Hi All,
the short version is, I am in the UK and am looking for the largest silkies I can get. Very happy to hatch posted or collected eggs, but also would be interested in birds.
Long version is; I have a mixed flock currently and though I have enjoyed seeing what has come out of the random mixing, I am looking to take on a project with more specific goals. I like silkies and for various reasons they suit my current situation, but they are just very small. I currently have a pretty small large fowl silkie and have had some large fowl silkies that where a decent size but they where cockerels and I chose a light sussex cockerel over them at the time, what a really want though, is a really big silkie. My previous larger silkies where black silkies from New Forest Poultry, these where as I have said, a decent size and had all the right silkie characteristics. My current plan is to hatch a load more of these, select the largest cockerel and a few of the largest pullets. Also hatch some splash orpingtons from Essex Orpingtons, keep some of the pullets, cross the cockerel to the orpingtons, and then dependant on the size of the offspring either cross an F1 pullet back to the original or another silkie cock or an F1 cockerel back to a silkie hen. I am pretty new to chickens and chicken genetics and am under no illusions that I will be "making a new breed" I would just like to have some hands on experience with a breeding project and want to start with something where I will see results relatively quickly and will hopefully make a chicken that suits my goals.
Does anyone have any experience with these strains? (New Forest Poultry black silkies and Essex Orpingtons splash orpingtons).
Does any have or know of any particularly large silkie strains? I like the B/B/S colours, but am not at all set on this if there is a larger strain in another colour, colour is secondary.
Does anyone have or know of any particularly large / docile / quiet orpington strains, again, colour is secondary.
Does anyone have any other suggestions for the large bird? My end goal is a large, docile, friendly and quiet bird. I currently have 2 cocks, a light sussex rooster and a LS x barred rock cockerel and though my neighbours tolerate the crowing, I would like a bird that crowed less often (and ideally quieter but I don't think that is a realistic aim), I know if I had only one cock bird there would be significantly less crowing but..
Thanks for reading and for any advise/ suggestions.
the short version is, I am in the UK and am looking for the largest silkies I can get. Very happy to hatch posted or collected eggs, but also would be interested in birds.
Long version is; I have a mixed flock currently and though I have enjoyed seeing what has come out of the random mixing, I am looking to take on a project with more specific goals. I like silkies and for various reasons they suit my current situation, but they are just very small. I currently have a pretty small large fowl silkie and have had some large fowl silkies that where a decent size but they where cockerels and I chose a light sussex cockerel over them at the time, what a really want though, is a really big silkie. My previous larger silkies where black silkies from New Forest Poultry, these where as I have said, a decent size and had all the right silkie characteristics. My current plan is to hatch a load more of these, select the largest cockerel and a few of the largest pullets. Also hatch some splash orpingtons from Essex Orpingtons, keep some of the pullets, cross the cockerel to the orpingtons, and then dependant on the size of the offspring either cross an F1 pullet back to the original or another silkie cock or an F1 cockerel back to a silkie hen. I am pretty new to chickens and chicken genetics and am under no illusions that I will be "making a new breed" I would just like to have some hands on experience with a breeding project and want to start with something where I will see results relatively quickly and will hopefully make a chicken that suits my goals.
Does anyone have any experience with these strains? (New Forest Poultry black silkies and Essex Orpingtons splash orpingtons).
Does any have or know of any particularly large silkie strains? I like the B/B/S colours, but am not at all set on this if there is a larger strain in another colour, colour is secondary.
Does anyone have or know of any particularly large / docile / quiet orpington strains, again, colour is secondary.
Does anyone have any other suggestions for the large bird? My end goal is a large, docile, friendly and quiet bird. I currently have 2 cocks, a light sussex rooster and a LS x barred rock cockerel and though my neighbours tolerate the crowing, I would like a bird that crowed less often (and ideally quieter but I don't think that is a realistic aim), I know if I had only one cock bird there would be significantly less crowing but..
Thanks for reading and for any advise/ suggestions.
