Help me nail down these genetics and chose a mate for this silkie hen

[RememberTheWay]

Okay- so I have a white silkie hen. She was with a bantam Cochin roo that is blue/red- not sure if that color would be considered blue wheaton or not.

Anyways - I was test Breeding mainly to see if she was recessive or dominant white. None of the chicks (like 6) came out white or paint so I am assuming she is recessive white.

The two chicks in the pics are theirs. Is the darker one partridge or is that just juvenile feathering at this point? They are about 8/9 wks old now, I will add updated photos here in a bit of the chicks but they still look pretty similar. The other chick I'm not certain what color it is. It almost looks like a splash Wheaton or what I've seen called red Pyle in some breeds no clue. But was wondering if someone could assist with figuring out if it's splash or not. If it's splash then that would mean the white hen is also blue? Correct? Bc the chick would have to have two copies of the blue gena to be splash.

This matters bc I'm trying to figure out who to pair this hen with to hatch. My choices are pairing her with a really nice type black split to lavender silkie, a Isabella silkie, or some black satin silkie naked necks. I also have a black saying silkie Male that looks to be "leaking" partridge or something.

And of course I could have some of the above terms and color names wrong. It gets all jumbled and crossed when researching as many breeds as I do.

I am working on a porcelain satin silkie project and am considering using her to get more pullets to move forward with that project. I know they would be carrying recessive white forward and I'm still pondering that but I definitely don't want to use her for my lavender projects if she has blue genetics. I don't want to deal with that mess!

Anyone have any thoughts as to what she is is hiding under the white feathers?

 

[Debbie292d]

Boy, I have a hard enough time when they are pure silkies, but to try figure it out with other breeds I'm lost. Your first one, had they been pure silkie, reminds me of my cuckoos barring. I don't think partridge necessarily but are you sure there isn't some cuckoo or some other barred genetics in one of your parents?

The white one has some silver/gray/blue in the tips of its back feathers it appears. I'd think that one could go splash. Gosh it's beautiful though and will be fun to see what it grows up to look like! Both of them should be stunning!

 

[RememberTheWay]

Boy, I have a hard enough time when they are pure silkies, but to try figure it out with other breeds I'm lost. Your first one, had they been pure silkie, reminds me of my cuckoos barring. I don't think partridge necessarily but are you sure there isn't some cuckoo or some other barred genetics in one of your parents?

The white one has some silver/gray/blue in the tips of its back feathers it appears. I'd think that one could go splash. Gosh it's beautiful though and will be fun to see what it grows up to look like! Both of them should be stunning!

I think the way the colors work it doesn't really matter if they are different breeds. Things that would change from breed to breed would be comb, feather, body types, and eye colors, etc.

So they way you breed black blue splash wouldn't matter whether it was two different breeds or how the dilution genes work, mottling, etc.

Recessive white from what I understand essentially hides other colors underneath it. Because it's also a recessive gene if it's bred to a bird that isn't also carrying recessive white the colors under it show up in the offspring. So essentially by knowing what the male is in this case, someone with a bit more knowledge then I can take his phenotype (what's expressing) and then look at what the resulting chicks are expressing and we can peice together what the white hen actually has "underneath" her white feathers. Depending on whether the chicks express colors that are recessive or dominant also gives clue to what genes the mother gave up. If one of the chicks is splash that would mean she has to carry blue because it wouldn't splash without receiving blue from both parents.

As for the striped chick- I am almost certain that the pattern it is showing as of now is just called juvenile feathering and if that is what it is then it will molt shortly and express another color that will be it's true color. I guessed partridge mostly because I had read that most silkies are actually on a partridge base though I don't know how true that is.

The black silkies I currently have are mostly lavender splits and I don't want mix blue and lavender together in any bird. They can express simultaneously on a bird and it makes a real mess of the plumage.

 

[RememberTheWay]

I will have to take some new pictures tomorrow as they both look a little different then even what these photos show but these are more recent then the previous ones

 

[Debbie292d]

I think the way the colors work it doesn't really matter if they are different breeds. Things that would change from breed to breed would be comb, feather, body types, and eye colors, etc.

So they way you breed black blue splash wouldn't matter whether it was two different breeds or how the dilution genes work, mottling, etc.

