Getting Started With Silkies! Some questions.....

[americanchicks]

Hey all,
I was given a free Silkie a while back. Was going to re-sell him but the little guy has grown on me. He is so friendly and he loves me. Has been courting me its so funny. Today he was taking food out of his bowl, placing it on the ground and clucking for me to eat it. I need to get him a few girls. As well as my 8 year old daughter wants to raise some chicks of her own and siklies seem like a great breed for kids. He is a blue and I am liking the color strain. Here are my questions...

So should I be looking for more blues?
I found someone who has grays. Would breeding gray and blues result in blue chicks?
Would blacks work? I know when I was breeding fancy rats blue+black= a mix of both.

Thanks for reading!

 

[cluckmecoop7]

@SoftSilkie

 

[PioneerChicks]

Thanks for the tag, @cluckmecoop7! Very flattering!

Glad you're getting into silkies, they rock! Blues are a great color, and silkies are very addicting! I don't know much about genetics, but I do know a bit about the BBS rules:
Blue and blue make 25 percent black, 25 percent splash, and 50 percent blue.
Blue and black make 50 percent black, fifty percent blue.
Blue and splash make 50 percent blue, fifty percent splash.
Black and black make 100 percent black.
Splash and splash make 100 percent splash.
Black and splash make 100 percent blue.

If that is wrong than please tell me. I don't know anything about genetics beyond that, but @MysteryChicken might be able to help.

One warning I have for you is that silkie feathers are NOT waterproof, and they aren't afraid to stand in the rain and get soaked. Several times I've had to blow-dry them at night before it gets below freezing and they freeze. If I could start over with silkies I would get them a huge covered run.

My silkies are actually great layers! So are the silkies of other silkie keepers on here, I've heard. Enjoy your silkie and have a great day!

Maybe @Fur-N-Fowl and @HuffleClaw and @silkiemother will give you their opinions.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Thanks for the tag, @cluckmecoop7! Very flattering!

Glad you're getting into silkies, they rock! Blues are a great color, and silkies are very addicting! I don't know much about genetics, but I do know a bit about the BBS rules:
Blue and blue make 25 percent black, 25 percent splash, and 50 percent blue.
Blue and black make 50 percent black, fifty percent blue.
Blue and splash make 50 percent blue, fifty percent splash.
Black and black make 100 percent black.
Splash and splash make 100 percent splash.
Black and splash make 100 percent blue.

If that is wrong than please tell me. I don't know anything about genetics beyond that, but @MysteryChicken might be able to help.

One warning I have for you is that silkie feathers are NOT waterproof, and they aren't afraid to stand in the rain and get soaked. Several times I've had to blow-dry them at night before it gets below freezing and they freeze. If I could start over with silkies I would get them a huge covered run.

My silkies are actually great layers! So are the silkies of other silkie keepers on here, I've heard. Enjoy your silkie and have a great day!

Maybe @Fur-N-Fowl and @HuffleClaw and @silkiemother will give you their opinions.

You're correct on the Black, Blue, Splash color genetics results chart.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Depending on your location, & regions seasonal temperatures, blow drying a wet Silkie isn't necessary. I've had two Silkies that fell into mud puddles, they were wet, & dirty. They dried off within about a day, or two, & cleaned the dirt off within a few days.

 

[PioneerChicks]

Depending on your location, & regions seasonal temperatures, blow drying a wet Silkie isn't necessary. I've had two Silkies that fell into mud puddles, they were wet, & dirty. They dried off within about a day, or two, & cleaned the dirt off within a few days.

Ouch, muddy silkies don't look or feel so good!
I normally don't have to blow dry them unless it freezes, which it doesn't often. I guess you're pretty lucky over there!

 

[MysteryChicken]

Ouch, muddy silkies don't look or feel so good!
I normally don't have to blow dry them unless it freezes, which it doesn't often. I guess you're pretty lucky over there!

I think mine are just extra hardy. The mud wasn't really to bad, just mainly the light granuler stuff that comes out fairly easily.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Wanna see the size of eggs my Silkies lay?

 

[PioneerChicks]

Wanna see the size of eggs my Silkies lay?

Yes please!

 

[MysteryChicken]

Wanna see the size of eggs my Silkies lay?

Okay, here is one compared to a medium sized standard chicken egg.

Silkie egg on the right.