Lavender Color

[werblessd1s]

Has anyone cross bred to get the lavender color? What colors did you mix to get lavender?
I was looking at a silkie website yesterday and if I read it correctly. They cross bred with another chicken other than a silkie to get the lavender color and then cross bred back to the silkie keeping the lavender color and kept some of the other traits from whatever they bred the silkie with, like the broad breast. It was probably one like that lavender silkie that sold for $1,100 on eggbid.

 

[Shaffer]

werblessd1s,
That price was the exception to the rule and they generally don't sell that high. I sold my Lavender Silkies and splits to a lady in Michigan and didn't get that price. You can check her out because she advertises in Poultry Press. You can also contact Fawkes Silkies in Texas, that is where I got mine. If you really want a challenged you can order from Ideal which sell Lavender silkie chicks but they need work. The best cross would be silkie to self blue Antwerp Belgium Bantam aka Barbu d'Anvers. Allow yourself some time to perfect them from this mating. If you can not find a self blue d'Anvers a self blue OE game bantam would work. This will take you about 4 years if luck is with you plus many culls to disperse from these matings. The best way is to buy some quality birds already established and you will have showable offsprings within a year or two. Lavenders is just a simple recessive gene to work with and you will enjoy the fun of working with it. Hope I answered your question. Good luck, HS

 

[werblessd1s]

Fawkes Silkies was actually the website I was looking at. I contacted her about getting a pair come Spring, which is when DH should have my honey do list of chicken tractors ready.
It does sound like a fun project.
Did you get a normal pair or her more expensive ones?

 

[Shaffer]

I got two gorgeous cockerels and one black split hen. I raised some split pullets which were sold with the cockerels. I no longer have any Lavender silkies but I do have LF Lavender Ameraucanas and Easter-Eggers with crest and one LF araucana tailed pullet. No birds in Lavender available probably till next year and am behind in egg orders. Watch Ebay for when I get caught up for LF Lavender Ameraucanas or EE's. I am not taking any more orders this year. HS

 

[werblessd1s]

Thanks for the info, do you have any pics to share?

 

[Shaffer]

Go to Search: put my name in and look for the post of Lavender Ameraucana Picture there is also a picture of project Araucana in another post HS

 

[werblessd1s]

Oh he's beautiful. Good work!
Also FYI, there is short cut other than going to search. I just clicked on your name and it took me to your profile and I scrolled down to User Activity and it shows all your posts.

 

[Shaffer]

Thank you very much. I am still working on them and since I am a very small breeder it will take some time to get a nice flock. I would of still had the Lav Silkies plus Lav Ameraucana Bantams and pure white Sumatras but I got sick last year and had to cut back to a skeleton breeding program. HS

 

[Sebrightmom]

My little sister has some lavender Ameraucana bantams. She has a rooster and a hen. She has been trying to hatch out eggs from them all summer, but hasn't had any luck. I have a question. If she breeds her black Ameraucana bantams to the hen or rooster, will she still get Lavender chicks?

 

[Shaffer]

Sebrightmom,
When you breed black to Lavender you only get black chicks that are split Lavender. You will have to keep them and breed them back to a Lavender of the oposite sex.
I had those bantams, and had no problem with fertility with them. Check their vent area to see if it is clear. Some of the Ameraucana breeders suggest to trim them to get better fertility. IF they are clear you could try Rooster Booster which should help on the fertility also. They should be very easy to breed but sometimes other things affect them. Also did you worm them? Good luck because they are really beatiful birds and at some of the auctions other breeds in self blue bring a good price. HS