Recessive white from what I understand essentially hides other colors underneath it. Because it's also a recessive gene if it's bred to a bird that isn't also carrying recessive white the colors under it show up in the offspring. So essentially by knowing what the male is in this case, someone with a bit more knowledge then I can take his phenotype (what's expressing) and then look at what the resulting chicks are expressing and we can peice together what the white hen actually has "underneath" her white feathers. Depending on whether the chicks express colors that are recessive or dominant also gives clue to what genes the mother gave up. If one of the chicks is splash that would mean she has to carry blue because it wouldn't splash without receiving blue from both parents.

As for the striped chick- I am almost certain that the pattern it is showing as of now is just called juvenile feathering and if that is what it is then it will molt shortly and express another color that will be it's true color. I guessed partridge mostly because I had read that most silkies are actually on a partridge base though I don't know how true that is.

The black silkies I currently have are mostly lavender splits and I don't want mix blue and lavender together in any bird. They can express simultaneously on a bird and it makes a real mess of the plumage.

White roosters I read somewhere is where the partridge can come from, and that's who the rooster is for my older bunch. I would a partridge or two every hatch. I haven't bred that bunch though in years as they aren't quality. This year I've been selling chicks from the higher quality ones. I've been buying eggs mostly from exhibition/show breeders rather than keeping much of my own, albeit the chocolate and black roosters were mine.

Partridge is a confusing thing to me though. I think you maybe saw this already. From purchased eggs, this chick I had no clue what it was going to be, turned into this.




You're probably right though that that one of yours is going to be partridge. I looked back on some of mine, and there was that barring look to some extent on them, it's just yours seems so much more distinct. They're going to be neat to see!

 

[RememberTheWay]

White roosters I read somewhere is where the partridge can come from, and that's who the rooster is for my older bunch. I would a partridge or two every hatch. I haven't bred that bunch though in years as they aren't quality. This year I've been selling chicks from the higher quality ones. I've been buying eggs mostly from exhibition/show breeders rather than keeping much of my own, albeit the chocolate and black roosters were mine.

Partridge is a confusing thing to me though. I think you maybe saw this already. From purchased eggs, this chick I had no clue what it was going to be, turned into this.

View attachment 3985110View attachment 3985108


You're probably right though that that one of yours is going to be partridge. I looked back on some of mine, and there was that barring look to some extent on them, it's just yours seems so much more distinct. They're going to be neat to see!

Oh my word! That chick is adorable! Look how fluffy she was!!!

 

[RememberTheWay]

Here are pictures of both of them from today. Oddly enough while taking these photos I was noticing how similar they are actually starting to look. The darker one with brown barring in several places is starting to look like the reddish one that I think could possibly actually be a splash something bird.

 

[RememberTheWay]

White roosters I read somewhere is where the partridge can come from, and that's who the rooster is for my older bunch. I would a partridge or two every hatch. I haven't bred that bunch though in years as they aren't quality. This year I've been selling chicks from the higher quality ones. I've been buying eggs mostly from exhibition/show breeders rather than keeping much of my own, albeit the chocolate and black roosters were mine.

Partridge is a confusing thing to me though. I think you maybe saw this already. From purchased eggs, this chick I had no clue what it was going to be, turned into this.

View attachment 3985110View attachment 3985108


You're probably right though that that one of yours is going to be partridge. I looked back on some of mine, and there was that barring look to some extent on them, it's just yours seems so much more distinct. They're going to be neat to see!

Hey just wanted to update you on the chicks. The one with the barring is probably a partridge base and the other one is a red Pyle. She is dominant white and red. I will update with new photos tomorrow.

 

[Debbie292d]

Hey just wanted to update you on the chicks. The one with the barring is probably a partridge base and the other one is a red Pyle. She is dominant white and red. I will update with new photos tomorrow.

I had posted this on in my silkie thread a few months ago asking what this silkie is. Someone suggested red pyle, as I had no buffs at the time this one was hatched. Pyle is impossible here too with what I have. An anomaly, maybe? In a couple of weeks our breeding pens will be done, so I'm going to stick him with a buff hen and a black hen, and see what they make.

 

[Debbie292d]

Hey just wanted to update you on the chicks. The one with the barring is probably a partridge base and the other one is a red Pyle. She is dominant white and red. I will update with new photos tomorrow.

I'm excited to see!