Hello I'm interested in standard size silkies. Are there any in the U.S. ?

[Mellyd3]

Hey, I'm interested in Standard size Silkies. I saw a post from 2011 that some one had a breeding program to achieve that goal - standard silkie. I love silkies and have some offspring from a white silkie roo × barred rock and a buff x with white silkie roo. Can you achieve a larger silkie by crossing with the larger hens?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hey, I'm interested in Standard size Silkies. I saw a post from 2011 that some one had a breeding program to achieve that goal - standard silkie. I love silkies and have some offspring from a white silkie roo × barred rock and a buff x with white silkie roo. Can you achieve a larger silkie by crossing with the larger hens?

Hi, welcome to BYC!

In the US all Silkies are considered bantam... Though since I have been breeding/raising them.. I can see a significant difference in some of their sizes across lines. And would say some are definitely bigger than I expect from bantam (we process our extras for eating). I can see why they have 2 standards in the UK.

So... you can breed the Silkie feather gene into ANY breed... by crossing them out and then breeding those together will give you about 25% Silkied offspring in the second generation... all first generation cross offspring will be hard feathered.

It it my understanding... that the hens will pass their carcass size to the daughters and sires to their sons. So to get bigger hens... select bigger hens to breed from.

Sometimes I lose my way trying to explain... but hopefully this is a bit helpful. Good luck!