INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[kabhyper1]

BBS is the same no matter what breed, so yes, Blue to Blue will produce 25% Black bl+/bl+, 50% Blue Bl/bl+, and 25% Splash Bl/Bl.

It's my understanding that Silkies are actually recessive white (I'm not sure if there are strains of dom. white Silkies or not), so their offspring should be half blue Bl/bl+ and half black bl+/bl+, 100% split to recessive white C+/c (meaning they carry the gene, but are not white). The easiest way to tell whether they are dom. or rec. white is to test cross them.

If they actually are dominant white, because it is dominant, they could be heterozygous I/i+ or homozygous I/I. If they are I/I homozygous, 100% of the offspring will be white and heterozygous I/i+. If they are heterozygous I/i+, half of the offspring will be white and heterozygous I/i+, 25% should be black, and 25% should be blue.

This is all assuming that the whites, whether dominant or recessive, are not carrying something that the white is hiding. I know genetics can be confusing, so I hope that clarifies it a little for you.

It does. I only know about mine for sure from talking to silkie breeders. The breeder line of our silkies only breeds white and black. When she breeds white to white she gets white. I'm not sure of anything else from there though. Usually blue to white isn't done. But because they are dominant white, they will breed true colors. So our blues to white are fine. Meaning sq colors, and not some weird color mesh from the past HA!

 

[kabhyper1]

BBS is the same no matter what breed, so yes, Blue to Blue will produce 25% Black bl+/bl+, 50% Blue Bl/bl+, and 25% Splash Bl/Bl.

It's my understanding that Silkies are actually recessive white (I'm not sure if there are strains of dom. white Silkies or not), so their offspring should be half blue Bl/bl+ and half black bl+/bl+, 100% split to recessive white C+/c (meaning they carry the gene, but are not white). The easiest way to tell whether they are dom. or rec. white is to test cross them.

If they actually are dominant white, because it is dominant, they could be carrying one dom. white gene I/i+ or carrying two I/I. If they are I/I carrying two, 100% of the offspring will be white and carry one dom. white gene I/i+. If they are carrying one I/i+, half of the offspring will be white and carry one gene I/i+ as well, 25% should be black without the dom. white gene i+/i+, and 25% should be blue without the white gene i+/i+.

This is all assuming that the whites, whether dominant or recessive, are not carrying something that the white is hiding. I know genetics can be confusing, so I hope that clarifies it a little for you.

Edited to simplify my wording

 

[Leahs Mom]

Mr TH...
On your Sesame...sometimes certain birds just have problems and it doesn't matter our husbandry, they just aren't going to thrive. That's the way it is in the wild.

Folks that look at their chickens as farm animals (rather than pets) know the reality of having to "cull" weaker or sickly birds that can't thrive in their environment so that when they breed for the future, they are passing down strong genetics from their animals that do thrive in their environment.

It can be hard to look at it that way, but sometimes its just true that some are healthier than others for no fault of our own.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

No, no, dominant white and recessive white have nothing to do with purity. Some breeds are known to carry dominant white (such as Leghorns) and others are known to carry recessive white (such as Cochins), while others are known to have strains of each (Ameraucanas are an example of this, but dom. white Ams are apparently exceptionally rare). If they are recessive white, it doesn't make them impure. Breeding recessive white to recessive white still produces 100% recessive white offspring. It just changes how their offspring will turn out when bred to other colors.

 

[kabhyper1]

No, no, dominant white and recessive white have nothing to do with purity. Some breeds are known to carry dominant white (such as Leghorns) and others are known to carry recessive white (such as Cochins), while others are known to have strains of each (Ameraucanas are an example of this, but dom. white Ams are apparently exceptionally rare). If they are recessive white, it doesn't make them impure. Breeding recessive white to recessive white still produces 100% recessive white offspring. It just changes how their offspring will turn out when bred to other colors.

Hmmm well, I guess we will see what pops out then. lol!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Yup! I can't wait to see--both to find out if they are dominant or recessive and because, well, cute chicks!

 

[kabhyper1]

Yup! I can't wait to see--both to find out if they are dominant or recessive and because, well, cute chicks!

There was a really snooty breeder who gave me a hard time about the idea of breeding blues to white. She sid I would get all sorts of unwanted colors. I explained the lineage thing about the parents being white so far back with no other colors mingled in. She immediately changed her tune and said that they would breed true then. LOL genetics. I don't know much more than what I have heard from you and her and a few others, so it will definitely be interesting. HA!

 

[Old Salt 1945]

There was a really snooty breeder who gave me a hard time about the idea of breeding blues to white. She sid I would get all sorts of unwanted colors. I explained the lineage thing about the parents being white so far back with no other colors mingled in. She immediately changed her tune and said that they would breed true then. LOL genetics. I don't know much more than what I have heard from you and her and a few others, so it will definitely be interesting. HA!

Will silkies be OK if put in a chicken yard with LF birds? I have Wyandotte, Cochin, Orpington, Jersey Black Giant, Guinea, Indian Runner Ducks.

A few of your gorgeous white silkies would sure look good mixed in with them. I'm just concerned that they might get beat up.

I have a 9 year old granddaughter who would probably steal one and try to get away with keeping it in her room.

John

 

[kabhyper1]

I had my blues in with the big ones for awhile. They don't roost. So you need two of them. So they can sleep together on the floor. They don't see well, so they are basically sitting ducks for hawks. My blues did fine, but since they have vaulted skulls, a peck on the head from a big chicken will likely make them dumber than they already are, or kill them, so I put them in their own coop with the white girls. I wouldn't recommend it unless they are raised together.

Will silkies be OK if put in a chicken yard with LF birds?  I have Wyandotte, Cochin, Orpington, Jersey Black Giant, Guinea, Indian Runner Ducks.

A few of your gorgeous white silkies would sure look good mixed in with them.  I'm just concerned that they might get beat up.

I have a 9 year old granddaughter who would probably steal one and try to get away with keeping it in her room.

John

 

[kabhyper1]

Silkies do make good pets. They are kind of like rabbits.