Missouri White Fluff? Extinct Breed Perhaps?

[ButtercupEnthusiast]

Hello everyone,
Back in late 2024 I was learning about capons and how to perform the procedure. I came across a 1926 magazine called "Capon Gold" by George Beuoy. In this magazine I came across a photo of two 1-year-old capons that were labeled as "Missouri White Fluff". As far as I can tell from the image, they were a large silkied bird with no feather/vaulted skulls crests and clean legged. Perhaps related to Hedemoras? I’ve tried to find more information on this breed/strain for the past year but have yet to find it mentioned anywhere else. Has anyone heard of this breed and know if anyone still breeds it or has it died out? I would love to learn more about it. I began my own breeding project last year to attempt to recreate the birds that I saw in the photo. My goal is to end up with a silkie feathered bird that’s dual purpose, no feather crests, clean legged, no extra toes, no fibromelanosis, blue/green eggs, V-comb, and eventually autosexing.

 

[JedJackson]

It's impossible to know whether those birds are fibro or whether they have lightly feathered legs. I think it is more likely they were derived from Slikies than Hedemora. But it seems to be a variety that is long gone.

If I was trying to create what you are talking about, I would start with Silkies and probably cross them with Orpingtons and Ameraucanas. Unless you want yellow skinned birds. Then I would go with Silkies, heritage Plymouth Rocks or Delawares, and some type of Easter egger like Whiting True Blue, which has fixed blue egg genetics.

Over several generations of crosses and selection, I think it is very possible.

You could use Hedemoras as well, but their silkied feathering seems unreliable. It only pops up in a few of them, so I am not sure if that trait could be fixed.

There are meat type Silkies available, too, which is a head start.

 

[servant_of_fluffs]

It's impossible to know whether those birds are fibro or whether they have lightly feathered legs. I think it is more likely they were derived from Slikies than Hedemora. But it seems to be a variety that is long gone.

If I was trying to create what you are talking about, I would start with Silkies and probably cross them with Orpingtons and Ameraucanas. Unless you want yellow skinned birds. Then I would go with Silkies, heritage Plymouth Rocks or Delawares, and some type of Easter egger like Whiting True Blue, which has fixed blue egg genetics.

Over several generations of crosses and selection, I think it is very possible.

You could use Hedemoras as well, but their silkied feathering seems unreliable. It only pops up in a few of them, so I am not sure if that trait could be fixed.

There are meat type Silkies available, too, which is a head start.

I think the Hedemora silked feathering is recessive(?) so I would just ask for chicks from a silkied feathered rooster or hen and then breed the two together. it probably wouldn't be that simple, though...

 

[servant_of_fluffs]

The one in the back looks like it has lightly feathered legs.... Am I imagining that?

 

[ButtercupEnthusiast]

The one in the back looks like it has lightly feathered legs.... Am I imagining that?

It could be, I thought it was the tail feathers of the front bird. Honestly, who knows? This is the only picture of this breed I could find. Literally no other mention of it that I could find.

 

[JedJackson]

I think the Hedemora silked feathering is recessive(?) so I would just ask for chicks from a silkied feathered rooster or hen and then breed the two together. it probably wouldn't be that simple, though...

I wasn't sure if it was the same genetic mutation in both breeds, but I'm reading that it is. So that would make it a recessive gene in Hedemoras just like with Silkies.

The only problem I can see is that this breed is so rare. If you can find a seller who will guarantee silkie feathered Hedemora chicks then you are good to go. But it might be difficult to find that.

 

[ButtercupEnthusiast]

It's impossible to know whether those birds are fibro or whether they have lightly feathered legs. I think it is more likely they were derived from Slikies than Hedemora. But it seems to be a variety that is long gone.

If I was trying to create what you are talking about, I would start with Silkies and probably cross them with Orpingtons and Ameraucanas. Unless you want yellow skinned birds. Then I would go with Silkies, heritage Plymouth Rocks or Delawares, and some type of Easter egger like Whiting True Blue, which has fixed blue egg genetics.

Over several generations of crosses and selection, I think it is very possible.

You could use Hedemoras as well, but their silkied feathering seems unreliable. It only pops up in a few of them, so I am not sure if that trait could be fixed.

There are meat type Silkies available, too, which is a head start.

Well I'm currently hatching/raising my F4s right now and I'll give you an overview of what I've done so far. I've been using the services of the Silkie Lab genetic testing to help streamline my project a bit for the recessive silkie feathering and blue egg gene. Just a disclaimer, some of the birds I've used for this project may seem to contradict some of my goals but I was working with what I had access to at the time.

F1- Before I began this breeding project I already had a Silkie x Easter Egger hen that lays green eggs and she has produced silkie birds for me already.

F2- December 2024 I paired my Golden laced polish rooster with my F1 silkie Easter Egger cross hen. Out of 18 chicks I hatched from them four I kept. The four I kept, two cockerels and two pullets, were clean legged, four toes, and non fibromelanosis. After they were DNA tested one cockerel tested positive for carrying the silkie gene but negative for the blue egg gene. Both the hens tested positive for being carriers for both the silkie and blue egg gene, and they both ended up being blue egg layers. I decided to use the one cockerel and his sister with the smaller head crest to establish two separate lines for this project. The hen is line A and the cockerel is line B.

Purpose/Goals of Line A&B

-Line A's purpose is to pass on and maintain the silkie feathering and blue egg genes as I outcross them to dual purpose birds.

-Line B's purpose it to pass on and maintain the silkie feathering and bearded face trait as I outcross them to dual purpose birds.
F3(Line A)- June of 2025 I paired my F2 pullet with a (Sicilian Buttercup X Bielefelder) Cock. Out of the 14 chicks I got from them I held back three cockerels that tested positive for being silkie feather and blue egg gene carries.

