Just a few questions....

[Crazy for Chickens!]

I've been breeding Silkies for just a couple years now... I would say that is actually splash and still developing. I have had several come out that color. They sure are beauties! I do agree it LOOKS blue, but I don't believe it is.

I hope you will tag me as it grows... I've been watching mine to see how they develop. One that I sold hatched at Christmas has just started showing the splash spots. Hatched from Blue cross Blue mating... but the blues are much darker and I am working to get them lighter, more like this color... People don't understand that just because you can run BBS doesn't make it a good idea. Black bred to blue (I discovered) is giving me cruddy black (not crisp and dark) and too dark of blue. Realizing this changes my breeding in my Marans as well. And the "grey" ones... I have people requesting more all the time!

Yeah, wish my other blues were this color. They are all so dark, like black, almost!
So, do you think it will start getting splotches? Like, it's gonna be a blue splash or something? Because I wouldn't think it would turn white......
Thanks for replying.

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

Easter Eggers look like pullets to me. Favorelles are a little off but like you said they are hatchery birds. Cockerel - all that white in his chest and belly is incorrect, but he could molt it out. Pullet - over all color is to dark, but that's very common in hatchery birds.

Thank you so much!
I hope he does molt out the extra white. He kind of looks more 'mottled' now. He doesn't have the silver patch on the wing that I see in photos of roosters.

 

[Gray Farms]

They can change a lot. I first started with hatchery type Salmon Favorelles. And I couldn't believe how much the cockerels can change. But the pullets were just to far off from standard. I've since obtained some eggs from a breeder that show theirs and I'm much, much happier. I'm on my third generation from those eggs now. They are so much different from the hatchery type ones its staggering.

 

[drumstick diva]

silkies shouldn't have white skin

 

[drumstick diva]

KEES MOM is the go to Faverolles person

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Yeah, wish my other blues were this color. They are all so dark, like black, almost!

Now I only do black to black and blue to blue or splash... if you keep it lighter you will get lighter birds quickly. In only one generation I am starting to be able to tell blue from black at hatch like I can in other breeds and seeing good differences at maturity. And will be breeding toward this much better blue!

Yes, I believe it will be a blue splash. Kinda like this maybe..

My one that is still growing out hasn't had the splotches appear yet, but I believe they will. I agree, I wouldn't expect it to turn white again.

I tell you... at hatch they had me HOPING they were lavender! Can't find Lav Silkies no matter how hard I try. And no one is willing to share or give the "source" they got theirs from.

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

Now I only do black to black and blue to blue or splash... if you keep it lighter you will get lighter birds quickly. In only one generation I am starting to be able to tell blue from black at hatch like I can in other breeds and seeing good differences at maturity. And will be breeding toward this much better blue!

Yes, I believe it will be a blue splash. Kinda like this maybe..

My one that is still growing out hasn't had the splotches appear yet, but I believe they will. I agree, I wouldn't expect it to turn white again.

I tell you... at hatch they had me HOPING they were lavender! Can't find Lav Silkies no matter how hard I try. And no one is willing to share or give the "source" they got theirs from.

What has me stumped, is they are from a hatchery. So apparently they must have really bad colors or something....

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

Now I only do black to black and blue to blue or splash... if you keep it lighter you will get lighter birds quickly. In only one generation I am starting to be able to tell blue from black at hatch like I can in other breeds and seeing good differences at maturity. And will be breeding toward this much better blue!

Yes, I believe it will be a blue splash. Kinda like this maybe..

My one that is still growing out hasn't had the splotches appear yet, but I believe they will. I agree, I wouldn't expect it to turn white again.

I tell you... at hatch they had me HOPING they were lavender! Can't find Lav Silkies no matter how hard I try. And no one is willing to share or give the "source" they got theirs from.

I figure you probably would want breeder quality, but Ideal Poultry sells Self Blue (lavender) silkies.
I also saw this place named Serindipity Silkies. They were breeding lavender to the standards. I couldn't figure out where they were located though...

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I figure you probably would want breeder quality, but Ideal Poultry sells Self Blue (lavender) silkies.

Are you kidding me, thank you!

Yes, breeder quality is nice... but at that price I can buy dozens and select the best to breed from. Plus, breeder quality isn't ALWAYS what it's cracked up to be.

Ugh, I'm overloaded with chicks, got cuckoo hatching eggs coming in the mail and now I can order a WHOLE bunch of these!

I wouldn't place an order with Ideal before because I didn't like that they offer debeaking (though I do see WHY commercial operations NEED to)... learn something new... things change.

The post office just called and my eggs are in!

What has me stumped, is they are from a hatchery. So apparently they must have really bad colors or something....

This color here is one of my favorites.

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

Are you kidding me, thank you!

Yes, breeder quality is nice... but at that price I can buy dozens and select the best to breed from. Plus, breeder quality isn't ALWAYS what it's cracked up to be.

Ugh, I'm overloaded with chicks, got cuckoo hatching eggs coming in the mail and now I can order a WHOLE bunch of these!

I wouldn't place an order with Ideal before because I didn't like that they offer debeaking (though I do see WHY commercial operations NEED to)... learn something new... things change.

The post office just called and my eggs are in!


This color here is one of my favorites.

I have no idea what they look like from ideal. I've been very pleased with the coloring in my other birds, but silkies are a bit different.
I ordered blue from them, and the blue are very dark.