partridge, my favourite colour for silkies.

I looked at some of the wing tips for the greys. They are speckled similar to the older one I posted. So I guess Splash?

 

[Kiraeh]

I'm not sure, I don't know if you can always ID blue vs splash until they've grown out a bit, all my chicks have been blue so I don't have firsthand experience.

 

[Kiraeh]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/polish-x-silkie-mutts-growing-out.1404351/
There they are.

 

[cluckincarole]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/polish-x-silkie-mutts-growing-out.1404351/
There they are.

Oh, those are some pretty and unique chickens. Love your flock!

 

[cluckincarole]

Here are a few of my babies meeting my 7/8 week old Silkies.

One of my buff babies now has black on it's wings. The other buff only has buff..... lol. Now I'm really curious what it will look like!

 

[Sammi_0411]

I have 4 three week old chicks dad was a silkie and mum could either be a pekin or serama 2 of them have 5 toes xxx go egga od my auntie and incubated them i am also new tothese breeds and bantums as my 4 older ones are big gals 2 black rocks and 2 cheshire blues xxx