Genetics discussion about this silkie cockerel...thanks for your input

[Three Cedars Silkies]

I've changed the title to elicit more responses. I'm not very good at giving thread titles so they draw responses...

Thank you for your indulgence this time, I'll try to be more creative next thread!!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
Actually, he does NOT look birchen. The birchen pattern consists of more than silver hackles in males. Note these photos from feathersite:

Birchen requires silver in the head, saddle and shoulders as well. Also, the male breast is laced with silver--ideally only near the top--too far down the breast is undesired (I have a friend who breeds brown reds and birchen modern games). Females show colour on the head, hackles and breast.

Genetically, birchen is the birchen e-allele: E^R. Birds with gold are called brown red, those who are silver are called birchen, those with blue and gold are called lemon blue, those with blue and silver are called silver blues.

Colour showing in the hackles of an otherwise solid coloured bird indicate insufficient melanizers, which will be inherited by offspring. No use mating this bird with another solid bird unless you want many seasons trying to remove hackle colour. If you breed to a grey hen with very good pattern and colouring he might be useful--type and other silkie traits appear to be very nice.

Kev is right on the money in his response.

ALL chickens carry gold or silver--they are two alleles for the same gene. All chickens carry lavender or not-lavender, they are the alleles for a different gene than silver/gold. There is no linkage between these two genes.

A cock can be any of
S/S Lav+/Lav+
S/s+ Lav+/Lav+
s+/s+ Lav+/Lav+

S/S Lav+/lav
S/s+ Lav+/lav
s+/s+ Lav+/lav

S/S lav/lav
S/s+ lav/lav
s+/s+ lav/lav

A hen can be any of
S/- Lav+/Lav+
s+/- Lav+/Lav+

S/- Lav+/lav
s+/- Lav+/lav

S/- lav/lav
s+/- lav/lav

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Thank you.

Yes, I knew better about birchen...don't know why I said that.

I was actually thinking about the brahma pattern. I don't have any gray birds so I suppose I will have to sell him.

Appreciate your responses....

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Any partridges? They are the same as grey, but with gold, not silver.

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

I have one youngster that you said was a grey pullet but I'm not convinced of his/her sex yet.

. I'm certainly hoping pullet but it sure does a LOT of chest bumping and play fighting with it's playmate who I think is a cockerel. Maybe I'll hold on to both of them until I know for sure. I'm not a partridge fan in silkies.

 

[silkieluver_07]

I'm not a partridge fan in silkies.

But their sooo cute!

Anywho, that boy is gorgeous! You really should get some greys to pair with him!

 

[AHappychick]

why not breed back to lavender?

 

[THough1956]

What is not to like, I don't understand!

Quote:
But their sooo cute!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/6136_036.jpg

Anywho, that boy is gorgeous! You really should get some greys to pair with him!

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Quote:
Yeah...that would be my dream!! I've not been able to find any lavender pullets with decent type. Actually, I did see one on eggbid, but just couldn't go the $200.00!!

I was able to get these split lavender eggs from which I hatched this boy...and the baby in the picture above. So one has silver hackles and the other is grey! I'm batting 1000

So out of about a 18 split lavender eggs, I got 2 birds

I find silkies extremely hard to hatch in an incubator. I gave 4 eggs to a broody hen and she had a 100% hatch...of course!!

BTW...silkieluvr...THAT is a great looking partridge silkie. I guess I've seen pics of some really bad ones...

 

[allaboutdemchicks]

Speaking of breeding with a Gray....

I've been looking for a roo to pair with this Chinchilla Gray hen. (And her near identical sister) Would that roo and this hen make a good pairing for breeding...geneticly speaking??

(SAME HEN, DIFFERENT POSES)



One thing that I think she needs improving on would be the contrast between the color of the head and that of the neck. Would he do anything to improve that problem?