F3(Line B)- June of 2025 I paired my F2 Cockerel with my friend's light brahma hen. Out of eight chicks I kept one cockerel that tested positive for silkie feathers and is bearded.

F4(Line A) February this year I paired my choice F3(A) Cockerel, good size and good temperament but has a small crest, and paired him with another friend's Rhode Island Red and Blue Plymouth Rock. Currently have four 5-week-old cockerels that I'm waiting to submit DNA samples before I make any decision.

F4(Line B) March this year I paired the F3(B) Cockerel with the same friends Rhode Island Red and Blue Plymouth Rock. I have 18 developing eggs in the incubator due to hatch on 04/15/2026.

Plans for F5- If I'm lucky later this year I will have birds from both line A and line B that will compliment each other well and I will pair up birds together from the two lines. With the goal of producing some F5 birds that are silkie feathered, bearded, and lay blue/green eggs. From there I will begin working on incorporating the other traits that I want, homozygous blue gene, the v-comb (which I've been working on with some birds derived from line B), autosexing and table traits.

This project is going to take years but I've enjoyed the journey so far and get excited with each progression in every generation.

 

[ButtercupEnthusiast]

I wasn't sure if it was the same genetic mutation in both breeds, but I'm reading that it is. So that would make it a recessive gene in Hedemoras just like with Silkies.

The only problem I can see is that this breed is so rare. If you can find a seller who will guarantee silkie feathered Hedemora chicks then you are good to go. But it might be difficult to find that.

No Hedemoras are fairly rare and expensive, plus they have a lot of variability so I decided to use my own silkie cross bird.

 

[servant_of_fluffs]

It could be, I thought it was the tail feathers of the front bird. Honestly, who knows? This is the only picture of this breed I could find. Literally no other mention of it that I could find.

Well I'm currently hatching/raising my F4s right now and I'll give you an overview of what I've done so far. I've been using the services of the Silkie Lab genetic testing to help streamline my project a bit for the recessive silkie feathering and blue egg gene. Just a disclaimer, some of the birds I've used for this project may seem to contradict some of my goals but I was working with what I had access to at the time.

F1- Before I began this breeding project I already had a Silkie x Easter Egger hen that lays green eggs and she has produced silkie birds for me already.

F2- December 2024 I paired my Golden laced polish rooster with my F1 silkie Easter Egger cross hen. Out of 18 chicks I hatched from them four I kept. The four I kept, two cockerels and two pullets, were clean legged, four toes, and non fibromelanosis. After they were DNA tested one cockerel tested positive for carrying the silkie gene but negative for the blue egg gene. Both the hens tested positive for being carriers for both the silkie and blue egg gene, and they both ended up being blue egg layers. I decided to use the one cockerel and his sister with the smaller head crest to establish two separate lines for this project. The hen is line A and the cockerel is line B.

Purpose/Goals of Line A&B

-Line A's purpose is to pass on and maintain the silkie feathering and blue egg genes as I outcross them to dual purpose birds.

-Line B's purpose it to pass on and maintain the silkie feathering and bearded face trait as I outcross them to dual purpose birds.
F3(Line A)- June of 2025 I paired my F2 pullet with a (Sicilian Buttercup X Bielefelder) Cock. Out of the 14 chicks I got from them I held back three cockerels that tested positive for being silkie feather and blue egg gene carries.

F3(Line B)- June of 2025 I paired my F2 Cockerel with my friend's light brahma hen. Out of eight chicks I kept one cockerel that tested positive for silkie feathers and is bearded.

F4(Line A) February this year I paired my choice F3(A) Cockerel, good size and good temperament but has a small crest, and paired him with another friend's Rhode Island Red and Blue Plymouth Rock. Currently have four 5-week-old cockerels that I'm waiting to submit DNA samples before I make any decision.

F4(Line B) March this year I paired the F3(B) Cockerel with the same friends Rhode Island Red and Blue Plymouth Rock. I have 18 developing eggs in the incubator due to hatch on 04/15/2026.

Plans for F5- If I'm lucky later this year I will have birds from both line A and line B that will compliment each other well and I will pair up birds together from the two lines. With the goal of producing some F5 birds that are silkie feathered, bearded, and lay blue/green eggs. From there I will begin working on incorporating the other traits that I want, homozygous blue gene, the v-comb (which I've been working on with some birds derived from line B), autosexing and table traits.

This project is going to take years but I've enjoyed the journey so far and get excited with each progression in every generation.

This sounds awesome! Make sure to update us on how it goes If you used mottling and barring or barring and lacing you eventually should (emphasis on eventually lol) get auto sexing birds, but I'm sure you've already thought about that! How are you going to make them sexlinked, if you don't mind me asking?

 

[ButtercupEnthusiast]

This sounds awesome! Make sure to update us on how it goes If you used mottling and barring or barring and lacing you eventually should (emphasis on eventually lol) get auto sexing birds, but I'm sure you've already thought about that! How are you going to make them sexlinked, if you don't mind me asking?

Thank you, I got them tested at thesilkielab.com. I trust them but this fall we'll see how good I am at collecting feather samples and how accurate their DNA testing is. I have a friend that has a small flock of brahmas hens and she's waiting to see how my endeavor goes before she "Silkify" her brahma flock with line breeding.

As for the autosexing, I have five 55-flowery hens and they utilize e+, barring, and mottling to produce autosexing chicks and nearly all white males like you mentioned. I unfortunately lost my 55-flowery hen rooster this winter to an injury. I do have his daughter that's half Australorp that I plan to line breed with one of her newly hatched sons to try to draw out more Australorp body type and 55-flowery hen autosexing traits.