Giant Silkie Project.

[NatJ]

What should the first color variety should I introduce into my first round of Giant Silkies?

Maybe something solid-colored, because patterns don't show up well on silkie feathers.

I'd probably go with black or white for starters.
Recessive white might be easiest, if you just want to get it breeding true without spending much effort selecting for the best-colored ones.

But if you start with black, you can branch out into barred, and also blue/splash, and potentially also lavender, chocolate, & mauve.

Or you could go with Columbian because you're working with Brahmas anyway, so the color genes would not require any extra outcrosses.

 

[chickentrains]

Seems like "pied" would be a fun challenge, since you said some people dont think it exists

 

[casportpony]

I'll try to get a picture of him pecking. Sometimes he just doesn't quite see what I'm giving him.

Looks like Marek's to me.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Maybe something solid-colored, because patterns don't show up well on silkie feathers.

I'd probably go with black or white for starters.
Recessive white might be easiest, if you just want to get it breeding true without spending much effort selecting for the best-colored ones.

But if you start with black, you can branch out into barred, and also blue/splash, and potentially also lavender, chocolate, & mauve.

Or you could go with Columbian because you're working with Brahmas anyway, so the color genes would not require any extra outcrosses.

Good choices to.

I'll go with black, & Columbian then. But I also like the idea of introducing new colors into silkies.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Looks like Marek's to me.

He doesn't have Merek's. I confirmed it was just a faint reflection in his pupil. It was really bright outside, & there was lots of light reflecting off of the snow.

I was showing the pink in his iris.
Physically looking at the eye there's nothing there.

My confirmation test, on an extra bright day on his other eye. You can see the snow, & the apple tree branch Shadow in his eye.

I was in the same area as the last picture.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Seems like "pied" would be a fun challenge, since you said some people dont think it exists

Yes it would.

 

[casportpony]

He doesn't have Merek's. I confirmed it was just a faint reflection in his pupil. It was really bright outside, & there was lots of light reflecting off of the snow.

I was showing the pink in his iris.
Physically looking at the eye there's nothing there.

This is how ocular Marek's can look:

That color, plus him having difficulty pecking at food = Marek's

 

[MysteryChicken]

This is how ocular Marek's can look:
View attachment 2544546

Okay, whatever, believe what you're seeing.

I've looked at the eye physically, there's nothing there, please stop now?! How many times do I even have to say that. It's just a stupid reflection. You're frustrating me .

I'm not meaning to be rude, just frustrated.

His irises has always had a lighter color then all my birds since he's a Split Sex -Linked Albino.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Maybe something solid-colored, because patterns don't show up well on silkie feathers.

I'd probably go with black or white for starters.
Recessive white might be easiest, if you just want to get it breeding true without spending much effort selecting for the best-colored ones.

But if you start with black, you can branch out into barred, and also blue/splash, and potentially also lavender, chocolate, & mauve.

Or you could go with Columbian because you're working with Brahmas anyway, so the color genes would not require any extra outcrosses.

I have a black Silkie bantam, a Black Copper Marans, an Australorp cross, & Black Sumatras. Those are my black birds.

Which of these would be good to use to make black?

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

Okay, whatever, believe what you're seeing.

I've looked at the eye physically, there's nothing there, please stop now?! How many times do I even have to say that. It's just a stupid reflection. You're frustrating me .

I'm not meaning to be rude, just frustrated.

His irises has always had a lighter color then all my birds since he's a Split Sex -Linked Albino.
View attachment 2544562

I believe @casportpony is talking about the pink color.