How to get the "cuckoo" color? It is a mix of what colors?

[Germaine_11.20]

Hi, I saw some cuckoo silkies and I am coveting them! How do you get that beautiful color in the silkies. What colors do you have to breed together to get cuckoo?

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

You have to have the barring gene (B). Technically cuckoo also requires fast feathering (K), but I doubt it looks much if any different due to the nature of silkie feathers. It would be interesting to see if there is an observable difference with the shredded feathering.

 

[nicalandia]

the cuckoo feather pattern is just like the barred rock pattern, but in fast feathering chickens...on barred the pattern is nicely defined because of the slow fethered gen K, to get a cuckoo or barred pattern you have to introduce it, I think there are already barred silkies...ah the barred gene is a sex linked gene, its on the Z chromozome, good cuality barred chickens carry Columbian Co gene, they are also Extended Black E...good luck

 

[nicalandia]

Quote:
.... k+...

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Wow. How on earth do you learn all that? But thanks, that makes sense.
And yes, I have seen the cuckoo silkies, just beautiful

Thanks!!

 

[nicalandia]

Quote:
I went to a special classroom, where all my classmates helped me and there were plenty of teachers..that was a long time ago, call it old school...

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Very good answer

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
.... k+...

Oops---thanks for the correction.

 

[nicalandia]

Quote:
.... k+...

Oops---thanks for the correction.

No prob, we are from the same classroom right?..

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
Oops---thanks for the correction.

No prob, we are from the same classroom right?..

I do believe so