Has anyone mixed a silkie with an EE?

[Ukyou]

While discussing with my daughter what breeds we would like to add to our flocks, she decided the best would be to add a couple of cute silkies that lay the cool EE eggs. I have a friend with both types of chickens, but she keeps them separate. I was just wondering if anyone had mixed the two.

 

[Illia]

You won't get something that looks like a Silkie but lays colored eggs.

The furry feathering of Silkies is recessive, so breeding to an EE will just make a bantam that looks like a cross of Cochin, Easter Egger, and Polish with dark skin. Now, if you crossed it back to an Easter Egger or to another hatch mate you'll get Silkied feathering again, but not on the first generation.

 

[Ukyou]

I had figured that it would be hard to get both the blue gene and the silky feathers. Though, it could be a fun project.

 

[Illia]

Two easy routes to do it. . .


1) Get an Easter Egger with sure BLUE egg genes, that or, a purebred Ameraucana, breed it to a Silkie, then breed the offspring to a Silkie again. You'll get green egg layers in the second gen.

2) Get an Easter Egger, blue or green eggs doesn't matter, and cross it to the Silkie. Take a pair from the mating, and breed those together. From this pair you will get a 25% chance of silkie-feathered green OR blue egg layers.

 

[Comeonbroodyhen]

well this is what i got when i bred a silkie with a ee and she is a LF bird and lays blue eggs and when i say LF i mean about 15 inches tall

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